Chapter 1

The drowning rescue drill was underway.

My best friend, Lily Harper, complained that I wasn't taking it seriously. With a laugh, she kicked me into the deep end, then climbed onto my shoulders and shoved me underwater with all her strength.

My calf cramped. Cold water rushed into my lungs, making them burn with pain. I struggled desperately, trying to reach the surface and crying help.

My boyfriend swam right past me. He went straight to Lily, who had barely swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, wrapped his arms around her, and hurried back for the edge of the pool.

As I sank deeper, I turned and grabbed my childhood friend's arm with all my strength.

But he kicked me away without hesitation.

"Quit messing around. The air conditioning in here is cold. What if Lily catches a cold? I’ll go get her a towel."

The kick sent the back of my head crashing against the pool floor.

Through the haze, I saw my brother swimming toward me.

With the last of my strength, I reached out to him.

But he swam right past me and bent down to retrieve a pair of pink goggles sinking nearby.

"You're a grown woman and you're still playing these childish jealousy games? Aren't you embarrassed?"

He didn't spare me another glance. He simply turned and swam back toward the poolside.

Ice-cold water rushed into my mouth and nose from every direction. The light shimmering on the surface slowly blurred until it faded away.

On the poolside, they crowded around Lily, fussing over her. It took them a long while to remember I was still in the water.

"Juliet, are you seriously pretending to drown just to get us to save you?"

"That's enough. You're taking the joke too far."

"Stop messing around. We'll take Lily to get some treatment first. Once you come up, remember to book us a restaurant."

But I had already drowned.

I'd never sulk or make a fuss again. I would never again be their little sidekick, someone they could summon whenever they wanted and dismiss whenever they pleased.

***

When I opened my eyes again, I was floating in midair.

Lily was wrapped in an ivory towel, leaning against my boyfriend, Joshua Coleman.

Her hair was still dripping wet, making her look even more fragile and pitiful.

"I swallowed so much water back there. My throat still hurts."

Joshua gently patted her back, his voice soft and soothing. "You're fine now. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

My childhood friend, Caleb Turner, held a towel and carefully dried the ends of her hair. "If I'd known, I would've teamed up with Lily so I could keep an eye on her."

My brother, Simon Baxter, handed over the pink goggles he'd wiped clean, smiling proudly like he expected praise. "Your limited-edition goggles. I got them back for you."

Lily gave Simon a sweet smile, her eyes lighting up. "Simon, you're so good to me. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Anything that concerns you matters, no matter how small."

When it came to me, even the biggest things didn't matter.

I floated above them, watching their little display of affection. My eyes stung.

Lily glanced back at the calm water of the deep end. "Why hasn't Juliet come up yet? She's not mad at me, is she? When I pushed her into the deep end, I just wanted to make the drill more realistic."

My heart suddenly tightened.

Joshua let out a scoff, completely unconcerned.

"Forget about her. She's been sulking all morning because I didn't buy her the sea salt lemonade she wanted. She's probably down there holding her breath to prank us, waiting for us to come coax her out."

That morning, I’d specifically asked Joshua to get me a hot sea salt lemonade to soothe my stomach.

He'd easily agreed, only to turn around and buy five mango smoothies, all Lily's favorite.

I'm allergic to mango and couldn't drink it. But to them, that was me throwing a fit.

Caleb shook his head, exasperated.

"She's a grown woman, yet she still acts like a spoiled child. We’ve indulged her too much.”

“Just now, when she saw Joshua holding Lily, she reached out for me to hold her too. Seriously, she always expects us to treat her just like everyone else. How childish is that?"

Simon smiled, his tone offhand. "She's been competitive since she was little. Whenever things don't go her way, she sulks and gives everyone the silent treatment."