Going Full Throttle

Chapter 17

My entire body felt stiff and heavy; as though it were filled with rocks. Swirly images of last night floated behind my eyelids, just out of reach of my consciousness. A little tickle in the back of my mind told me there was something I was supposed to remember, but I was too comfy to focus on it.

It wasn't until I felt something scrape my cheek that I stirred awake. Only then did I realize that I wasn't lying directly on my mattress. I scrunched my nose in confusion and felt short bristles tickle my face. Light burned my pupils as I slowly blinked my eyes open. I lifted my head and winced when pain shot through my neck. My muscles seized as though they hadn't moved or shifted for hours.

"Good mornin'," a deep gravelly voice rumbled from below me.

That voice brought the entire night back to me. It was Tyler's voice. Tyler, who was in my bed. In fact, Tyler, who was currently stuck below me as I clung to his neck. At some point in the night I had managed to climb right on top of him and press my stomach to his. My thighs fell on either side of his hips as I nuzzled my face right into his neck.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled as I squinted at him through one eye. He looked relaxed, with his head resting on the pillow while he scrolled on his phone. He turned to me and didn't look the least bit fazed that I had squished him all night. "I'm a cuddler," I added lamely as a blush warmed my cheek.

He cracked a smile at that and rubbed a knuckled across his eyelid. "I noticed." It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't moved, and my face was incredibly close to his. I clamped my mouth shut in hopes of sparing him my morning breath and rolled off.

"Can I show you something?" He asked as he shifted onto his side to face me. He tucked one hand under the pillow and held his phone out with the other. I couldn't help but wonder if this was supposed to be awkward? He acted as though we had woken up together a million times and this was all normal.

"Sure," I said and tried to inconspicuously tuck my mouth into the neckline of my shirt. "Jesus," I added when my t-shirt shifted around my bare legs, "I'm not wearing any freakin' pants."

"I know," Tyler smirked.

I scoffed at his smug face and punched his shoulder. He didn't flinch or show any sign that I'd hit him at all. He just blinked slowly and held his phone out for me to take. I glared for good measure then took his phone. A video was paused on the screen so I pressed play.

Instantly, I recognized the Thompson's backyard. Music swelled as scenic shots of Clearwater Lake spanned the screen. I realized that this had to be another of Scotty's videos. It was the day we built the platform for Finn. I pressed my cheek to my hand on the pillow and smiled as I watched the scenes unfold.

This video was much like the other one, except that he'd allowed some of our voices to come through the music. One shot of Finn and I hammering nails into the wood stood out to me. At first you only saw our backs but Scotty had called my name so I turned around and stuck my tongue out.

The flip that Tyler had done while drinking a beer looked way cooler since Scotty had slowed it down. High definition water droplets flew in every direction as he submerged in the lake with the beer still pressed to his lips. After a quick lapse of us all jumping off the platform the scene switched.

I frowned in confusion as Tyler, Scotty, and I came into frame. It was the day they chased me all over the yard. When the camera shook unprofessionally I remembered that Twyla had filmed us. She caught me falling dramatically to the ground and Tyler picking me up. I laughed at my attempts to make him drop me, before I was ultimately thrown in.

"So?" Tyler prodded when I didn't speak right away.

I passed his phone back and nuzzled the pillow as I stretched onto my stomach. "So?" I said sleepily.