Because of Haven Beach

29 | sphallolalia

sphallolalia (n.)

flirtatious talk that leads nowhere

* * *

DAYS later, Eli texted me in the middle of the night, asking to take me to a drive-in movie the next day. I accepted—of course—but thought it was insane. I mean, who goes to a drive-in movie in the beginning of January?

Especially when it's freezing outside.

Well, Eli always wore shorts and drank iced coffee (even in the winter), so he presumably didn't care. If only I were able to do the same without catching a cold...

An hour before sunset, he came around with his dad's pickup truck.

"Hey," he grinned.

I slid into the passenger seat, wearing a matching grin, "Hey."

His eyes scanned my outfit, eyes widening when he took in my jeans.

"Is something wrong?" I asked self-consciously.

"No," he nearly shouted. "No, uh, nothing's wrong. You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I blushed.

It was my turn to watch him as he reversed the car. He rested his right hand on the center console—right on top of mine—and twisted his torso towards me. The lower part of his shirt rode up, exposing his abs. And out of the corner of my eye, I could see his face settle into a slight smirk.

Something must have been wrong with me if Eli driving turned me on. He was driving; it wasn't anything inherently sexual.

But then again, it was Eli, and everything he did was a turn-on. I was unsure if that would be considered a blessing or a curse—likely the former.

"You good?" he asked, pulling onto the main road. "You're looking kinda pink."

"I'm just hot," I lied, fanning my face for effect.

"You can roll down a window. I don't mind."

"Uh, okay." I cracked my window and felt an instant burst of cold air come flooding into the truck.

I tried to suppress my shivers as he asked me about my day and how I was feeling after my surgery. Luckily, the drive-in lot wasn't far and we arrived before I turned into an icicle.

It would be a miracle if I survived the night without getting frostbite.

At least Eli would be there to keep me warm.

However, we weren't the only idiots braving the cold; a few other cars were littered across the snow-covered field. There were likely other teenagers, bored during break and desperately looking for an excuse to leave the house.

"So, uh, I brought some blankets and candy," he said, dragging a basket out of the cab. "I was thinking that we could cover the bed and watch back there."

I chewed my lip. "Won't it be cold?"

He shook his head. "Nah, there's enough to keep us warm."

"Alright," I said slowly.

A few minutes later, the back of the truck was converted into a fuzzy and warm place to lie down. I wrapped myself in three blankets as he rummaged through the snack bin.

"What do you want? There's chips, M&Ms—"

"M&Ms."

He peered into one of the two giant bags before handing it to me.