Lucy knew she should head back inside to the room she shared with Megan, but she couldn’t seem to get her feet to work. Despite how the evening started out, she didn’t want it to end just yet. Carefully, she wrapped her towel around her waist and sat down next to him. Once more, he glanced over at her before lying flat on his back, his hands under his head. A couple of moments later, Lucy copied him, and both of them looked up at the stars in silence.
“This is my favorite.” Jenson’s voice was soft.
“What is?”
“This. The quiet. I can actually hear myself think out here.”
Turning her head, Lucy looked at his strong profile highlighted by the moonlight. His eyes were closed, and the muscles in his face appeared relaxed.
“And what are you thinking about?”
“Actually, not much right now.” There was something about his deep voice that made her think he wasn’t being completely truthful with her, but she didn’t push him. They lay still for several minutes, in silence, with Lucy looking up at the night sky. If she’d thought about it, she’d have expected the moment to be more awkward than it was after years of hiding how attracted she was to her best friend’s brother.
Without saying anything, Jenson turned onto his side, lifting himself up on one elbow to look at her.
“You’re giving off a good vibe right now, Lucy Duncan. I haven’t felt so relaxed in a long time.”
“Is that right?” she asked, not sure what to say considering the last time he’d mentioned her ‘vibe’, it was to say how she appeared to hate him.
“Yeah.”
They both smiled, and Jenson watched Lucy’s face closely, as if trying to gauge what she’d say next, but then turned and lay back down to gaze up at the stars again. Lucy agreed. She had never felt so calm either and didn’t want to disturb the peace that washed over her. That, and the fact she was feeling more and more aware of her feelings for Jenson, yet didn’t want to end up like the girls he had told her about, the ones who expected more from him.
“You know, I have the same problem you have. Well, sort of. There’s this guy, back at school, who wants more from me.” She finally spoke, wanting to give back to him for the honesty he’d shown her, purposely keeping Matthew’s name out of it in case Jenson teased him once they were back home.
“More than you’re willing to give?”
Lucy nodded, even though he was no longer looking at her. “I don’t know, not really. All our friends seem to expect us to get together, to be the perfect couple, but… he can be so persuasive, that even I at times expect us to get together. Yet, at the same time, I don’t know what to say to dissuade him.” She didn’t mention that Megan was completely against them being a couple, that she thought Matthew was too… bland for Lucy, that he didn’t appreciate Lucy’s desire to have a career in the art world.
As she finished speaking, his eyebrows furrowed into a frown and he reached out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, the same way he did out in the water. His fingertips brushed her skin, causing gooseflesh to erupt over her neck.
“Do you like him?”
“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he’s one of my best friends. He’s always been there for me. I just…”
“Don’t like him like that?”
“I guess that’s it.” Was that how it was for him with all the girls who showered attention on him? For as long as she could remember, she’d fantasized about Jenson, trying to hide how she felt from Megan, yet Jenson said he was always honest with those girls.
Jenson shifted once more onto his side to look at her. “Lucy, don’t sell yourself short, or settle for anything less than you want or deserve. Tell him the truth.”
“I can’t. I don’t want to hurt him or to ruin our friendship.”
Without saying anything, he ran his thumb gently down Lucy’s cheek and across her chin. The contact between them felt so natural, as if they’d been close friends, or more, for years. Eventually, Jenson spoke, his voice soft, yet full of confusion. “So, you’d rather give up on what you want to make him happy?”
“No. That’s not what I’m saying,” Lucy protested.
“Then what are you saying?”
“That I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell him…” As his voice trailed off, his eyes moved across her face, stopping at her lips. “Tell him that you met someone, another guy. A guy who’s trying damn hard to be a gentleman right now.” He paused to take a deep breath as Lucy’s pulse began to race. “Have you been kissed before, Lucy?”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because… I need to know. Because… if it’s your first time, I want it to be unforgettable.”
Lucy’s heart jumped. Was this what she wanted? Would this make things easier for her, or more complicated when she got back home? Would it cause problems between her and the best friend she’d ever had?
“Isn’t this what you were talking about earlier? Not wanting girls to get the wrong idea about you?” It sounded to her own ears as if she were trying to talk him out of… whatever was happening.
Jenson pushed himself up onto his elbow and smiled widely at her, his eyes soft as he looked down at her. “You have no idea, have you?” His voice was light as he tried to hide his laughter.
“No idea about what?”
“How gorgeous and fucking sexy you are right now.” He leaned closer, his face hovering near hers. “Normally, I don’t need to ask. I’m trying so hard to keep my promise from earlier, but I really want to kiss you right now. Will you let me kiss you, Lucy Duncan?” Slowly, his lips moved in closer, Lucy’s silence in response to his question made him pause until she nodded her head.
The contact between them sent a shock of electricity through Lucy’s entire body, and she was surprised at how soft Jenson’s lips were against hers. The moment his tongue touched hers, soft and smooth, the breath was sucked out of her. Megan had told her how amazing it was being kissed by someone who knew what they were doing, but she’d never expected it to feel like this, for it to make her feel like this.
Breathless, they pulled away from one another, and despite her inexperience, Lucy could tell that he was just as affected as she was.
“Lucy…”
His body was heavy as he rested it just above hers using only his right hand, the fingers of his left hand entwined in her long hair as he held himself above her with his right. Heat flooded through her entire body as he pulled her closer and lowered his head to capture her lips once more.
The sound of laughter from somewhere close by made both of them jump. Lucy pushed at his chest to scramble to a seated position as fast as she could, her head moving round as she tried to find out where the noise was coming from.
The girls from one of the other cabins were making their way along the sand not far from Lucy and Jenson. They couldn’t see the two of them, which Lucy was both relieved and disappointed about. She didn’t want to be seen with Jenson, just as much as she wanted to be seen with him.
The laughter and chatter drifted away as they continued walking along the beach toward the pier, where the lights were bright against the dark sky.
Lucy thought back to the kiss she and Jenson had shared. How could something so fleeting feel so damn good? What would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted by the girls? What would have happened if it had been Megan?
“Are you okay?”
“I’m…” She looked into his eyes and felt much better. She could feel her smile spread across her face. “I’m good.” He returned her smile, and then looked away. The instant their eye contact was broken, all she wanted to do was run away.
She had just kissed her best friend’s brother, her first proper kiss, and all she could think about was doing it again while running away to the safety of the room to hide. Finally, Jenson moved and pulled himself to his feet. He held out a hand to help Lucy to her feet. When she stood, she felt
her legs wobble, causing Jenson to wrap an arm around her waist to steady her, his fingers resting against the small of her bare back.
“We should get going, before anyone comes looking for us, before we get into trouble.” Lucy felt as if she needed to head back to the cabin to prevent her from throwing herself at Jenson and making a complete fool of herself. As they walked slowly back to the cabin, she was hyper aware of his fingers still brushing the skin on her lower back.
When they returned to the cabin, it was silent and dimly lit. Without saying anything to her, Jenson made his way to his bedroom at the very back of the cabin. Without giving herself time to talk herself out of it, Lucy followed him quietly. The door to his bedroom had been left slightly ajar, making her hesitate, unsure if she was making the right choice.
She could easily turn back and go upstairs, and no one would be the wiser, but her body could remember how it felt being kissed by Jenson, how it responded to his husky voice telling her she was beautiful and sexy – the first person to ever tell her that. Shaking her head, she managed to pull her eyes away from the sliver of light filtering through and started to move back upstairs, intent on going to bed.
Jenson’s bedroom door was pulled open behind her and she couldn’t stop herself turning to face him. He was stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the lamp light filtering out from his bedroom.
“I didn’t think you’d come.” His voice was deeper than it was out by the lake.
“I shouldn’t have. I’m going up to bed before this…” She waved her hand between the two of them. “Whatever this is… goes too far.”
“Maybe that’s best.” His words crushed her as he closed the distance between them with three short strides, surprising Lucy into taking a step backwards. The cool wall against her back made her jump in surprise.
All she could manage was a squeak.
“So, why are you here, Lucy?” he asked, his voice thick.
“To… talk… to… I don’t know.”
“Well, we’re talking.”
His eyes, the blue darkening, moved over her face as if trying to unravel her intent in coming down to his bedroom. The proximity of their bodies sent Lucy’s mind into overdrive, confusing her and scrambling her thoughts.
“And… you didn’t wish me a goodnight.”
Jenson couldn’t help but let out a short, loud laugh, throwing his head back. Lucy couldn’t help but admire the lines of his throat.
“We can fix that.”
Lucy gasped as Jenson ducked down, wrapping his arms around her waist. With one smooth movement, he lifted her off the ground, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. The contrast between the cold of the wall against her back and his hot skin flush against the front of her body was overwhelming, but she couldn’t articulate the words to express herself. Tilting his head forward, Jenson pressed his forehead gently against hers, his eyes closed. His hot breath tickled against her lips and it felt as if they were breathing in tandem for a moment.
Opening his eyes, Jenson smiled at her before lifting his head to press a soft, lingering kiss against Lucy’s forehead.
“Goodnight, Lucy.” He gently settled her back on her feet and took a step back from her. “I’m just keeping my promises.” He responded to the confused look on her face.
To be a gentleman, Lucy remembered. With a smile, she turned away from him, every nerve ending in her body on fire, and made her way up to her room. As silently as she could, she changed into her pajamas.
“What time is it?” Megan’s voice was groggy in the dim light of the room, making Lucy jump.
“Almost eleven.”
Megan turned onto her side to look at her friend, much in the same way Jenson did when they were sat out on the rock by the lake, her head resting on one hand, propped up on an elbow.
“You look better,” Lucy commented, making Megan smile.
“I feel better. Just in time to go home tomorrow and get ready for school. Typical.” Lucy laughed, but it sounded hollow to her ears. “Oh, those girls from the other cabin came over while you were out. Apparently, they wanted to make sure I was okay. Guess how long it took for them to start asking about Jenson?”
Lucy shook her head, feeling the tell-tale pinprick of tears at the back of her eyes, as she mentally prepared herself to tell Megan about the kiss. Throughout their time in high school, Megan had had girls trying to be her friend, just to get close to her brother. It stopped her trusting girls she didn’t know.
“At least I still have you, the only girlfriend who isn’t interested in my brother like that.” With those words, it became clear that Megan hadn’t been told about what had happened between her best friend and her brother. Lucy knew the girls hadn’t seen her and Jenson, but the fear that they had told Megan was still lingering at the back of her mind. “Well, anyway, you’re back now. I’m going to turn the light off. Night, Lucy.”
“Night, Meg.”
Lucy had never kept a secret this big from her friend, but there was no way she could come clean now. There was no indication as to how Megan would react, and Lucy wasn’t willing to lose their friendship over one kiss.
“Love you, Luce.” Megan’s voice was thick with sleep. They were words she’d muttered to Lucy a million times before, that had made her feel warm and truly loved, but tonight they had the opposite effect.
“Love you too.” She managed to mask the sadness in her voice as she curled up on her bed to get some sleep, realizing Megan hadn’t asked about her evening with Jenson.
“And what do you remember, Lucy?” Jenson asked, drawing her out of the memory she’d been reliving ever since speaking to Megan the previous evening. Lucy wanted to curse her best friend for even thinking up this ridiculous idea.
“Nothing much.” She decided against taking the bait he was clearly dangling in front of her.
“Well, that’s good.”
“Is it?” Despite not being sure how to react to his words, Lucy felt a flicker of disappointment that he didn’t seem to remember anything, especially their kiss.
“Yeah. This trip would have been awkward if we had lots of memories to reminisce about, but as we don’t, we can use the next three-thousand miles to get to know one another.”
It was clear that, as far as he was concerned, she was merely his little sister’s best friend, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but for the twinge in her chest she was determined to try and ignore. The only way she’d be able to do so, was to keep her distance from him as much as she could; to not talk to him much, which was going to be hard if she was sat in his car for three-thousand miles.
“I’m afraid that getting to know you isn’t one of my priorities, so I’ll probably spend most of the time I’m not driving catching up on my reading.”
“Suit yourself.” They looked at one another for a moment. “Come on. Help me get this giant paperweight into the trunk, then we can fit your luggage in after.”
* * *
An hour later, Lucy reached into her bag in search of a hair tie. Jenson insisted on driving with the roof of his car down and her hair was being whipped in every direction as they roared along the freeway. As he rested one arm on the open window, with his eyes hidden once more behind his aviators, Jenson gave off the air of a man who didn’t give a shit about what was happening around him.
The silence in the car didn’t bother her; as far as she was concerned, Jenson and his car were merely a means of getting her, and her painting, from point A to point B, nothing more. Once her hair was under control and tied up, Lucy slipped in her earbuds, kicked off her sneakers, and tried to relax by reading her book. Tension was weighing heavy on her shoulders as she attempted to not think about their trip to the beach six years previously. She’d promised herself she would forget all about what happened during that vacation, and she would never tell Megan about what happened between her and Jenson.
And I’ve been pretty successful up until now, Lucy thought as she closed her eyes, letting the hot sun
beat down on her as Jenson drove. After a moment, Lucy sneaked a peak at him from the corner of her eye.
His blond hair was longer, and lighter than she remembered; his jaw seemed more defined, if that were possible, even though it was covered in a rough-looking stubble. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses, but they were no doubt still as blue as the ocean. She couldn’t deny he was still one of the best-looking men she’d ever met, but it was clear that he didn’t remember. He’d told her she was sexy, he gave her her first proper kiss, the kiss she’d unfairly compared to every other since that night. Not that there had been many – she’d only ever been with Matthew since that summer.
Shaking her head against the thoughts which were getting her nowhere, Lucy decided she needed a distraction as her book and music weren’t working. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a notebook and began to sketch. Within a few minutes, moonlit water began to take form. The moment she realized, she slammed the notebook closed, attempting to fight off the memories which threatened to overwhelm her once more.
* * *
The morning they were leaving to head back home, Lucy found herself pushing her breakfast around her plate. Her appetite had disappeared, and she was full of anxiety, caused by a lack of sleep and hiding the truth. She’d never hidden anything from Megan once in their nine-year friendship, but she felt like she was lying by omission.
Jenson sat opposite her, but she hadn’t found the courage to look at him since he’d sat down at the table.
“Are you okay, Lucy dear?” Mrs. Phillips asked, her voice filled with worry. Lucy looked up at the woman and smiled.
Her Best Friend’s Brother Page 4