Dear Aaron

by Mariana Zapata

“Because I’m going in the water.” He folded his shorts in half and dropped them on top of his T-shirt. “You coming?” My heart was beating, beating, beating. “No.” Aaron winked. “Yes.” My throat clammed up. “Aaron—” “Come on. We don’t have to go in deep. You can hold my hand.” I coughed. Sputtered some more. Maybe even gagged a little. “I’d want to hold something more than your hand going into the water—” Aaron choked. Literally choked. Gasping out, “Jesus, Ru.” Oh no. The blood drained from my face. “You know that’s not what I meant!” His laugh was so rough and loud and happy it made something in me click. “Do I?” “Yes!” I didn’t know it was possible for him to laugh louder, but he did. “I’m going back to the house,” I muttered, not moving. He dropped his head back and kept on laughing, a hand coming up to rest on the six-pack I was not going to look at. “All right, all right. I’m just messing with you,” he said, chuckling and sounding pretty much delighted, with a long sigh afterward. I narrowed my eyes when he reached up to swipe under his eye. “Come in the water with me and I’ll never bring it up again. Promise.” I groaned. “Ruby.” “Aaron.” “Come in the water with me,” he insisted, sounding totally back to normal. I stared at him. “I don’t think so.” He stared back at me. “You’re going to regret it later when you think about it,” he egged on. How could I have forgotten how well he knew me? I scoffed again, ignoring the truth to his words. “Come on, will you? Just you an...