My Summer Antidote

Chapter 13| Ignited

I wake up slowly, and peacefully the next morning. I stretch my long arms above my head and shriek slightly at the overwhelming sensation of stiffness leaving my body.

I smile slightly at the memories of last night. They were sweet. In every way possible.

Whether it was Arden's attention to detail or better put, his ability to pick out my favorite candies, and order the right toppings on pizza, it was a side of him that was developing and growing right before my eyes. It was something I never thought I would live to see. And in this moment, I was content in the confusion that our friendship brought me.

It was a word that now felt wrong and foreign to use based on the feeling I was experiencing in my gut. The butterflies that were lightly dancing at the mere thought of being in his vicinity. And in many ways, it was probably insane and outright dangerous to be even allowing myself to be developing feelings like these because if there was one person who would be likely to shatter me, it would be Arden.

It would be him who would completely ruin me and yet I still found myself smiling at the idea that maybe we could be something.

Sliding out from under my light blue sheets, I slip on my oversized gray hoodie and pull on a pair of white, loose pajama pants. I slip out through my door and creep downstairs, making sure not to wake Arden. To my surprise, I walked out to him dripping in sweat, walking through the slider door.

This genuinely was the last thing I needed at the moment. Sexy and beautiful Arden, dripping in sweat, shirtless, his shorts riding low on his hips.

Man was he a specimen. He made me revisit my type and sort through it.

"Like what you see Peach?" He says smirking as he grabs a t-shirt from the back of the couch wiping his face.

I laugh, shaking my head at him, "Where'd you run to?" I ask.

He responds, explaining that he ran just over five miles down to the harbor and brought back some fresh fish to make for dinner before he slid away to take a shower, snapping his sweaty, damp towel against the front of my thigh.

It was as if one of his favorite pastime activities was making me have hot flashes.

And for me, this was all new... Dating, "crushes", it all was completely new. I had only ever dated Josh and that was easy since we were in high school at the beginning. With him, I mostly thought about movie dates, what colors to wear to prom and maybe when we could sneak in a make out session.

But now, I was thinking of so much more.

And it almost scared me knowing the things Arden could get me to do... The things he could make me feel.

Before I could even refocus the eggs in the pan were burning and the smoke detectors were all alarming and an embarrassingly loud level.

Suddenly, bounding down the stairs came Arden with his towel loosely wrapped around his waist and I had removed my sweatshirt to fan the smoke engulfing the kitchen.

"Peach what the heck is goin' on down here?" He says coughing through the smoke and again redness fills my cheeks as the smoke begins to disperse.

He was close, extremely close, "Looks like I'm gonna have to give you a lesson or two."

I can tell my eyes are wide, most likely doe-like, and my mouth is salivating.

"Maybe." I squeak back and he laughs to himself.

"I have to go into town until late, my mom has me helping Ms. Johnson pack up and move most of her house."

I nodded to myself thinking of the things I could maybe accomplish during this time alone. Laundry, tidying, calling my mom, or maybe just relaxing.