I am perfect.
I can’t believe that Dallas actually did this. That he somehow remembered through his drunken haze that I have always wanted to go jet skiing. Not only did he remember, but he has actually taken me. I can’t help the fact that my heart is warm at the thought of the lengths he went through.
This can’t have been cheap.
“Thank you!” I scream. Dallas grins and then faces forward, and I slightly loosen my hold, resting my hands on his life jacket-covered stomach, lacing my fingers together.
Looking to my left, I see Mikey and Shelby siding up with us. Shelby waves, smiling, and I spare a hand to wave back at her. Mikey looks over for a moment, his face slightly intense as he nods to Dallas before he veers off.
With another wave, we go into the air, and I can’t help but giggle at the feeling.
Suddenly, Dallas slows to a stop, and I sit up straight, dropping my hands from his waist. He swings a leg over the handlebars and takes the lanyard off his wrist. I look at him curiously as he then dives into the lake, sunglasses and all.
I laugh, watching as he resurfaces, flicking his hair to the side and out of his eyes. He takes his sunglasses off so I can see his shining blue eyes. Dallas swims back to the jet ski and climbs on; however, he’s behind me this time. I tense momentarily as he slides me forward, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“N-no. I can’t…” My voice is shaky with uncertainty.
“Shh,” Dallas whispers in my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder so I can hear him over all the motors and wind. He reaches around me to start up the engine and help slip my hand into the lanyard. “This is the throttle.” He grabs my right hand and lifts it up to the handle bar, closing my fingers around it.
“Dallas…I—”
“Kayla…this is the full experience. You will regret walking away if you don’t at least give this a try. I am with you the whole time. Nothing will happen,” he promises and then surprises me with a kiss to my cheek. My eyes are wide with both shock and fear as he presses even closer to me. “Now, gently…” With my hand still in his, he slowly twists the handle bar so we are now moving forward at an easy pace.
I test the steering, turning the jet ski in full circle before going the other way. I nod my head, and Dallas moves us even faster, and I hold on to every ounce of courage I have as I steer us into the open water. Dallas very slowly retracts his hand and sets it on my hip, giving it an encouraging squeeze. Even though we are going at a semi-slow pace, Dallas never lets go of me or moves from being pressed close to my back.
I am comforted by his closeness, knowing that if something were to happen, he’d instantly take over. But I’m focusing on making sure nothing happens.
Testing my courage even more, I go a little faster, and Dallas chuckles in my ear. I smile widely, feeling in control as I whip the jet ski around to see Tyler and Anne heading toward us; however, Anne is now driving. She turns the jet ski around so she is beside me, and I look over, lifting my left hand slightly to wave. She nods.
We ride side by side for a few minutes before Dallas taps my thigh, and I slow the jet ski to a stop. I look over at him to see him twirl his finger. Oh, he wants to switch again. When I get back into my old spot, I go to wrap my arms around him but freeze when I see he is facing me, his back to the handle bars.
“You did great,” he says, grabbing my hand and using it to pull me closer. I blush, bowing my head to avoid his intense gaze. Dallas takes my chin gently between a hooked forefinger and thumb. His thumb lightly presses against my bottom lip as he lifts my chin. Dallas smiles at me as he runs his finger over my lip.
How is he so gentle? The same man that shoved me against my car is now sitting here, treating me to a day of jet skiing and gently caressing me.
“You’re great,” he whispers, inching forward as his head dips down. My stomach does a flip as I hold my breath.
He’s going to kiss me.
My first kiss is going to be on a jet ski, buoying in the middle of Lake Ozark.
That’s what I call romantic.
Dallas’s warm, sun-kissed lips meet mine, first softly, then feverishly as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me impossibly close to him. Our life jackets get in the way, but at the moment I don’t care. It’s simply perfect.
I tangle my fingers into his smooth, blond hair, gently grabbing at it as he intensifies the kiss. It is obvious Dallas has had many kisses. He knows exactly what he’s doing. How to make my toes curl and my heart stop.
I’m forced to break away when I need air, but Dallas takes that as an invitation to kiss my cheeks tenderly and then my forehead. I pant, keeping my head bowed to avoid his gaze.
Was that kiss as great for him as it was for me? I wonder if I met his expectations, ’cause he surpassed my own.
“Well, this is an awkward moment to pop around.” I tense and jerk my head around to see Kyle sitting at the end of the jet ski, a look of disgust and discomfort etching his face.
I’m surprised he is able to find room, but then I realize I’m practically on Dallas’s lap, therefore creating enough space for him to sit.
Kyle sits sideways, so his legs are on one side of the seat as he looks over the lake. He wears a torn expression as his eyes take in his surroundings, his brown hair blowing in the wind.
I slide off Dallas to reach over and place a hand on Kyle’s arm. He turns his head to look up at me, tears welling in his eyes.
“I remember coming here every year. I’m glad you’re able to share this place with Kayla,” Kyle says, trying to smile through the memories. He looks around the lake, his blue eyes taking everything in. He watches people swimming, jumping off the backs of their boats, or floating around on innertubes. “Promise you’ll continue to come. Every year.” Kyle looks over at his brother. Dallas nods his head slowly, leaning forward to rest his forehead against his brother’s. They share a quiet moment, as if they are silently talking to one another.
Chapter Fifteen
Here
*Dallas*
November 14, 2015
The feeling of Kayla’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist was indescribable. I have long waited to gain her trust back since I broke it a month ago. I knew it was going to be hard, and I would have to work at it, but it was worth it.
To feel her clinging to me, as if I’m the only thing keeping her from plummeting to her death. It might not mean that she trusts me completely, but at this moment, she does. And for now, that’s all I can ask for.
I rev the engine faster, causing her hands to ball into fists against my life jacket. Tyler and Anne ride up along our right, Anne sitting with ease and comfort behind Tyler. She had told me earlier today that she’s been on jet skis a few times before. She isn’t afraid of them. And Kayla shouldn’t be either. Especially when I’m here. I would never allow anything to happen to her.
Kayla suddenly lessens her hold on me, lifting her head from my back. I feel cold from the loss of her touch, and I drop my hand from the handle bars to touch her thigh, looking over my shoulder to see if she is okay. “You okay?” I yell over the sound of the motor and the deafening wind.
I spare a few glances up ahead to ensure we don’t crash. Kayla nods her head, a smile stretching across her face. I love when she smiles. It warms my heart.
“Thank you!” she screams. I grin back at her before I turn forward, returning my hand to the handle bar. I speed us up again, and Kayla lightly laces her fingers against my life jacket-clad stomach.
Curse it for being in the way.
Mikey and Shelby come to our left. Shelby and Kayla exchange a few waves, and Mikey gives me a curt nod. He doesn’t look like he’s having a great time, when that’s all one should be having when on a jet ski with a girl wrapped around you.
They veer off, heading back to shore, and I drive Kayla and me over another wave, sending us into the air. She giggles in my ear, and I can’t seem to wipe off the ridiculous smile on my face.
Deciding tha
t it’s time Kayla gets to enjoy the full experience of being on a jet ski, I slow us to a stop and dive into the water. When I resurface, I pull off my sunglasses, silently thanking God that they didn’t fall off in the water. Kayla watches me with her beautiful hazel eyes, smiling as I swim back. I climb up behind her and grab her waist. In one swift movement, I slide both of us forward so she’s right in front of the handlebars.
“N-no. I can’t…” Her voice is shaky, and I feel slightly guilty for putting her in this situation. But this is what she asked for, no?
I rest my chin on her shoulder and whisper, “Shh,” in her ear. I reach around to start the engine, and then I grab her slender left wrist to slide the red lanyard over it, fastening it. “This is the throttle.” I take her right hand and place it on the handle bar, curling our fingers around it.
“Dallas, I—”
“Kayla…this is the full experience. You will regret walking away if you don’t at least give this a try. I’m with you. The whole time. Nothing will happen.” I seal my promise with a gentle kiss to her sun-kissed cheek. She freezes under my hold, and I know she’s nervous. I press closer to her, using my left hand to wrap around her waist and hold firm. “Now, gently…” I use my right hand that is covering hers to twist the handle so we move at a slow pace.
Kayla begins to test the steering, turning the ski full circle, and then again the other way to get a feel of it. When she nods her head, I ease us into a little faster speed. When I sense her growing comfortable, I retract my hand and set it on her hip, giving it a gentle squeeze.
She’s doing great for her first time. I can’t help but be proud. She’s overcome her fear, and I’m glad that I’m here to witness it.
I remain close to her, even though the pace we’re going at is slow enough for a kid to sit unrestrained. However, I enjoy feeling her against me, and I know it calms her down.
Suddenly, Kayla speeds up, and I can’t help but chuckle in her ear. I see her smile before she whips the jet ski around, and I see Anne driving toward us, Tyler behind her. Anne skillfully maneuvers their jet ski so they are beside us. Kayla lightly lifts her left hand to wave, and I see Anne nod back.
After a few minutes of Kayla driving, I tap Kayla’s thigh. She seems to understand that I want us to stop, for it’s time for us to take the jet skis back. She looks over at me, and I twirl my finger, indicating that it’s my turn to drive again. She stands and shuffles so she’s behind me.
Not wanting it to end just yet, I turn so my back is to the handle bars and straddle the bench, looking at Kayla.
She goes to grab onto me but stops when she notices my position. Her eyes widen slightly.
“You did great,” I say, pride filling me as I grab her hand and use it to pull her closer to me. Heat settles on her cheeks, causing them to grow pink as she bows her head. She gets so embarrassed so easily. It’s the cutest darn thing I’ve ever seen. I gently grab her chin, pressing my thumb against her bottom lip, stroking it.
It’s crazy how far we’ve come…how far I’ve come. To think that nearly two months ago, I hated this girl, despised her with everything in me. And now, I’ll be damned if I let her out of my life ever again. She’s helped me more than she could ever know. She’s still helping me.
Every time I feel empty and lost without Kyle, I pick up my phone and text her. Within the minute, I get a response. Or whenever he leaves us from his appearances and I feel alone, all I have to do is remind myself what Kyle did for me from the beginning. He brought Kayla to me—in some morbid way, but nonetheless, I have her. She has always been here for me, and it was wrong to ever have cast her away.
“You’re great,” I whisper, looking down at her lush lips. I have wanted to kiss her since our date yet held off for her own good. But now, I can’t seem to control myself. I need to kiss her.
I dip my head down and capture her warm lips with my own. I let out a soft moan at how perfectly innocent she is. She is slightly lost in the kiss, not sure of herself as she tries to return it. It only makes my stomach clench, knowing that I am her first kiss.
And hopefully I’ll be her last.
Kayla runs her fingers into my hair, gripping it as I pull her even closer, our life jackets in the way. I silently curse them again. They’re proving to do more evil than good.
Kayla breaks away, breathless. I smile at the affect my kiss has on her, leaning forward to gingerly kiss both of her cheeks and finally her forehead.
Best kiss I’ve ever had, that’s for sure. I smirk as she bows her head shyly.
“Well, this is an awkward moment to pop around.” I feel Kayla tense in my arms before she jerks her head around to see Kyle sitting sideways on the bench of the jet ski. I watch him with wide eyes as he grimaces with mock disgust.
Kayla slides away from me so she is beside Kyle, placing a hand on his arm. He looks across the water of Lake Ozark, watching as boats whiz by. Then he turns his head to look at Kayla, tears gathering in his eyes.
“I remember coming here every year. I’m glad you’re able to share this place with Kayla.” I watch my young brother, agreeing to his request to continue coming every year. It will never be the same. It will always feel as if something was missing. But Kayla and I will come every year, seeking Kyle out. He might not be able to appear before us, but we’ll know that he’ll share our time here with us.
“Did Dallas ever tell you about how I beat him at a jet ski race?” Kyle asks, looking over at Kayla with a mischievous grin upon his face.
I glower at my younger brother, hissing as Kayla giggles. I launch forward, wrapping my arm around Kyle’s middle, knocking us off the jet ski and submerging us in the water.
I internally balk at the cool water and swim to the surface, shaking water droplets from my hair. I meet Kayla’s eyes immediately, smirking as she shakes her head. The brilliant smile on her face makes everything worth it. All the memories of being in the Ozarks and the slight heartache of my brother’s absence. I could live off of her smile.
Swimming back to the jet ski, I pull myself up and look for Kyle but see that he’s nowhere in sight. Kayla wraps her arms around my waist and places a kiss to my cheek, silently offering me comfort.
*Kayla*
Tyler, Mikey, and Dallas slept in a room while the girls slept in a separate one. Our rooms were connected, and we stayed up most of the night watching movies and eating pizza. Dallas held me throughout every movie, having his arm around my shoulders, waist, or grasping my hand. It was as if he were scared I was going to evaporate into thin air if we weren’t in contact. I can’t necessarily blame him.
When two a.m. rolled around, we went to our rooms and tried to sleep, for we had to wake up at eight. The drive home was lax, listening to calm music and eating bags of junk food. Again, Dallas didn’t release my hand. When I fell asleep for a cat nap, his hand was light upon my thigh.
I offered to drive the second half but, being a typical male, Dallas refused. We are about twenty minutes away from home when I see the Subaru pull into a gas station. Dallas follows suit, hopping out to fill the tank with gas. I lean my head against the window, watching as Shelby jogs into the store, probably needing to use the restroom. Tyler fills up his tank, and I see Mikey follow after Shelby.
I glance at Dallas, and he catches my gaze and offers me a wink that causes me to smile like an idiot, my stomach fluttering. Dallas’s chuckle is muffled by the window, and I shake my head, looking back at the store.
Mikey is standing near the entrance, talking to a man. They speak to each other animatedly as they use hand gestures to emphasize what they’re saying.
The man Mikey is talking to looks over, and his eyes zero in on me for a moment too long before he looks back at Mikey. He shakes his head, holds up his hands, and then turns to walk away.
“Who is that?” I ask Dallas when he slides into the driver’s seat. He glances at the man, staring him down for a moment before he shrugs.
Mikey walks back toward his car, and my win
dow rolls down. Dallas leans over me to shout, “Who was that?”
“A friend,” Mikey answers, heading to the Subaru. My brows furrow as I stare after him for a moment before looking back at Dallas.
“Where is Mikey’s dad? I only ever see his mom at the games,” I ask. Dallas arches an eyebrow, obviously thinking my question is odd. He grabs my hand and places a kiss to my knuckles.
“His dad left when he was about six years old. He died two years ago in a car accident.” I frown. It appears all our fathers are either deceased or absent.
“Seems all our mothers are strong, independent women.” Dallas smiles, driving out of the gas station, following our friends.
“Tyler’s dad is really the only dad figure I have in my life,” Dallas says. My heart clenches for him. How sad, to have a father so absent that another had to step in and take his place.
I hold his hand in both of mine, softly caressing it as I whisper, “I’m sorry.” Dallas offers me a small smile, squeezing my fingers.
I wish I could take away his pain.
“I felt him.” I hear a voice from behind me, gasping. I drop Dallas’s hand, turning around to see Kyle in the backseat. He looks out the window of the car, watching all the vehicles zipping by. “He’s here.” I look at the road, my eyebrows coming together.
“What do you mean he’s here? As in on this street? In the building across the intersection? The next car over?” Dallas asks. I peek over to see his grip on the steering wheel tightening. I place a hand on his thigh, trying to project calming thoughts through my touch. I do not want to get into an accident.
“I don’t know. I just feel him. He’s somewhere…” Kyle stops, and I glance over my shoulder to see him placing his head in his hands.
“It’s going to be okay, Kyle. Do we know him?” I ask.
Dallas pulls over, and I see we’re in front of his house. Our friends file out of the Subaru, already making their way into the house.
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