Expectations (Book Two)

Chapter 35

Lyla

As promised, Shawn takes me to the lake our last three weekends we have free. Which is where we are now. It's Sunday and our final week of school awaits us tomorrow. All my classes have finished, I just have six finals I've been busting my ass studying for.

I'm standing at the edge of the dock, looking out at the water as Shawn locks the boat back up. We just took it out for a lap around the lake. It is uncharacteristically hot out today for it still being late May. I'm happy I decided to put my bikini top on under my top before I left.

I reach for the hem of my tank top and peel it off and over my head. I feel the heat of the sun on my chest and stomach as I close my eyes and enjoy the warmth. I hear Shawn footsteps on the dock growing closer before his hands slide around my bare stomach and his chest presses into my back. I can feel his skin on mine and determine he's taken his shirt off as well.

"You hot?" He whispers into my ear.

"Mhmm," I reply. "It's beautiful out today."

I open my eyes again as I look out across the water.

"I'm gonna miss coming here with you," he mumbles against my shoulder as he places a soft kiss there.

"We'll be back in three months," I remind him as I place my hands on top of his as they rest on my stomach. There's a few beats of silence as we both stand in our embrace, soaking up the sun.

"You know, I can think of a great way to cool us down..."

"Don't you dare mister," I warn him.

I know exactly where his mind is at and I am not prepared to go for a swim right now. I still have my jean shorts on and wet jeans are not comfortable to be in. I feel his arms tighten around me.

"Come on, it'll feel so refreshing," he taunts me.

I start to squirm in his arms as I feel him lift me off the ground. He shuffles his feet closer to the edge of the dock until my feet are hovering over the water. I stop wiggling to get free and instead clutch onto him tightly wherever I can reach.

"Shawn! Do not drop me in there!" I scream. I can hear him chuckle softly behind me, his chest shaking against my back.

"I love you."

These are the last words I hear before I plunge under water. And dammit he was right. It is refreshing.

Final exams were hell. I finished writing my last one this morning and I feel an innate sense of freedom now that they are all behind me. Our grades will be posted online over the next two weeks so nothing to do now but wait.

I know I did well on all of them, I felt confident walking away from each one, but it didn't mean that they weren't stressful. I'm currently packing up the last bit of what's left in my dorm room.

My parents drove down last weekend and helped me pack up most of my things into their car and they took it all back with them to Harrington. It hadn't been a crazy amount of stuff, the dorm supplies your furniture, so it was mostly just dinnerware, some small appliances and the bulk of my clothes. I zip up my suitcase after I shove the last stack of clothing into it. I quickly walk through my room again, checking to make sure I don't have anything hiding in any drawers.

I roll my suitcase into our living area and find Megan sitting on the couch with her own suitcase sitting on the floor beside her. When I look at her, she pouts her bottom lip out as she rises from the couch.

"I hate this," she groans as she drags her bag over to the door where she leaves it then approaches me.

"Me too," I agree as I think about how much I'll miss Megan this summer. I was terrified when I showed up at Oakridge this year and she welcomed me from the get go. "But, you're coming out to the cottage in like eight weeks remember."