I opened my eyes to find him about six feet away, water lapping at his collarbone. His dark hair was slicked back from his face, droplets clinging to his eyelashes. The monlight carved shadows beneath his cheekbones, making him look older, almost otherworldly.
"Hi." I said stupidly.
"Hi yourself," he replied, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Congratulations Sunny. You've officially broken a law."
"Trespassing and public indecency in one night," I said, grinning despite my chattering teeth. "I'm on a roll."
Rafael moved closer, concern replacing his smile. "You're freezing. We should— "
"No," I interrupted. "I'm okay. Let's stay a little longer." The truth was, despite the cold, I didn't want this moment to end, this perfect, surreal experience that belonged only to us.
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But we swim to warm up." He moved backward into deeper water. "Race you to that fallen tree and back?"
I hesitated, calculating my lung capacity. The tree wasn't far, maybe thirty feet. I could manage that. "You're on."
We swam side by side, careful to stay low in the water. I could feel the strain in my lungs almost immediately, the familiar burn spreading through my chest, but I pushed through it. This was what living felt like, the bite of cold water, the stretch of muscles, the knowledge that Rafael was right beside me.
He reached the tree first, of course, waiting for me with an encouraging smile. "You good?"
I nodded, not wasting breath on words. We turned back toward our starting point, and I felt his pace slow deliberately to match mine. Typical Rafael, competitive enough to race ahead, caring enough to make sure I wasn't left behind.
By the time we returned to the shallower water, I was breathing hard, fighting to keep the wheezing quiet. Rafael pretended not to notice, floating onto his back and staring up at the stars.
"Worth the cold ?" he asked.
I followed his lead, floating beside him, our shoulders occasionally brushing. The stars above were brilliant, unobscured by city lights. "Definitely worth it."
We floated in companionable silence for several minutes, just existing together in this strange, intimate space we'd created. I wondered what he was thinking, whether he felt the same electric awareness that was coursing through me.
"Why this, Sam?" he asked suddenly, his voice quiet in the darkness. "Why now?"
The question caught me off guard. "What do you mean?"
"This bucket list. These risks. It's not like you."
I kept my eyes fixed on the stars, afraid my face might reveal too much. "Well... I'll be off to college soon.." I said finally. "Maybe I want to know what not being a good girl all the time is like."
He was silent for so long I thought he might drop it. Then, so softly I almost missed it: "I'm glad you asked me to do this with you."
My heart squeezed painfully. "There's no one else I'd want."
The honesty hung between us, too raw to acknowledge directly. Rafael cleared his throat and stood up, water sluicing off his shoulders. "We should get out before we turn into popsicles. I'll go first, close your eyes."
I shut my eyes again, listening to him wade to shore, imagining every step. The rustle of the towel being wrapped around his waist. The soft curse as he stubbed his toe on something.
"All clear." he called after a minute.
I waited until I heard him moving around, presumably getting dressed, before I made my own way to the shore. The air felt even colder now against my wet skin, and I hurried toward the towel he'd left out for me, wrapping it tightly around my body.
"it's okay.," I called, teeth chattering violently now.
Rafael turned, already pulling his t-shirt over his head. His eyes widened at the sight of me. "Jesus, Sunny, you're blue." He grabbed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders on top of the towel. "Get dressed, quick."
I fumbled with my clothes, fingers numb with cold. Rafael kept his back to me, giving me privacy, but stayed close enough that I could feel his concern like a physical thing.
Once dressed, I tapped his shoulder. "Okay, I'm good."
He turned, immediately rubbing his hands up and down my arms to generate warmth. "Better?"
I nodded, suddenly aware of how close we were standing. His hands stilled on my arms, and for one heart-stopping moment, I thought he might kiss me. His eyes dropped to my lips, then back up, a question in them I wasn't brave enough to answer.
Instead, I stepped back slightly. "We still need the after picture."
Something flickered across his face, disappointment, maybe , before he nodded and reached for the camera. "Right. Documentation."
We posed again, this time with wet hair and flushed cheeks, his jacket still draped over my shoulders.
The flash temporarily blinded us, immortalizing the moment in chemical and paper.
"Item two, officially complete," Rafael said, packing up our things. "How's it feel?"