Summer by the Lake

by Kay Gordon

  “Is Keaton here?” I asked once we were parked in the driveway. Drew shook his head.

  “Not yet. He’ll be here tomorrow.”

  I grabbed our food and drinks and Drew lifted my bag easily. When he reached for one of the drinks, I just shook my head.

  “I’ve got them.”

  I followed him up the pathway and into the warm home. The living room was exactly as it had been the last time I’d been inside and I couldn’t help smiling. The wall of pictures was still hanging proudly and somehow May and Howard had fit a new panoramic frame from the last summer. I stepped close and my grin widened when I saw the familiar faces of my girls.

  “Do you still talk to any of them?”

  Drew’s voice behind me made me jump slightly and I turned to him with a nod. “Most of them added me on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat and a couple text or send me emails. I miss them.”

  He nodded but didn’t respond otherwise. We walked to the huge dining room table where Drew had set out plates and pulled food out of the bags. Silence settled over us like a blanket but not the comforting kind. It was like a wool, scratchy blanket that you couldn’t wait to kick off. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “I can’t handle how awkward this is.”

  Drew continued chewing his hamburger but his striking eyes met mine and he didn’t look away. When he finally swallowed, he shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, it sucks but I don’t know what to say, Shay.”

  “Anything,” I begged, reaching across the table to grab his hand and changing my mind at the last minute. I pulled back and sighed. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

  He chuckled but there wasn’t any humor in it. “I hate how easy it was for you to walk away. I’ve had a lot of time to dwell on it and it just pisses me off more and more. So, I’m sorry if I can’t make this a dream vacation for you but I’m mad, Shaylee.”

  I watched as he stood from the table and took his trash back into the kitchen. I balled up my own garbage and mimicked his movements. Without saying another word to each other, we went to our respective bedrooms and shut ourselves away from each other.

  Suddenly, I wished I’d never left Phoenix.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Even though it was already nine in Maine, I was still on Phoenix time. Hiding away in the bedroom for the rest of the evening wasn’t going to work so I dug around in my bag until I found my running pants. Once I had them on, along with a long-sleeved shirt and my fleece jacket, I stuck my feet into my sneakers and headed back out to the living room.

  It was empty as I expected it to be but I was glad. I wasn’t ready to have another awkward interaction with Drew quite yet.

  Stepping out into the cold air was a shock and I shivered slightly as I headed towards the lake. The second I hit the trail, I broke into a jog. Instead of going the direction I always had, I chose to run backwards towards the east end of the lake first so that the campus would be at the end rather than the beginning.

  It was creepy running without the comfort of knowing I had security patrolling. Solar lights kept the path illuminated perfectly but it almost felt too quiet.

  When I got to the dock at the east end, the dock that Drew had showed me and the dock where Kira had lost her virginity, I thought about stopping. I didn’t, though. I kept running right past it and tried to ignore the flair of pain that hit my chest.

  The more I ran, the more I chased away the chill that was in my bones. I welcomed the warmth that caused me to sweat and ignored the way my ears felt like icicles. The burn of my calves felt amazing and the silence was comforting after months of running in the city.

  The campus came into view and I slowed my stride until I was barely at a jog. My eyes feasted on the sights of the cabins, buildings, sports centers, and anything else I could see. It was all so deserted and missing the happiness that had been infused into it for those nine weeks. I couldn’t wait for my next summer as a counselor.

  As I started to pass the beach where all our lake activities had taken place, I caught sight of someone sitting in the sand. My feet moved on their own, like they didn’t have a choice, and they didn’t stop until I was sitting next to Drew.

  He was staring out at the dark water, much like he had been the night we first ran together. The only difference was that his shoes and socks were on this time.

  “I’ve never been here during the offseason,” he murmured, keeping his gaze locked onto the dark lake. “It’s weird. I don’t like it.”

  “Me either. It’s creepy.”

  We both stared out at the water, not saying anything. The sweat on my body started to chill me but I wasn’t ready to leave. As if he could read my mind, Drew reached to his side and grabbed a folded blanket he’d brought out. Without saying anything, he turned and wrapped it around my shoulders, cocooning me in warmth. The gesture was so sweet that I felt my eyes burn with tears.

  “I went to L.A.,” I blurted, unable to stop myself. Drew’s body stiffened and he turned his head to look at me.

  “What?”

  “A week after camp was over. I got your address from Jordan and I drove from Phoenix to your house.”

  “Shay.” Drew had turned fully so his body was facing mine. “What do you mean you drove to my house? I never saw you.”

  I nodded my head and avoided his gaze by looking out to the water. “I saw you but you didn’t see me. You were with another girl. I had no right to be upset. I mean, I was the one who left you, but it gutted me, Drew. Only a week had passed and you were already with someone else.”

  “Wait, Shaylee. What are you talking about?” I could see him shake his head out of the corner of my eye. “I haven’t so much as looked at anyone else since I laid eyes on you in June.”

  I finally turned and allowed myself to look into his eyes. “Really? Tall, red hair, looks like a model? You had your arm around her in your driveway? She answered the door in her freakin’ underwear, wrapped up in the blanket I made for you?”

  “She did?” Drew cringed slightly. “I keep it on the recliner and no one uses it but me. I knew I should have kept it in my room.”

  I just stared at him, not understanding, and he offered me a crooked smile.

  “That’s Taylor, Shay. I told you about her. She’s one of my roommates and like a little sister to me. She and Kyle have been together for like six years now. She and I have never touched one another like that.”

  “Really? Taylor’s a girl?” I stared at him for a moment but all he gave back was a look of sincerity. When I realized how badly I’d misinterpreted the situation, I let my eyelids flutter shut.

  “Yeah. She’s a girl.”

  I felt like an idiot. So much time wasted because I pushed him away. Because I had let the sight of Taylor scare me away. Cool fingers ran down my cheek and I opened my eyes to see that Drew had leaned in closer.

  “Why did you come to L.A., Shaylee?”

  I swallowed nervously and felt tears threaten again. “Because I never should have walked away from you. Because I was an idiot to think I could let us go. Because I love you, Drew.”

  The last word was barely out of my mouth before he was kissing me. His cold lips on mine felt like perfection and the second our tongues touched, it was like everything inside of me had been switched back on. I wrapped one arm around his neck and gripped his jacket with my free hand. Both of Drew’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer, and we didn’t stop until I was straddling his lap.

  He broke the kiss by pulling on my ponytail gently and pressing his forehead to mine, breathing heavily. “I love you so much. God, I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  I kissed him again, not willing to lose any more time. Even though it had been months since I’d touched him, everything felt familiar. Everything felt right. How did I ever let him go? How did I ever let us go?

  I don’t know who reached for the clothes first but Drew’s jacket was pushe
d off of his shoulders and my fleece was pulled over my head. Shirts went flying behind us and Drew fell flat on his face when we tried to get his pants off. Once we were both naked, he attempted to roll us up in the blanket to protect our bodies from both the wind and the beach. He ended up with sand in his eye and elbowed me in the stomach when he was putting the condom on.

  We laughed at one another in between kisses and moans, further solidifying my love for the man on top of me. Our laughter cut off when Drew slowly pushed inside of me and a rush of breath left my lungs. The connection between us, both physically and emotionally, filled me with total fulfillment.

  He didn’t start moving at first and instead just stayed still, soaking in the feeling. I smiled and reached up to cup his cheeks.

  “I love you, Drew.”

  A brilliant smile overcame his face and he leaned down to kiss me once. “I love you.”

  Three months of longing and pent up frustration meant our sex went from loving and playful to raw and fast. Our movements were restricted since we were rolled up in the blanket but we made it work. It wasn’t long before my body was shattering apart with an explosive orgasm that I felt in every part of my body and Drew only lasted another minute longer.

  His spent body collapsed on mine and I welcomed his crushing weight. I ran my fingers through his soft hair while he buried his face in my sweaty neck. We stayed like that for several moments and it wasn’t until Drew shivered that I realized his bare back was exposed to the chill where the blanket had slipped.

  “Cold?”

  He moved until he was looking in my eyes, another crooked grin on his face. “A little bit but I don’t mind. I’d rather be cold while on top of your naked body than anywhere else.”

  “Such a charmer.” I pressed a kiss to his lips and then used one hand to smack his nice, naked ass. “Let’s head back to the house before one of us gets pneumonia.”

  “Okay.” Drew kissed me once more and then fought with the blanket until we were free. The second the air hit my damp body, I realized just how cold it was. We both rushed to find our clothes, redressing as quickly as possible.

  “Where did I throw my wallet when I was getting the condom?”

  “I think over here.” I crawled on my hands and knees, blindly searching for the wallet on the dark beach. “Okay, no. I don’t know.”

  Drew chuckled and searched opposite of where I was. “I probably shouldn’t have tossed it like that. I was a little out of my mind.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” I found the leather wallet about six feet from where we’d been and handed it to him before grabbing the blanket. I shook it out the best I could and then tossed it over my shoulder. “Where did you get this?”

  The blanket was pulled from my shoulder so Drew was carrying it and he linked his fingers with mine. “In the camp laundry room. Let’s detour by there on our way back so I can drop it off. You can catch me up on your life while we walk.”

  I did just that. I told him about my parents getting back together and about the friendship Bri and Hannah had formed. He asked about my classes and told me about his own. He was still working all of his jobs and somehow managing to keep up on his coursework, an impressive feat. He also told me about how he and Jordan had kept in touch along with most of their campers from last summer.

  When we reached the laundry room that was next to the facility management building, Drew pushed open the door and flipped on the lights.

  The only time I’d been in that building was when Drew and I had been camping. We had stopped there to drop off of supplies that day.

  “Do they leave these buildings unlocked?” I asked, helping him fold the blanket back up, and he shook his head.

  “I grabbed the keys when I heard you take off for a run. I didn’t want you out here alone and I figured you’d be cold the second you stopped.”

  That was Drew Moore. Always so considerate of everyone else.

  “I found some of your old letters,” I told him as he placed the blanket back on the shelf with hundreds of others. He turned to look at me with his brows raised. “They were in her old scrapbook. I found the one where you said you said she was like your sister. Where you said you’d be there for me forever.”

  He stared at me for a moment as he considered his words. “I meant them then and I mean them now. I would say I was too young to be in love with you then but I knew you were someone special, especially once you started to break out of your shell. You were fearless, caring, and the most beautiful but awkward teenager I’d ever seen. I think you had me when you sang that damn song. But you were so young and I told Kira I’d wait until you were a bit older. I know you’re worried about stepping on her toes with our relationship but she gave me her blessing years ago.”

  “I know,” I replied with a nod. “With those letters, I found one for me from her. I think she had meant to give it to me before she passed away but never got the chance. She told me about you, about Laurie, and so much more, Drew. It was amazing. After I read those, I needed to see you. That’s when I drove out to California. I realized that I’d made such a terrible mistake.”

  “Water under the bridge, Shay. I still want you, want us. I love you and if you’re ready to do this- for real this time- so am I.”

  I took several quick steps, closing the distance between us and throwing my arms around his neck. He stumbled slightly, bumping a stack of sleeping bags and causing them to crash to the ground. It didn’t deter us from sharing an amazing kiss, though.

  “Let’s clean this up and head back to the house,” I murmured against his lips. “We should make up for lost time while we have the place to ourselves for the night.”

  “Sounds like the perfect plan to me.” He kissed me one more time before relaxing his arms and letting me go.

  We both bent down to begin stacking the sleep bags back up. Some of them had come unrolled and it took us a minute to fix those, too. When the last one was put back where it was supposed to go, I nodded triumphantly.

  “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Drew chuckled and reached for my hand. We began walked towards the door when he stopped abruptly, causing me to jerk back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Shaylee.” He was looking at the floor and I followed suit, trying to figure out what he was seeing. When my eyes landed on it, I gasped.

  Sitting on the linoleum of the laundry room was a silver necklace with a matching charm attached in the middle.

  My necklace.

  “Oh, my god,” I breathed, bending over to grab it quickly. Even though I knew it was mine immediately, I still turned it over until I could see the inscription on the back of it. Sure enough, the words ‘For Infinity’ stared back at me and I felt tears gather in the corner of my eyes. I looked up at Drew and shook my head. “How did it get here?”

  He gestured to the sleeping bags before reaching out and wiping one of the tears that slid down my face. “It must have fallen off while we were in the tent and got trapped inside the sleeping bag. I came back to check the sleeping bag that afternoon but they’d already put it away so I had no idea which one it was. They won’t wash them again until the month before camp starts so it’s just been sitting in there, waiting.”

  “She hears us,” I whispered, shaking my head slowly. My mom was right. “Kira hears us. I know she does.”

  “She’s probably just happy we got our shit together,” Drew said, taking the necklace from me and examining the clasp “I can fix this easily. I can’t believe we found it.”

  I couldn’t either. Howard was going to be okay, my parents had found each other again, my necklace had made its way back to me, and I had Drew back.

  Everything was falling into place.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  I woke up to the sun shining through the blinds the next morning. I blinked slowly as my brain woke up and the memories of the night before hit me all at once. I panicked suddenly, afraid that I’d
dreamt it all, but a warm body shifting next to me stole my attention.

  I twisted my head and warm lips pressed to my cheek as strong arms tightened around me.

  “Morning, babe.”

  “Good morning.” I turned in his hold and didn’t stop until I was face to face with Drew. “Good. Last night really did happen.”

  He flashed me a tired, yet somehow still cocky, grin. “Many times.”

  I laughed softly but he wasn’t kidding. Drew and I made good on our plans when we got back to the house. I don’t think we slept more than a couple of hours and I was sure I had at least four new hickeys to show for it. Some things never changed.

  “I love waking up with you,” I murmured, running my nose along the short hair on his chin. “We should do it more often.”

  I squealed in surprise when he rolled us so he was hovering over me with a mischievous grin on his face. “I agree.”

  My eyes drank him in like I’d never get my fill while my hands ran along his shoulders and upper chest. My fingers were exploring slowly when I noticed a fresh tattoo over his heart. I pushed up on him gently and he obliged instantly, pulling back so I could get a better look.

  I inhaled a sharp breath. In black ink was an infinity symbol about three inches long. In soft script below it were the words ‘For Infinity’.

  “When did you get this?” I whispered, tracing it with my finger slowly. Drew shifted above me so he could kiss my forehead.

  “About two months ago when I decided you were done for good. I just needed the woman I loved and the girl who’d been my best friend close to me.”

  I didn’t reply with words. I couldn’t have even if I wanted to. Encouraging him to roll over, I straddled his body and used my own to show him my love and appreciation.