The next evening, I stood at the edge of their backyard gate for a full minute, heart hammering, before I pushed it open. The pool lights were already on, casting a soft turquoise glow across the water and the surrounding patio. Marcus and Lila were already in the pool, their bodies moving lazily through the water. Marcus’s broad shoulders gleamed under the lights, water sliding down the defined muscles of his back. Lila’s laugh floated across the yard as she splashed him, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders, her bikini top barely containing her full breasts.

They both turned when they heard the gate.

“Elowen,” Lila called, her voice...