Under the Dusty Sky (Holloway Farms)

telling Mom you said the B word.” Mason starts swimming to the edge of the pool, his small pudgy arms and legs flailing and splashing. I laugh as Lacy dives under the water and catches him before he makes it halfway to the edge.
    “ She’s fast,” Bentley says. My heart gives a short burst that vibrates through my limbs.
    What is happening to me? And is this guy like a ninja or something? I pull myself together fast and lower myself into the water next to him. Our elbows are touching on the edge of the pool. Bentley shifts and breaks contact.
    “ She’s the captain of the swim team. Being so tiny makes her super hydrodynamic.” I’m proud of myself when Bentley laughs, but there is something about his laugh that isn’t quite right. It’s a practiced laugh, and I have no idea what that means. It doesn’t take long before I’m distracted by a drop of water falling from his hair and landing on his shoulder. It rolls down his collar bone and slides down the center of his chest, which is covered in a light dusting of hair. I don’t even need one whole hand to count how many guys I know that have chest hair. I have no idea how I feel about it, but I’m definitely staring at it, watching the water bead weave its way back down to the pool.
    I’m wondering where I suddenly developed superhuman vision just as Lacy returns and snaps me out of my Bentley-induced coma.
    “ Thanks, friend.” She rolls her eyes at me but smiles. I shrug. I’m not stupid. I know she likes touching my brother. However gross that might be…But I refuse to choose between my brother and my best friend, and they know that. Because one of them will get hurt. I will eventually have to choose if they get together because these things never last.
    ***
    I grab my T-shirt from Lacy’s car after we’re done swimming and pull it over my head, soaking it through immediately.
    “ You should let me drive,” I say, and the twins both howl with laughter. I punch Archer. Bentley looks between us, the same thinking face he had on when we met.
    Archer wraps his arm around my neck and bends me over to tangle my hair and rub my head until it hurts. I scramble to get out of his grip and glare as hard as I can.
    “ Yeah, not happenenin’, Gracie Marie. Didn’t go in our favor last time.”
    “ You’re a jerk.”
    Asher laughs this time. Bentley’s still studying our sibling interaction.
    “ He’s not a jerk, Bug. You just can’t drive.” Asher shakes his head and slides into the old truck.
    “ I can sit in the back,” Bentley says, pointing to the dirt and grease covered truck bed.
    “ It’s fine. Just get in.” I’m still glaring. How am I supposed to learn to drive if no one will teach me?
    Bentley slides in next to Asher, and I hoist myself up to get in. Distracted, I drop down onto Bentley’s lap hard, and he makes a choking noise. He hunches over, and I clamp my hand over my mouth.
    “ Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” I lift up. My brothers are laughing at us. Asher grabs me and pulls me to him. His chest heaving in uncontrollable laughter.
    “ Way to go sis. You broke your car, and now you broke Bentley’s junk.” He’s snorting he’s laughing so hard, and my cheeks feel warm. It’s a strange feeling. Blushing. It’s not something I do. Embarrassment is rare for me, and I don’t know how to deal with it so I just sink into my brother and glare.
    “ Are you okay, dude?” Asher pats Bentley’s shoulder, and he forces a smile.
    “ I’m good,” Bentley mutters and looks out the window.
    Getting a guy to like me has never been this hard, and this is definitely not helping. My legs are stretched out under Bentley’s and I shift so my shin rubs on his calf. He doesn’t budge, doesn’t react, like usual. I slouch down into my brother. This wobbly feeling in my stomach totally sucks.
    Maybe he doesn’t find me attractive. Maybe he has a girlfriend. I hadn’t thought about that until right now. Asher wraps his arms around me and hugs me like he used to. He leans down and rests his head against mine. I don’t like when the twins do nice things, or comfort me when they think I need it. That’s Hunter’s job. Hunter is the nice, caring one. The twins don’t do things like this, or at least I’m not used to it. Not unless it’s serious.
    “ Be careful, Bug,” Asher whispers so soft I barely hear him. I glare up at him then stare at the back of Bentley’s head the rest of the way home.
    ***
    Hunter’s supposed to be