Chapter 7 Mae #2
“Mae, it’s so nice to meet you. Georgia has told us quite a lot about you,” Aunt Jovie says with a wide smile and a warm hug.
“My Aunt Jovie always wanted a daughter, but she got stuck with twin sons instead. Cody and Wilder were too much for them to risk having a third boy, so I became like a daughter to her," Georgia smiles affectionately as she gazes at her aunt and uncle. I wonder what it’d be like to have a relationship with family like this. My own aunt would never describe me as like a daughter to her and could care less what I’m up to if it doesn’t involve something that puts our family in positive light.
Uncle Nash laughs as he places his hand protectively on his wife and then guides her towards the back of the home. “You two have fun tonight and if Cody or Wilder give you any trouble, just call us, Georgia.”
Georgia grabs my hand and tugs me in the opposite direction to one of the guest bedrooms, where we change out of our uniforms and into swimsuits.
We head out to the pool and immediately dive in, splashing and laughing while taking turns hopping out to grab slices of the pizza that her aunt and uncle picked up earlier.
An hour passes, and I start to think that Cody and Wilder won’t be showing up tonight. I shouldn’t mind, this is still the most fun I’ve ever had on a birthday before, but I still can’t help the pang of disappointment that’s filling my chest.
It's nearing ten at night when Georgia grabs my hand and points. “Look, my uncle and aunt turned their bedroom light off,” she says, indicating a window near the back of the house. She winks at me. “Let’s go steal those 4-wheelers and I’ll take you to the pond I was telling you about.”
She jumps out of the pool and pulls on a pair of shorts, and I quickly follow suit while we creep through the darkness to a barn nearby.
Underneath the cover of the darkness, we find matching red and green 4-wheelers with the keys already in the ignition.
Quietly, we coax them out before zipping towards the fields in a loud rumble of laughter and noise.
I've never driven a 4-wheeler before, and Georgia gave me no instructions, but I do my best to keep up and keep my eyes on her despite the pitch-black darkness covering the entire ranch.
After what feels like a five-mile ride through the flat terrain, I finally catch sight of the pond ahead.
The full moon is shining, causing a dreamy reflection off the water as it laps against a tiny, sandy shore that surrounds the water.
Georgia parks close to the edge and hops off while I pull up next to her.
“Here we are!” she shouts, waving her arms dramatically towards the dark pond.
“Aren’t you afraid of… I don’t know, coyotes, scorpions or something?” I ask her.
She smiles. “With no risk, there’s no reward. Come on, this will be fun! It’s something you’ve never done before, and it’ll be a way for you to remember your eighteenth birthday for forever!”
She strips off her shorts and bikini bottom before undoing her top. She’s stark naked now and sprinting to the edge of the water before she cannonballs in. I’m not sure what Georgia has planned for after graduation, but I know whatever it is, there will likely be no rules and lots of fun.
I untie my string bikini and strip the bottoms from my hips before racing to the edge and jumping in after her. Georgia squeals and splashes me as I laugh and flip on to my back, floating while watching the moon above.
“You ever think about leaving Texas?” I ask, sighing.
Georgia is quiet for only a moment before responding. “All of the time. I just don’t know where I’d go. Being an only child, I feel a responsibility to stay nearby for my parents’ sake.”
I nod. “I get that.”
“It must be stifling,” Georgia continues, “Having your parents plan your whole life out for you like that and control your every move.”
I sigh. “It is. I know I live a life of privilege and wealth but what I think people don’t realize is that sometimes, I wish I wasn’t given everything.
There’s a lot of control that goes with wealthy families and it’s stolen my self-confidence.
I just wish I could make decisions for my future on my own, but I know that's not possible.”
“Why not?” Georgia asks.
Why not? Because deep down inside maybe I like the perks that come along with the privilege that I have?
Because it’s nice to never worry about anything when it comes to finances?
Because I’m afraid if I choose something for myself, I’ll fail and then I’ll have no safety net since it was a choice outside of my parents plan for my life.
Because in some weird, twisted way, I still want to please my parents with all of my decisions?
“I don’t know.”
Something brushes against my leg in the murky water, and an involuntary shiver races up my spine.
I quickly push into a standing position, my eyes darting through the dark pond, trying to make out what just touched me.
My heart pounds in my chest, but before I can even speak, my gaze catches on movement just beyond the water’s edge.
A shadowy figure sits in a gator utility vehicle a few feet away, barely visible in the dim moonlight. My stomach drops.
Is that...Cody?
My breath catches as I stare at him, realizing too late that I’m completely exposed. The cool night air presses against my wet skin, my breasts glistening under the faint light. My arms twitch with the instinct to cover myself, but it’s like I’m frozen.
His head tilts slightly, as if he’s trying to process what he’s seeing. Then, like someone flipped a switch, he snaps out of it, slamming the gearshift into reverse. The gator jerks backward, its tires spitting gravel as he tears off toward the house, disappearing into the shadows.
Georgia’s voice jolts me back to reality. “Hey, did you see someone?” she asks, glancing over her shoulder as she stands in the water.
My mind races for an excuse. “Uh… maybe an animal?” I mumble, my voice shakier than I’d like. “I’m not sure.”
“Well, I’m not sticking around to find out!” she squeals, her laughter echoing across the pond as she bolts out of the water toward our waiting 4-wheelers.
I follow her, but my thoughts are stuck on Cody. The way he looked at me—like he was caught somewhere between curiosity and guilt. And the way I felt under his gaze...I liked it.