Playing with Fire by Emily Blake Page A

flinched, making faces as he stepped into the whirlpool.
    â€œOh, you get used to it.” Alison laughed easily and Tom joined her. She wasn’t sure if he knew she was talking about the burns she had gotten from Kelly, but it felt great to laugh about it.
    â€œGot room for me?” Chad stood on the edge of the hot tub between Tom and Alison and waited for Tom to move over so he could sit between them. Was he getting jealous?
    â€œSo how was the dance?” Alison asked. She wanted to make sure the three of them looked like they were having a good time when Kelly came back out of the pool house.
    Chad shrugged. “Okay, I guess. You didn’t miss much.”
    But she had, really. She had missed him and being a part of the crowd.
    â€œYou should have seen Nelson and Kaminski on the dance floor, though.” Tom stood up and did an imitation of their PE teacher slow dancing with their geometry teacher, his arms wrapped all the way around himself so he was playing with his own hair.
    Chad cracked up, putting his head really, really close to Alison’s shoulder. “I wish you could have seen it.” He laughed.
    â€œI just wanted to relax tonight.” Alison shrugged, still grinning. “It’s been a rough week.”
    â€œYou can say that again.” Chad’s smile faded. He was looking right into Alison’s blue eyes and she could tell what he was thinking—that he was sorry for whatever part he’d played in making her life difficult. Alison waited, hoping he would say it, but what happened next was even better. Kelly emerged just in time to catch them gazing at each other. Tom waved her over, but Chad didn’t look away.
    â€œAl, I’m really…” Chad stumbled on his own tongue.
    Out of the corner of her eye, Alison watched Kelly approach. She stepped into the tub, squealing at the heat, and settled between Alison and Chad. The tub went silent.
    â€œDon’t let me break up the party,” Kelly sniped. She put Chad’s arm around her shoulders. “Miss me?”
    â€œNot much,” Alison said brightly. Her work here was done. Now it was playtime. “Double cannonball?” she asked Tom, checking to see if Chad was paying attention. He was.
    â€œOh, yeah!” Another great thing about Tom—he was up for anything. They were on the board about to jump when Alison’s heart stopped for the second time that night.
    Grandmother Diamond was standing on the deck with her arms crossed. Alison could tell by her posture that she was glaring at them.
    â€œCannonball!” Tom yelled. His splash was enormous, but not loud enough to cover Grandmother Diamond’s booming voice.
    â€œGet out of my pool this instant! Kelly! Alison! You should be ashamed of yourselves. I was about to call the police. You’re lucky I didn’t have you arrested!”
    â€œLike the rest of the family?” Alison said before she could stop herself. Her grandmother looked at her sharply, then looked away as if she hadn’t heard anything.
    â€œI thought you were intruders,” Grandmother Diamond went on, glaring at Kelly. Chad cowered behind her, and Tom was now out of the pool, shivering in the night air. “You are intruders. And I want you all dressed and out of here immediately.”
    Alison hesitated. She glanced at Kelly, then looked at her bare feet. “I’m so sorry, Grandmother. I should have called to tell you I was coming. I was just sleeping in the pool house. Our place is so empty…and then when Kelly showed up with the guys, well…we didn’t mean to disturb you. It was inconsiderate of us, I know. I guess I’m under a lot of stress.” She raised her eyes to meet her grandmother’s. “Can I stay? Your house is the only place that feels like home.”
    Tamara Diamond’s expression relaxed. Alison could feel her anger softening, like melting ice cream. She had laid it on extra