Find me in Stonebrook

Sixteen

*Tessa's POV*

I tipped the popcorn into the bowl, throwing the packet in the trash before venturing back into the living room where Mom and Ethan were watching TV.

"I'm calling it a night." I pressed a quick kiss into Mom's hair, messing Ethan's up as he took a picture of the top of his head. "Let me know if Netflix is too loud and I'll put my earphones in."

"Hold on." She turned her head back. "I've barely seen you the past few days are you okay? Parker came looking for you earlier, said he'd text you but you hadn't answered?"

"Oh, Lina was spamming my phone all day about nothing important. It was just a different emoji every 20 minutes to piss me off so I put my phone on airplane mode. I was just down at the beach reading." She nodded once. "I spoke to Lina yesterday morning. I'm just unwinding before I'm dragged into putting the wedding together this weekend for Jayde. I'm fine. Just catching up on sleep is a hell of a lot easier here."

"Did you try those earplugs I told you about for when it's loud back up there? They're made for city-"

"I tried them Mom. They helped." I smiled, pushing some food into my mouth. "Night. Night squirt."

"Night shortstack." I rolled my eyes, pulling back his tee-shirt and stuffing some popcorn down it, slapping the food until it crumbled. "TESSA! God you're so fucking annoying."

"Language." I chuckled as he started throwing the food back at me as I escaped up to my room. I'd left my bedroom window open when I'd come down after my shower. It was still so warm so there was 0 chances at me wearing my standard jumper to bed and the only clean shorts I had were tiny. It was still more coverage than I'd had with Parker today at the beach and yesterday swimming in the little waterfall spot.

The plan tonight was to watch some random Netflix show and do nothing else. I wasn't thinking about making a decision on what I had to next. I wanted to just breathe for a week or 2. I didn't need to decide right now. I can wait until I am about to go home and just enjoy being here right now. That's what I came away for. To work out what I need to bring me back to happy. Talking to Parker made me happy. Being with him made me happy. Kissing him makes me sickeningly happy. That's all I'm thinking about right now.

"Your room hasn't changed at all." He smiled from the bed, almost making me drop the popcorn all over the floor.

"Wrong. There's no more clutter everywhere because it's in my room back home." I whispered back, handing him the bowl whilst I climbed in beside him, pulling the laptop up onto my thighs. He leaned down putting the bowl on the floor beside him and taking the laptop off me. "Wait-"

"I need to kiss you again. Can't do it if you've got the laptop."

"You don't need to kiss me again, you want to. There's a difference."

"No, I need to. I'm having withdrawal symptoms."

"Poor baby. What symptoms?" I smirked, letting him pull me up on top of him and doing everything I could not to let him kiss me. His giant hands ran up and down my thighs slowly. "Temperature? Feel nauseous? Do you need a drink?"

"Tessa."

"I heard sugar helps if you've got the shakes."

"You look stunning."

"I'm in pyjama shorts." I rolled my eyes.

"I know. Take them off."

"Not a chance cowboy. All my clothes are staying on tonight."

"Damn, I thought that might actually work."

"Oh, you thought I was that easy?" My eyebrows raised and he chuckled, pulling my pack down until I laid my full body down on him. Strong arms wrapped around me holding me against him. I wasn't going to fight to get out of his grasp. I'd sleep right here if I could.