Take My Breath Away

by Wendy L. Wilson

  “Oh. my. God . . . This is going to be trouble,” Piper spews in an angry tone and then hides behind the van.

  “Oh, shit,” my sister calls out before joining her.

  They carry on in whispered tones, looking over at a neighboring cabin only a short distance away with a crew of guys working on the roof. From the frowns on their faces, I’m guessing something about the construction crew has them worried.

  Swinging my neck around, I immediately notice several vehicles parked in the small gravel lot. I lift my hand above my eyes to shield them from the sunlight and take in the view. Ripples of water stretch out in front of us for what appears to be miles past a large man-made sandy beach. Boat engines sound off in the distance, but where we are seems peaceful and fairly quiet.

  A loud banging infiltrates my tranquil thoughts and I whirl my head around. Immediately I see what must have Abby and Piper so riled up. Crouching on the rooftop are four guys all without shirts and showing off perfectly sculpted abs and golden tans. They look to be around our group’s age and definitely do not look like a professional construction crew. As the other girls in our group set their eyes on them, all four of the guys take note and stop what they are doing. One of the guys stands tall on the roof and lets out a high-pitched whistle, while the others laugh.

  A door slams a few feet away from our van and I turn my head. A fifth guy that looks like he should be doing underwear ads for a magazine, stands in front of a pickup truck clutching a water jug in one hand and swiping his other arm across his forehead. My eyes instinctively wander down his bare chest to his loose fitted jeans that hang low on his hips and then back up. His dark brown hair sticks out from beneath a white baseball cap that is positioned backwards on his head. As he tips the jug back to take a drink, I cannot pull my eyes away from the sight of his biceps flexing and abs tightening with every swallow. I gulp down a breath and hear giggling around me.

  “I think Alyssa sees something she likes,” my sister calls out with a loud laugh.

  Her words echo in my ears and I just know that god-like creature slurping down water had to have heard.

  I swing my eyes back over to the tanned perfection standing only a short distance away. Lowering the jug into the back of the truck, he makes eye contact with me and the corners of his mouth rise into a crooked smirk. After what seems like an eternity of being caught in his web, he finally flashes me a full smile before returning to the roof with his friends.

  A couple of other guys join in on the cat calls while we gather our bags and head to our cabin. I roll my eyes listening to some of the girls giggling like little teeny boppers at their first boy band concert. Oh yeah, this week is definitely going to be trouble.

  Inside, I take a deep breath at the realization of how up in my business this week may be. The cabin is a nice size but looks as if the furniture has been crammed to one side, but what truly has me stressed is the row of cots that line the back wall. What is this, boot camp? From the corner of my eyes I catch my sister sliding up beside me and I blow out a huff of air.

  “Ok, so we have to sleep three feet away from each other, but come on . . . we are going to have so much fun,” she says in a peppy voice as her elbow digs into my side.

  I roll my eyes and nudge her back. Stepping around an old, worn down, brown couch, I crane my neck back her way and flash her a full mouth of teeth before tossing my bag onto a cot. I guess it could be worse.

  After we get settled in and explore the contents of the cabin, I pull out my swimsuit and grab my towel, fully intent on catching some rays. Most of the girls have already headed down to the beach.

  Once I’m changed, I race down and stretch out on my towel with a book in hand. I promised Abby I would be social, but for today I just want to lose myself in this novel and pretend my life isn’t a disaster.

  My back begins to heat up under the sun and the skin on my shoulders sting as if it is on fire. As I continue to read, splashes and screams bounce me out of my thoughts and make me realize that fun is going on all around me. I am most definitely not doing as my father said. I’m not making the most of this summer and I am not living life to the fullest. Nope, I am wallowing!

  Tossing my book onto my towel, I quickly strip off my shorts, feeling a stinging sensation over my thighs as I slide them down. I extend my leg to fling them onto the sand and spin around. Stepping off my towel, my feet instantly hit hot coals. I make a mad dash for the water, hoping to avoid scalding my feet from the searing sand.

  Once I feel the relief of the water across my bare legs, I look out in the distance to see where everyone is. Crystal hangs onto a floating cooler as if it is the last lifeboat aboard a ship destined to sink. Two other girls sit along the edge of a square dock anchored out in the deeper waters while my sister, Piper, and Lanie all sip drinks and socialize. They appear to be having “lots of fun” as Mom instructed me to do. To hell with sulking!

  My eyes lock with Abby as she extends her arms in the air to cheer me on, “Come on, Alyssa! Whoo!” she yells being extra cautious with her daiquiri.

  I giggle and then dive in, vigorously paddling my arms to swim as far as possible on one single breath. The water glides along my skin, feeling cool and refreshing. My lungs burn from needing air so I know I must be close to them. With one last swift push of my arms, I raise my head above the surface. My feet quickly find the pebbly ground and I stand up only a few feet from the group. While flipping my arms to the side, the choppy water laps at my chin as I step up closer to my friends.

  “I thought I’d join you.” I give Abby a genuine smile as I bow my back and run my fingers over my slick, wet hair.

  “It’s about time,” she says with a goofy grin, handing me a beer out of the floating cooler.

  At the same time a dark haired girl named Skylar yells out, “Abby’s sister . . . hey girl!”

  I look over at her and help her out, “It’s Alyssa.” I’d really rather not be referred to as “Hey Girl” all week.

  She smiles at me and then nudges her head up towards the shoreline. “Well Alyssa, that hottie you were drooling over earlier has been checking your ass out hard.”

  Everyone starts to laugh and I squint over to the roof of the cabin. He’s knelt down beside another guy hammering down shingles, but every few moments he glances in my direction.

  I look over at Skylar and shrug, trying to play off the butterflies that begin to swirl in my stomach.

  “Whoo, Alyssa . . . you already have someone hot on your tail! How did I know that would happen?!” my sister yells, looking around at the other girls while nudging her thumb over her shoulder in my direction.

  “Oh yeah, didn’t you date Kyle Webber? He’s flipping hot, too,” one of the girls sitting out on the dock sunbathing shouts out. “I saw what went down at his party the other night all over my news feed! I guess he’s a . . .” she starts, but Abby swipes her hand across her neck, signaling for her to shut up.

  My excitement for the day fully deflates as the girl snaps her mouth closed and everyone looks over at me, clearly figuring out that this subject is off limits. I don’t know this girl’s name but apparently she must know all about me.

  Tossing Abby my unfinished drink, I dive back into the water to head for shore. Social time is over for me today.

  Before my head falls below the water, my sister calls out to me in a regretful tone, “Alyssa, come on . . . don’t leave.”

  For now, I think lying in the sand with my book is a much safer place. I definitely do not want to rehash the details of my breakup with a group of girls I barely know.

  Late into the afternoon, after I am sun-burnt and half of our group is loopy from all the alcohol, we head in for dinner. Dragging myself to my cot, I pounce down and unwrap a peanut butter protein bar while most of the girls rummage through the kitchen for random snacks.

  “Hey, what would you guys think about going down for a moonlight swim?” Skylar wags her brows and sticks her tongue between her teeth.

 
; Laughter sounds throughout the cabin and everyone chimes in.

  “Whoooo! Skinny dipping, ladies?” Lanie adds.

  “Maybe the group next door will join us,” a redhead points out excitedly from the kitchen table.

  “No! Definitely not!” Piper looks up from the couch.

  They all laugh and carry on, making plans for a midnight swim while downing wine coolers.

  After wadding up my empty bar wrapper, I fling it to the nightstand and walk across the cold wood floor. Joy! Girls gone wild here I come, I think to myself as I grab another margarita.

  I’m going to need to catch up so I can join in on all of the goofy giggling and comments that make them sound like they are a bunch of junior high girls at their first sleepover. So far they cannot make it five minutes without some sexual reference that brings on a whole new level of giggles, complete with the comment “Oh my gosh, I just peed my pants.” Then their laughter kicks up to an even higher notch.

  I glance at the clock above the wood stove in the living area and see that it is nearly 11:30. Showtime! After swallowing the contents of my margarita, I pull the fridge door open and grab two more drinks.

  “Let’s go, girls!” Piper hollers as she opens the front door.

  Trailing behind Abby, I make my way out the door and down to the lake, not altogether excited about how my first day here has gone.

  Grass tickles the edges of my feet as I twist off the top of one of my drinks and cram the other in the front pocket of my shorts. We walk a little further as I take a large guzzle and finally feel my feet sink into sand and mush between my toes.

  “Ok, so you don’t have to join us if you don’t want to,” Abby whispers.

  Squeals and screams ring in my ears as a couple of the girls drop their bikinis and rush into the water without a second thought. The rest, including my sister, look around to make sure we are alone.

  “Yeah, I think I might take a little walk.” I raise my hand and point down the shoreline away from the cabins.

  “Ok, drink up and come join us if you feel up to it later.” Abby giggles and then turns her back to me as her top hits the ground. “Aaaagh, it’s so cold!”

  I nod my head and start to walk in the opposite direction; my head already light and fuzzy with the beginnings of a buzz.

  I’ve only been gone for about five minutes and have managed to get maybe ten yards from the beach when male voices sound out in the distance. My eyes widen as I realize they are getting closer to where all of my friends are so carelessly swimming in the buff.

  With my drink gripped in my hand, I run through a wooded area with only moonlight to guide my way. I keep my mind concentrated on my feet slamming against the hard ground one after another until suddenly my whole body smashes right into a brick wall. Wham! A heavy weight crashes face first into me and my feet come right off the ground, landing me in a pillowy patch of sand and grass. I hold my drink upright and wiggle it to make sure it didn’t spill. Yep, I am definitely tipsy if I am only concerned with whether my drink survived the fall instead of the fact that I am being crushed by something or, wait, someone.

  “Are you ok?” a deep voice whispers against my cheek.

  His head cocks back and his body raises up to slightly hover above me, braced by two muscular arms. Still studying him, I wobble my drink down into the sand beside us so I can keep all of my focus on my current situation.

  Looking up, I take note of the shaggy brown hair sticking out around a baseball cap and the butterflies start. I can barely see his face but I can make out the same crooked grin that I admired earlier. My eyes also zoom in to a small dimple that forms on his right cheek. I can’t make out the color of his eyes due to the lack of light, but I can see that he has a strong square jaw and his muscles are . . . Oh God, I have my hands on his chest.

  As if he just read my mind, he laughs and waves his hand in front of my face to snap me out of my daze. “Did I knock you out or knock the breath out of you?”

  I shake my head, reeling from the sensation of his hard body against mine. Why is he still laying on me?

  “No . . . I mean yes,” I croak out nervously.

  “I did knock you out?” he snickers.

  “No! No, you didn’t knock me out.”

  He looks at me and I realize how awkward this has become with us still lying here, yet in a strange way I’m enjoying it.

  “Dude, are you doing her already?” a male voice shouts out from a few yards away.

  “Way to go, Judd!” another voice bellows out.

  All of the girls laugh as Abby roots me on, “Go for it, Alyssa,” as if I am having sex right here on the beach. Well, she is obviously already trashed.

  He mumbles something under his breath that sounds like “piss off” as he rises up to his hands and knees and then stands to help me up.

  “Sorry, my friends stumbled upon a discovery and were getting a bit too frisky for my taste. I figured I would head in the opposite direction,” he states as he points his thumb over his shoulder towards the beach and his very excited friends.

  After hoots, hollers and discarded clothing rain through the air, a mass of guys run into the water, igniting loud giggles from the girls and telling me that this has definitely turned into the wild and crazy week my sister had in mind.

  I nod my head in understanding, considering I was down the shore trying to escape the craziness myself. Taking his hand, he pulls me to my feet. The contact of his hand to mine immediately sends a shiver through my body. His hands are rough and it feels as though he has bandages on several of his fingers. Now standing beside him, I look up and realize he is nearly a whole head taller than me.

  His lips curve into a smile and a crazy flutter soars through my stomach.

  “You wanna join me?” He tips his head to the side to study my face.

  What the heck. After quickly bending over to fetch my drink and the other that apparently was tossed from my pocket, I hold the unopened one between us. “Here . . .” I smile as he looks at my gift, “ . . . a peace offering for our collision.”

  Nodding his head with a chuckle, he gently grabs the drink from my hand and twists the cap off, taking a huge swig. I gracefully hold my drink up in a Cheers gesture and join him.

  “I’m Judd by the way.” My heart spins and speeds up in my chest like I’m on a thrill ride of a lifetime as we turn in the opposite direction of the beach to head off alone.

  I giggle and then break out into a full laugh, contemplating whether this is nerves or the alcohol. Judd laughs with me, probably figuring I may be a little loony.

  “I’m Alyssa,” I say, trying to catch my breath from laughing. “I’m sorry. I think I am getting a bit tipsy. I’m trying to keep up with the level of crazy that I am surrounded by this week.”

  Judd leans his head to the side and looks at me with a gorgeous smile as we walk further down the beach.

  “So, I’ve never seen you out here. Have you been here before?” he asks as we walk along, sharing tid-bits of information about one another.

  I look over at him nervously with butterflies swirling through my stomach every time we make eye contact. “Actually, my parents used to bring me and my sisters out here when we were little, but gosh . . . it’s been at least fifteen years since I’ve been here.” Feeling fidgety, I grasp my bottle in both of my hands, twisting them back and forth until the label is wrinkled and loose. “What about you?”

  “You know, I’m not sure if I came here when I was little, but I’ve been coming out here regularly for a few years now.” He swings his free hand between us and I get the feeling he may be just as nervous as me. “This summer I’m giving my best friend a hand on some renovations. His grandfather owns the land and the cabins over here.” He pauses and flashes me a small smile while pointing to a clearing ahead. “Well except for the cabin you’re staying in.”

  Before long, I notice the sounds from the beach have faded away and it’s now just the two of us in a secluded grassy area down from
the cabins. There are trees all around us and although I should be freaked out by being alone with a strange guy out in the woods, I am oddly comfortable around him. Settling ourselves on the ground a few feet from the water, we stare out at the moon’s reflection and carry on idle conversation.

  “Do you go to school out this way?” I ask, trying not to be obvious about wondering how old he is. He looks like he is my age.

  “Nahh,” he tosses back another swig of his drink and then places his hands back to his side.

  I cannot help but glance down at the hand he places between us. Excitement bolts through me at how close our hands are and I have to resist the urge of scooting mine towards his.

  “I actually live about five hours away in Rosemore. I graduated from there just last month,” he states.

  I gasp out at what a small world it is. “That’s crazy. I actually graduated from Fairview High last week,” I laugh, knowing that our schools are huge rivals.

  He chuckles, “Did you ever go to any of the Fairview-Rosemore football games?”

  “I went to every single one,” I tell him and watch as his eyebrows rise in surprise. “I was a cheerleader, so I cheered at all the football games. What about you?”

  “I played. I was the quarterback,” he states in a proud tone. “Wow! I’m sure we crossed paths a time or two.” He flashes me an easy smile while taking another drink.

  “I’m sure we did,” I say, looking over at him. How on earth did I not notice him? I guess my mind was preoccupied with watching Kyle at the time; crazy that they played each other. “So are you going to the local college in Rosemore?”

  “No,” he answered quickly, looking a bit relieved with his answer. “I have a scholarship to play out in California, so the end of July I will be headed to UCLA.”

  We fall silent for a moment, but I don’t miss the fact that he stares over at me with a small smile touching his lips. I feel as though my nerves have woven my tongue to the roof of my mouth. Even if I could speak, I would probably stumble all over my words and say something stupid. God, he makes me nervous . . . in a good way, though!