August Nights

9

vt & comment pls. 

"Rayne please?" I plead, slumping down on his lap so he can't avoid my eyes anymore.

He holds me steady and just leans back, narrowing his eyes at me.

We were in my garden, sunbathing and it was so peaceful and relaxing. Until I suddenly had the idea of going fruit picking.

Like I just wanted to go and have the sun beating down on us, I wanted to carry a little basket and smell the beautiful perfume of fresh strawberries.

I needed to do this.

"Rayne please? Why not? We're just laying here. I wanna..."

"Em." Rayne laughs pushing me off his lap and he gives me a pointed look. "As innocent as I know you sitting on my lap is, please remember that your parents don't know that."

I give him a sheepish look and look back towards my mum and my dad, they both took the afternoon off to spend some time together, I think. I dunno, they just where connected at the hip today so I gathered.

"Please." I plead.

"No, I- I have plans Em. You know this. We agreed I'd spend the morning with you and then I am supposed to be going to Harrison's pool party. Like I am supposed to be there now." Rayne laughs and I just flop back dramatically on the blanket.

"But I wanna go pick strawberries."

"I am sorry." He says. "I don't- I just wanna. No okay we can go pick strawberries." He sighs.

I grin, sitting up immediately and then I pause.

Okay I was being needy.

"You know what- go. Sorry. I have other friends I will find someone else to go with me." I smile.

"Are you mad?" Rayne asks, sitting up properly too.

"Nope."

"Are you sure?" He asks and I roll over and search for my phone amongst the mess we have made. We have empty plates, he has magazines, I have my book I was currently readying, which is The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and also my notebooks.

I was um, comparing people to flowers. Trying to find the best ones to fit each person.

I was learning which flowers had emotions attached to it, what they symbolised, what they meant.

"I am sure. Sure." I smile. "Honestly sorry I know I'm a little needy. You've been so freaking nice this week." I say. "Go party."

"You could just come with me?" He says. "It's a pool party, you love water, and-"

"I don't wanna." I say softly. "But I do want to go strawberry picking so excuse me."

I lift my phone to my ear and lie back down, resting my head on his thigh and he just rolls his eyes at me.

"Em?" Luella's voice floods my ear and I smile immediately.

"Hiya, how are you?"

"Um I'm good." She says. I saw her a few days ago. We went and ate cake at this little dinner that has been around forever apparently. Ivy told me about how one day Jackson brought her a slice of almost every single cake they had, and they just tried them all and found their favourite.

So Luella and I just did that on Monday and now Friday I knew she'd probably be busy but I just thought I'd ask her if she fancied going out at all.

"You sure?" I ask. Something in her voice said otherwise.

"Yeah I'm just at Trev's." She says.