Heather stood there in her soft peach dress, the late sunlight catching on her shoulders, while Max waited near the edge of the pool in his boxers, completely unaware of the tension building between his mother and the man he had just called a brother.
"I'm going in, Mom!" Max shouted right before he ran the last few steps and jumped into the pool. A big splash of water shot up into the air as he disappeared under the surface, then came up laughing and shaking his wet hair.
Just like that, Heather and I were left alone at the edge of the pool near the lounge chairs. The late afternoon light was already softening, and the rooftop felt quieter without Max standing between us.
Heather's eyes drifted toward the bathroom door for a moment before she looked at me.
"What did that woman Lily apply on her body, Alex?" she asked. There was a clear note of curiosity in her voice, mixed with something sharper, jealousy.
