Soaked

by Courtney Elliott

  I didn’t hear him coming up behind me, but somehow I knew he was there. It was a feeling I had suddenly. He walked around so that he was in my line of sight and even in the early morning, he was a force to be reckoned with. He had a small bit of hair on his chin, but not really enough of it to call it a stubble. Still, I liked it.

  He smiled as he took the seat next to me. Unlike me, he hadn’t bothered to bring a blanket. He was sitting there in a white tank top and a pair of gray sweats. He was holding two coffee mugs in his hands and as he took his seat, he held one out to me.

  “I don’t really like coffee,” I said, but in the moment I wished I did.

  “Me neither. I’ve never really been able to stomach the stuff. Chocolate milk though, now that I don’t think I could ever drink enough of.” He smiled wider as he continued to hold the mug out to me. I happily accepted it.

  “Thank you.”

  “Sure.” We each took a sip and looked out over the water. The sun was just barely starting to peak over the top of the water and I turned my focus away so that I could stare at the boy sitting next to me. Only, he wasn’t such a boy anymore. He was about to be a senior. Then he would be going away to college. I ignored the tightness in my chest at the thought of not being able to see him anymore.

  At that moment, he looked over at me. He raised a brow, probably wondering what I was staring at.

  “Do you always watch the sunrise?” I asked.

  “No. I was actually just getting a drink when I saw you walk out here. I figured you might want some company.” His response made my heart flip in my chest. I looked back toward the sun.

  “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Yeah, I’ve never really noticed it before, but it is definitely something.” I smiled wide as the sun rose even higher. The sky was splashed with so many different colors and the whole thing took my breath away. West must have felt the same way because he didn’t say anything else. We just sat there next to each other, with our chocolate milks, watching the majestic sight together. It was incredible.

  Afterward, West followed me back inside and I sat with him while he rinsed out our mugs and placed them in the dishwasher. I knew I should probably head back to my room in case Katie woke up and noticed me gone, but I wasn’t ready to go just yet. West and I were actually spending time together and it wasn’t because my bike popped a tire or because I fell down a hill into a mud puddle. It was just because he wanted to.

  “So, what do you want to do today?” He asked me as he leaned over the counter to face me. I shrugged my shoulders, but I don’t know if he saw it through the bulky comforter I still had wrapped around me. It wasn’t really that I was cold anymore, but I was only wearing a small tank top and some sleep shorts. I was a little nervous to let West see that so I just kept the blanket around me.

  “I don’t know really. It seems like there is so much to do.” He nodded his head.

  “There is. Honestly you might not even get to everything by the end of the week. Can I make a suggestion?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “The jet ski. It’s a blast.” I cringed slightly.

  “I don’t know. Don’t you have to be licensed or something for that?” He grinned and that dimple showed up.

  “No, it’s not like a car. More like a four wheeler.”

  “I’ve never ridden a four wheeler,” I admitted. His eyebrows rose up.

  “Really? Never?” I shook my head.

  “Nope. Never really had the opportunity.”

  “Huh. Well, in that case, I take it back. That should be the first thing you try.”

  “No thanks.”

  “Why not?”

  “What if I crash it?”

  “You’ll be okay.” I scrunched up my nose and shook my head.

  “Nah, I think I’ll just stick to riding the jet ski.” That actually made him laugh.

  “How are you nervous about a four wheeler but not the jet ski?”

  “Because if I fall off a jet ski, I land in water. If I fall off a four wheeler, I hit the ground.” He gave a frown at my response.

  “How about if you ride with me?”

  “On the jet ski?” I asked.

  “Well that too, but I was actually talking about the four wheeler. If I’m the one driving, will you ride with me?” I didn’t really have to think it over, but I at least made him think I did.

  “I guess I could do that.” He beamed at me and it was heart stopping.

  “I promise you’ll have a good time. I’ve been riding one forever so you’ll be in good hands.”

  “Okay,” I said simply.

  “Well, I’m gonna go take a shower real quick before breakfast. I’ll meet you out front after.” I nodded my head enthusiastically.

  “Okay, sounds good.” He smiled again before he turned and made his way upstairs. I waited until I heard his door close and then I dashed up the stairs to my room. If I was going to be spending time with West, then I needed to at least attempt to look cute. I didn’t have a lot of options in that department, but I was pretty sure I could throw something together.

  Four

  After my shower and getting dressed, I made my way back downstairs to the kitchen. Unlike before, now everyone was up and in the large space. West and Sebastian were sitting at the counter talking quietly amongst themselves. He had changed into a pair of black and gray swim trunks and a black tank top. His short hair didn’t look any different than it had that morning, but I noticed the small amount of hair on his chin had been shaved off. I frowned slightly at that as I made my way over the table where Katie was sitting.

  She still looked half asleep and I could tell from the smell alone that the coffee mug in front of her was not filled with chocolate milk. That wasn’t surprising though since the girl drank lattes on a regular basis at school.

  “Hey,” I said as I slipped into the seat beside her. She looked over and gave a small lift of her lips.

  “Hey.” Something was off. She didn’t seem like normal sleepy Katie.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, my tone laced with concern.

  “I feel awful. I don’t know what it is. I just woke up this morning and felt like hurling everywhere.” I frowned.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s your first day here and I had to go and get sick. I had so much planned for us to do.” I hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to tell her about the plans West and I had made that morning.

  “Actually, West was gonna take me for a four wheeler ride.” She raised her brows as she looked over at me. “I guess he didn’t think it was normal that I’d never been on one.”

  “You don’t have to go with him if you don’t want to,” she told me. “Do you want me to tell him to leave you alone?” I shook my head as calmly as I could manage and I hoped my voice sounded normal when I spoke.

  “No, that’s fine. It will only be for a little ride. Maybe then you’ll be feeling better and we can do something you’ve got planned for us.”

  “Yeah, maybe. Just don’t let him annoy you. You don’t have to be nice to him. If he’s getting on your nerves, tell him.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” She frowned like she didn’t believe me. Just then Mrs. Blake set down a plate of eggs in front of her. Katie didn’t look all that happy about them.

  “You need to eat something.” Katie didn’t argue. She just grabbed her fork and started to dig in. The rest of the meal, we ate in silence. Then afterward, Katie apologized again for leaving me alone with her brother before she disappeared back upstairs. I felt bad for her, but I was also eager to start spending some time with West.

  I made my way outside where I had seen him and Sebastian go earlier. I found them both by the boat house so I headed in that direction. West looked up as I got closer and even with the sun causing me to squint, I could still see his happy smile spread wide across his face.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.”
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  “I’m just helping Seb get the jet skis out on the lake. Then you and I will go get the four wheeler.” I looked over to Sebastian to see how he was taking the fact that I was stealing his company for the day, but he didn’t seem the least bit phased by it. He was too busy unlatching the jet ski from the side of the dock.

  “Okay, you don’t have to take me though if you’d rather ride the jet ski.” He grinned over his shoulder at me.

  “It’s fine Lennon.” He unlatched his jet ski from the dock and climbed onto the back of it. He quickly reached down and removed his tank top and tossed it toward the side of the boat house. Then he started up the engine. Sebastian followed suit. Both of them wore easy smiles as they eased the jet skis out gently. I walked back outside and watched as they shot off across the lake. I couldn’t help but smile as they raced across the water.

  It didn’t take long before they came back and West pulled his jet ski close to the little dock and shut off the engine. He had that infectious dimpled grin back in place as he looked over at me. His hair was slick with water and I couldn’t help but notice the small droplets of water that glistened across his broad chest.

  He climbed off the jet ski and called something out to Sebastian, but I was too busy staring at him to actually hear what he said. He laughed before climbing off the jet ski and hopping into the water. It splashed up and I felt a few droplets hit my arm.

  “Sorry about that,” West said as he made his way over to me.

  “It’s fine.”

  “So, you ready to go?” I nodded my head enthusiastically which earned me my favorite grin from him.

  “Then follow me.” I did as he said and we made our way back toward the cabin. He took me under the awning next to the SUV, and I saw two large four wheelers parked there. West made his way to one and checked it over for any sign of a flat and to make sure it had plenty of gas for whatever he had planned for us.

  “Stand over there to the side while I get it out,” he instructed, and I didn’t hesitate to listen to him. Then he started up the thing. It was a lot louder than I had thought it would be, and it was bigger than I had been expecting too. He eased it out in much of the same way he had done with the jet ski and slowed it to a stop next to me.

  “Alright, hop on.” I hesitated because I wasn’t exactly sure how to go about that without touching him, and I didn’t know if he wanted that. He just chuckled before taking my hand in his and pulling me closer. “Put your hand on my shoulder and just lift up and throw your leg over. Just try not to get it too close because the motor can get really hot. I wouldn’t want you to burn yourself.”

  I nodded my head in understanding and did just as he told me. His shoulder felt solid under my hand as I lifted myself up. I eased myself down onto the seat and made sure to leave a bit of space between us. He looked over his shoulder at me.

  “Why don’t you get a little closer? You might want to hold on too. We’re gonna go pretty fast.” I slowly edged closer to him so that my thighs were pressed against the side of his. Then I wrapped my arms around his still bare stomach. I swallowed hard while he grinned.

  “You ready?” He asked, but before I could actually answer him, we lurched forward causing my hold on him to immediately tighten. I pressed my cheek against his back as we sped away from the cabin toward the woods that surrounded the place.

  He led me around the whole property and pointed out a few places of interest that he had spent time at as a kid. I could barely hear what he was telling me over the sound of the wind and the rumble of the four wheeler, but I listened all the same. As we drove further, I scooted even closer to him so there wasn’t any space between us. He didn’t seem to mind in the slightest which only made my heart beat faster.

  After what felt like the blink of an eye, he turned and we made our way back to the cabin. I wasn’t sure how long exactly we had been out there riding around, but it didn’t seem like nearly long enough. I was having a blast and I wasn’t ready to end my alone time with him just yet.

  He pulled up next to the cabin and shut off the engine. Then he looked over his shoulder at me and laughed. A wave of self consciousness settled over me. Why was he laughing? He climbed off the four wheeler and helped me down. Then he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Your hair is wild right now,” he said still smiling. I reached up and tried to tell how bad it was. “It’s not bad, honest. Nothing a quick swim in the lake can’t fix.” He grinned even wider. I hesitated slightly though. I had been gone for a bit, and I felt like I should probably go check on Katie. “Come on Len, just a quick swim.”

  e was smiling so adorably and I couldn’t find it in me to tell him no. I grinned back before nodding my head. I would swim for a little bit and then I would go check on Katie. Chances were she was just upstairs sleeping anyway.

  I followed West down the dock toward where he had left the jet ski parked before. I expected him to climb back on it and go back to racing around with Sebastian, but he surprised me by diving off the side instead. I watched the surface and after a few seconds, his head broke through. He shook it and wiped his hand over his face before looking up at me.

  “Come on,” he beckoned. That smile of his made me want to do anything he asked me. So, without much more thought, I unbuttoned my shorts and slid them down my legs. I tried not to think too hard about the fact that West was still watching me. If I did, I might have hyperventilated. I scooted my shorts to the side, then reached for the hem of my tee shirt and pulled it up over my head.

  When I dropped it onto the dock and looked down at West, he was watching me carefully. His eyes slowly scanned the length of me and I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He swam closer toward the dock and I wondered what he was about to tell me. I leaned a little closer and that’s when he splashed me. He laughed loudly as I squealed from the cold water.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” I said as I laughed back at him. He was still chuckling as he laid back and swam backwards across the water. I frowned down at him before I finally just leaping in.

  When I came up, West was right there beside me. He had that dazzling smile on full display complete with his signature dimple. His stormy eyes were alight with mischief. I didn’t give myself time to think about it before I swam up and pushed his head under the water.

  Under the water, I felt his arms wrap around me and I forgot how to breathe. He resurfaced and our faces were only a few inches apart. My heart hammered in my chest and I couldn’t help but feel like maybe he was about to kiss me. Just as I was trying to prepare myself for the life altering moment I was about to have, I felt him lifting me up. Then he was tossing me in the air. I landed with a splash and came up sputtering. West was laughing hysterically and the sound was too infectious for me not to join in. He swam closer and I didn’t bother trying to get away.

  “Len?” I heard. I turned and saw Katie standing on the edge of the dock next to my clothes with one eyebrow raised in suspicion. I immediately moved away from West.

  “Hey, uh, you feeling better?” I asked as I moved closer to her and the dock.

  “Yeah, a little.” I started to climb up the ladder attached to the dock and ignored the pang in my chest at having my fun with West come to an end. I reached for my clothes on the dock and looked back at him. He smiled and gave me a slight wave before he turned and swam to the jet ski. Then he climbed up and started it up. He didn’t turn around again as he sped off to where Sebastian’s jet ski sat. I turned back to Katie.

  “Sorry again for leaving you stranded with him,” Katie said before she looped her arm through mine and led me back to the cabin.

  “It was fine. I actually had a pretty good time. We rode the four wheeler for a while and then we were just swimming for a bit to cool off.”

  “Well I’m feeling better so now we can actually hang out.” I didn’t bother responding as she took me inside. The air felt cool against my wet skin and goose bumps quickly erupted all over.

&nbs
p; “I’m gonna go take a quick shower to get all this lake water off.”

  “Okay, I’ll be in my room when you’re done.”

  The rest of our week, Katie and I were together. We spent our time getting tan, and chatting about boys mostly Sebastian, and then I let her give me a makeover. Our nights were spent having dinner with her mom and the boys. It was nice and I was happy for the opportunity to have been included.

  West and I didn’t get to spend any more time alone together, but I couldn’t help but feel like maybe that week had changed our relationship. I felt sure that from then on, he wouldn’t avoid me because I was just his sister’s friend. Maybe after that week, I could be considered his friend too.

  Five

  Things didn’t change though. West and I didn’t become friends like I thought we might. He went back to treating me as little more than his sister’s friend, and I had to go back to seeing him as someone I would never have. I tried not to let it get to me, and luckily I had school to keep me distracted.

  Even though I was only a sophomore, I had already started to prepare for college. I had been discussing my options with my counselor and was quickly getting everything into order. I knew the following year, I would be taking my PSAT’s and hopefully I would do well enough to get an early acceptance to a school of my choice.

  As if that weren’t enough to keep my mind off West, I also had Katie and her seemingly endless supply of prom dress designs. She had managed to get invited at the beginning of January by a senior named Tommy Derwin that was on the football team with West. He wasn’t a very bright guy and he seemed more like a walking caveman majority of the time, but I don’t think she really cared. She had wanted to go to prom since I first met her. In fact, I was pretty sure she had been keeping a binder full of prom designs since long before then.

  The month before prom, she had finally narrowed it down to two different designs and the deciding factor on which she would actually go with seemed to be me.

  “Come on Len, just tell me which one you like more,” she pleaded before passing both sketches in front of me for the millionth time. I gave each one a cursory look though it wasn’t necessary. I could describe each small detail with my eyes closed by that point.