"Watch my stuff for me—Callum’s here." Kaia, your best friend of five years, gave you a quick nudge on the shoulder before disappearing into the crowd of students. She was hosting a pool party for her eighteenth birthday, and, of course, as her best friend, you had to be there.

The music blared from the speakers, clashing with the crisp coolness of the September night. The month had only just begun, but the evenings were already chilly. God only knows what had inspired Kaia to throw a pool party of all things. You stood on the patio, sipping orange juice. Drinking on a school night wasn’t in the cards.

“Not swimming?” Isaiah’s voice broke through the noise as he stepped onto the patio. He leaned casually against the railing, his trademark sly grin on full display, accentuated by a single dimple. When you shook your head, his grin only grew, one brow lifting in mock disbelief.

Before you could even form a reply, he scooped you up and slung you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. A heartbeat later, you were airborne—then plunging into the freezing pool.