The Summer Storm

CHAPTER SEVEN

The summer days are quickly passing by. We are only planning to stay for another two and a half weeks. I'm sad to see it all come to an end, but school starts at the end of August, and Pat and I are heading back to campus early to assist in guiding new comers. Things are going really well, and even volleyball isn't so bad, but that's because we haven't had to compete against Oliver's team since that first day, and I've been avoiding the beach when everyone in his house is outside.

Today, however, they have been out there for hours barbecuing and I can't stand trapping myself inside this house any longer. As I step off the porch I get nailed in the side with a stream of water. Pat's laughter comes from the left side of the house.

"Oh no you didn't."

A few days ago Sally and Hunter went to the store and brought back a whole bunch of water guns. It's been a battle every day with everyone sneaking up on each other. I rush back up onto the porch and grab the one behind the swing. As I'm doing it I'm being pelted with water in the other direction. Anna stands on the other side with a smirk on her face.

I grab my water gun and start chasing both of them. I chase her, Pat Chases me, and we run up and down the beach screaming. As I approach Anna I get close and the water soaks through her white t-shirt. She pulls the wet fabric from her body and over her head exposing her black bikini. While she's distracted I grab her gun and start getting her with both. Her laughter is contagious and I find myself laughing along with her so easily. She runs towards me and before I can slip away she wraps her arms around me and pulls me into her.

I trip over something and go down in the sand, from the wetness pooled on my clothing and body from the water guns the sand is sticking to every part of me. We roll onto our backs without a care in the world.

She looks across the beach at the house next door and my eyes follow hers. Oliver is there and he's lounging on the beach by himself staring over to our side. I sigh. There's a small part of me that misses him more than I care to admit, but half the hole that he left has been patched with Anna.

"Hey," she says. "Swim with me?" she asks.

I dust myself off and stand, following her into the water. Being with Anna is fun and any time she can tell I'm going back into my head she pulls me out. I love that about her. We swim almost all afternoon. Every ounce of tension in my body eased by being around her.

After finishing up for the afternoon, Anna and I head upstairs to clean up. She shuts the door, and starts to tug at the string of her bathing suit.

"I feel so gross from all that sand, I need to shower." She pauses and looks at me.

"I'll wait," I say with a smile.

I'm mostly dry. After our swim we sat out in the sun on some towels and talked. She gave me more insight on her traveling life and the one time she pet a Koala. I sit on the edge of the bed. Anna is quiet as she stares off trying to get the string undone.

"Do you need help?"

"Yeah, please? I knotted this."

I get to my feet, my towel drops to the floor. I'm wearing the bathing suit she let me borrow on our first day here. I love this one, and she said it's all mine when the summer is over. I walk over and brush her hair to the side. She's right, there's a huge knot. I'm not too good at getting them out, but I try anyway. Every time my hand grazes her skin I swear I hear her suck in a breath.

After a few agonizing minutes it comes undone. She turns to face me, the top of her bathing suit hanging low, but not completely off yet. Our eyes meet and I'm drawn into them and her. She must feel it too, because before I can say step aside she grabs me gently under my chin with her entire hand and brings me to her lips. My knees tremble from the touch of her lips as I melt into her.

Her fingers fiddle with the strap of my bathing suit. She pushes it down off my shoulder. Our kiss never breaks as she does. Is this real? Or are we just practicing for Oliver? We haven't had a private kiss since the small one a few weeks ago. This is different, this is full of urgency and want. I'm not going to deny her the kiss, because I want it too.

After she gets my arm out of the first strap, she goes for the other. She slowly pulls it down, her lips leave trails of kisses down the center of my body as she goes. I've dated a girl, but have never gone this far. This is a whole other ballgame and I'm ready to play. I step out of my suit, and she blinks up at me with wide eyes. It's like she's asking if we're doing this.

I reach for her hands, pull her up, and stretch her arms around my neck. She presses her body against mine, as I undo the last of her strap. The soft fabric falls to the floor. Our kisses become more and more urgent. Without breaking it at all we stumble into the bathroom. It's hard, but I reach in and turn on the water. Steam rises around us.

We fall into each other's touch and into the bathtub. If she can tell this is my first time, she doesn't let it bother her. Instead, she shows me the ropes by putting my hands where she prefers. I don't mind at all everything feels good. Including when it's my turn. The tenderness of her touch gets me to my breaking point faster than Oliver ever had. It's like she knew. And then when she pulls the shower head off the wall and uses it on me, I nearly lose my mind.

When it's all over we get dressed then hop into bed and cuddle. There weren't many words exchanged, but there was no need. We lay together in bed holding each other and reading our favorite book. It would be so easy to fall in love with her. I could do this forever. But I keep having to remind myself that this is fake, and that she's only doing it to make me feel better, even if it feels like more.