FOREST AVE » charlie baker

30 - head over heels

The sun was beaming and heating everyone as we got back from the hospital. It took us a long, but much more relaxed, walk back to the campsite. Some of my hair was stuck to my neck and I felt sweat dripping down my back. The only thing I wanted was to get back to our room as quickly as possible.

''Hey,'' Charlie's voice whispered next to me and I felt his fingers intertwine with mine. ''You okay?''

''Mhm. Just very hot,'' I nodded and Charlie puffed out some air.

''Yeah. Let's go for a swim when we get back?'' he suggested.

''Definitely,''

The Murtaugh family went their own way once we had to separate. As they turned to walk back, some kids hugging and still giggling about something they had been talking about, I turned around to glance at Anne. She was looking back at me, a smile forming on her face. Raising my hand, I waved at her with a smile returned.

''Swimsuits and lake?'' Lorraine said and both Charlie and I shot our heads back at her, as she had been following us quietly for a while.

''WHAT?" Charlie exclaimed and laughed happily.

''Oh, shut it before she changes her mind!'' I lightly hit Charlie on the shoulder and nodded at Lorraine. ''We'll be ready in five minutes.''

Charlie and I literally threw ourselves on the bed with a loud bang and laughed, holding our heads and wiping our sweaty foreheads. Charlie turned to his side with a vigorous movement, making the bed shake again.

''If you do that ONCE MORE, they'll think we're up to-'' I laughed but Charlie interrupted me with a deep kiss.

''What if we were?'' he smiled back after pulling away from the kiss. ''Everyone's too busy and excited to think about us...''

''Doesn't mean I want to traumatize the kids, honey,''

''Honey?" Charlie's voice was raised and so were his eyebrows, a bright smile appearing on his lips.

''Oh my-''

''No, no... it's cute,'' Charlie reassured me, leaning in to kiss me again. ''I like honey. Makes me feel older than I am... but it has a nice tone to it. Especially coming from you...''

I hummed back in a low voice and leaned back to sleep on my back. When I closed my eyes, I felt Charlie's hand land softly on my stomach, slowly reaching for the end of my t-shirt and starting to pull it up.

''If you're trying to take off my shirt and rid me of the hotness then it's working,''

''I can't get rid of your hotness, excuse me,'' Charlie shook his head and grinned.

We splashed around the water, that way definitely ensuring that Lorraine will never want to go swimming with us ever in the lake or anywhere else. Later, we found ourselves cuddled, wanting to heat up, by the fireplace. Some of the kids were playing around, some sat around the fire as Charlie and I did as well.

''You feeling warmer?''

''Mhm. Can't believe I was dying from heat just hours ago,'' I replied and placed my head on Charlie's shoulders.

''The sunset was nice,''

''Yeah. Very beautiful,'' I said. ''And we'll get to see more of them... a few more of them.''

Only when a familiar voice greeted us from behind, did Charlie and I turn around and leave our comfortable position where he was holding me, both hands wrapped around my waist, my head nuzzled up close to his neck.

''Oh, hey,'' I smiled back at Anne.

My breathing picked up its pace and I think Charlie could sense that, as he squeezed my hand lightly.