“Don’t move,” I cried. I was enjoying the feeling up being held high.
“I’m losing my grip,” Jacob said. “You’re going down.”
I felt his hands slip, and I braced for the fall.
“That was awesome,” I said when I popped back up to the surface. “Told you we could do it.”
“Your persistence pays off, as usual.”
I bobbed in the water, trying to stay afloat. “I thought that was one thing you used to like about me.”
“They’re many things I liked about you.”
Was it dark enough to hide my flushed face? The sounds of the surrounding woods filled the silence between us. Leaves rustling, water lapping. I wanted him to be more specific. But I would never ask. Compliments only made me uncomfortable. So I did what came naturally—removed myself from the situation as quickly as possible.
“I’m starting to prune.” I swam toward the shore.
Jacob and I walked back to the house. Our damp clothes swished as we moved. His shirt clung to his back and chest. I had the urge to peel off his wet clothes.
I stopped on the porch and unbuttoned my shorts.
“Uh, what are you doing?” he asked, a little quiver to his voice.
“Getting undressed.” I slid them off and rung them out. “I don’t want to get the house all wet.” I hung my clothes on the porch rail to dry, feeling Jacob’s eyes on my back. “Relax. It’s not like you haven’t seen me in a bathing suit before.” I peeled off my tank top and rung that out, too.
“Yeah, but things looked a lot different the last time I saw you in a bathing suit.” His eyes fell right on my chest.
I was a late bloomer, but boy did they bloom.
I smirked as he quickly looked away. My eyes gleamed over his body as he peeled his shirt off and slid off his shorts. His damp boxers clung close to his skin. Our gazes met again, and my cheeks flushed. What the hell was wrong with me? The last time a guy made me blush this much I was in high school and still a virgin.
He hung his clothes next to mine.
I grabbed the whiskey bottle and shot glasses and poured again. I handed him a glass.
“I’m going to regret this in the morning,” he said, adjusting his thick black frames.
Twenty minutes, and three shots later, and we were both laid out on the patio couch.
The whiskey settled over me. A light breeze fluttered over my face. The farm was peaceful. The sanctuary I had run to when things at home got out of control. Even now, I could still escape here.
“How’d you like living in Florida?”
He lounged back in his seat. “I hated it at first. But after a while, it grew on me.”
“You know…you kind of broke my heart when you stopped calling.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I stopped calling?” He pointed to his chest. “That third shot must be clouding your memory. You’re the one who dropped off the face of the earth.”
“Well…” I propped my feet on the small table. “It doesn’t matter now. Water under the bridge.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Although I was a little disappointed.”
“You were not.”
“Sure I was, Maeve. You were, like, my best friend.”
I looked down at my hands.
“I begged my parents to let me stay behind,” Jacob said.
I smiled. “I didn’t know that. I thought you were happy to get out of here.”
“Are you kidding? I loved it here. Still do.”
“Here at the farm, sure.” I looked out into the open wooded lot that sat to the right of the house. “But other than that. There’s not much here.”
“You’re here.”
My gaze cut to him. A few lightening bugs glowed around his face. The bug zapper sizzled by the garage. My heart swelled. I could actually feel it. It was so quick and intense that I needed a deep breath to recoup. Was he doing this on purpose? Did he know that I couldn’t reciprocate? That I didn’t know how?
“Remember when we used to complain about how bored we would get here during the summer?” I said.
“We came up with some pretty creative games, though,” Jacob said.
“Or played truth or dare.”
Jacob groaned. “Yes.” He peered over at me. “Your dares usually cost me extra chores.”
I smiled. “Truth or dare?”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head.
I sat straight up. “It’ll be fun.”
He scoffed. “For who?”
“Come on,” I cried. “It’s just us. It’s not like we can get into trouble.”
He reached for the liquor. “Fine.”
I took a deep breath. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” He took another shot, then sat back again in his seat.
I tried to think of a compelling question, but the alcohol was clouding my brain. “How old were you when lost your virginity?” Not compelling, but I thought I’d start with an easy one.
“I change my mind. Dare.”
“No,” I shouted. “It’s too late.”
His gaze shot around the porch. “You know, it’s really ridiculous to be playing this game…”
I rolled my eyes. “Just answer the question. God, it’s not like I asked you to divulge your deepest darkest secret right off the bat. You got to work up to those questions.”
He looked away from me, took a deep breath, and mumbled something.
My eyebrows pulled together. “What?”
He looked down and pulled at his bottom lip. “Nineteen,” he said louder. And rather reluctantly.
My eyes widened. I did some quick math, which was pretty impressive considering my condition. “Nineteen?”
He nodded.
It took me a few seconds to form words. “How is that possible?”
The light rouge of his cheeks darkened. “I had the same girlfriend all throughout high school, and she wanted to wait. So, we did for a while. Until she was ready.”
A sharp pain hit me hard at the word “girlfriend.” I should have known he was already attached. “So, she’s been the only one?”
Jacob’s gaze settled on the empty glass he was still holding. “Yeah.”
It was like looking at a unicorn. Jacob always had an
