Chapter 15 #2
Even though we talk every day, we don’t spend as much time together as we used to.
Today’s the first time I’ve seen her in a few months—since I was last home for the weekend.
I wonder if I look different to her in the way she looks different to me.
It always feels like I spend the first five minutes wondering what’s changed.
Today her face is tanned, there’s a thick line of freckles along her forehead, and her dark brown hair looks like it’s been dipped in bronze.
Even her eyes seem lighter. Milk chocolate instead of plain.
And when I shove her gently with my shoulder and say, “I missed you,” her cheeks turn ever so slightly pink. It’s always like this with us in person, ten seconds of coyness while we check we’re still the same.
Still Hendricks and Story.
Still best friends.
“Missed you too, Hen.”
I drop onto the blanket next to her, in the spot she’s patting. The scent of flower meadows invades my next inhale. It’s exactly how the Bluebell woods are at Burlington in the height of spring, but they’re done for this year, so it can’t be that. “What am I smelling?”
Story pulls her long ponytail around and holds it out to me. “I got a new shampoo.”
My nose brushes against her cheek as I lean in and breathe deep. “Nice.”
“Thanks,” she says, flicking it back over her shoulder, but she stays close.
Sprite returns with the ball and drops it for me to toss again. “Are you nervous about exam results?”
She shakes her head. “Not really? I worked hard enough, except in science. I hate that.”
“What? Science is the best.” I gasp, shoving her again even though I know she only said it to get a reaction in that casual, flirty way she does.
And I’ll give her all the reactions she wants.
“Not all of us can be brainiacs in that department, you know.” She laughs, though it’s more a snort than a laugh. Whatever it is, it’s a noise unique to Story and always has me laughing harder. “We’re not all Mr. Straight As.”
“Hey, I won’t be a vet without them.”
“I know.” She grins, leaning back on her elbows. The movement has the hem of her dress rising up her thighs again, and I force myself to look away. “Proud of you, Henny. You’re going to be the best vet.”
“Thanks. And you’re going to be the best teacher. Benson the ballbreaker, part two.”
“As if.” This time, she attempts to kick me, and it shifts her body enough that her fingers settle against mine. They glue me in position. No matter how uncomfortable I am right now, I’m not moving.
“How’s Miles feeling?”
“You know Miles. He doesn’t care about anything except polo.
I’m not sure he’s done any revision.” I laugh, even though he’s going to get into serious trouble if he doesn’t pass.
The exams we took at the beginning of summer determined which subjects we could take in senior year and where we would go to university.
The reason I’ve been working so hard is that I only want to be a vet and study at the Royal Veterinary School in London.
“D’you want to go to the waterfall today?”
Again, I want to scream to the heavens with frustration but instead reply, “I can’t. Miles has his first match with England today. I have to be at Foxleigh Park by three.” Fuck, fuck, fuck. “Why don’t you come? It’ll be fun.”
But as predicted, she shakes her head. “No thanks, but we have all summer to hang out.”
The disappointment vanishes slightly. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, let’s go to the waterfall tomorrow. It’s going to be a scorcher.”
Spending the day at the waterfall is the best idea she’s ever had.
“Does that mean you plan to wear your tiniest bikini?” My eyes fall to her mouth as it purses. “That blue one you put on Instagram?”
“Maybe. Have to wait and see, won’t you?”
My brow rises. Fuck, she looked incredible. Standing by the pool, book in hand and boobs high and round, pushed together from the way her hand was shielding her face from the sun. It never occurred to me I was a boobs guy until I saw hers. “That was a hot one, Stor.”
I love the way her cheeks flush whenever I pay her a compliment. She’s so fucking pretty. I wish we could stay here all day, all night, all summer. Just her and me.
“Yeah?”
“Yes. It’s a plan. You, me, the bikini, and the waterfall.”
“Didn’t realize you liked that bikini so much.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Except then I remember fucking Sam Pelling liked it. A peach, the cherries, and a tongue, like he’s such a knob he can’t even spell out words. I was so annoyed that I offered to play one-on-one with Miles, and he bumped me so hard I fell off.
My only consolation was that when I checked it later, the comment had been deleted. It’s what made me think they might be seeing each other. That, and because I know he’s always liked her.
Sprite drops the ball in Story’s lap, and she throws it, but it goes five meters, if that.
“Pathetic. Guess we’re working on your throwing arm this summer too.”
Leaning over, she squeezes my bicep, but it could quite as easily be my dick for the effect it has. “So I can have guns like this?”
Sitting tall, I flex them at her. All the hours I spent in the school gym this year are now paid in full.
“Impressive.” Her head drops on my shoulder. “I do miss you, Hen. I wish we weren’t so far away from each other during term time.”
“Me too, but we have all summer to be together. And now we’re going into sixth form, I can come home more. Plus, once I’m seventeen, I’ll have my car.”
I hope she gets what I’m trying to say. That I like her and want to spend all the time I have with her.
“That would be cool, and I can come and visit you at Wellington too.” Lying down, she props herself up with her elbow facing me, and I follow.
Sprite decides he’s had enough chasing the ball and lies at our feet.
“Let’s make a plan. We’re sixteen now. Our exams are done, we have no obligations whatsoever.
” She reaches out and hooks her little finger around mine. “We need to make this summer count.”
Her ponytail flops over her shoulder. Taking hold of the end, I run it between my fingers and move it back, watching her lashes flutter against her cheeks.
Her attention darts between my eyes and my lips, and it’s a movement I mirror.
No, that’s a lie. I’m not looking at her eyes because I can’t stop staring at her lips.
She’s not wearing any of that shiny stuff I usually hate, mostly because it tastes weird, and I get covered in it too.
No, she’s just natural and perfect. She’s Story.
Her finger releases mine but only travels as far as my belt loop, hooking into that instead. It’s slight, but I swear she tugs me toward her. My pulse races, and blood rushes straight to my dick.
“We will definitely make this summer count. I promise, Stor.”
“Can’t break your promises, Hen.”
We’re so close I’d only have to shift an inch or two and my mouth would be on hers.
Is this really about to happen? It’s a moment I’ve been thinking about since Annabel Stenson ruined everything three years ago.
“I would never—”
My phone lets out a series of pings that are impossible to ignore.
“Why’s your message tone so loud?” She laughs, but her hand moves to my hip.
“It must have knocked in my pocket. Hang on. I’ll turn it off,” I say, rolling back only enough that I can extract it.
Scanning them, I quickly pray it’s nothing important. There are a dozen messages from Miles, but the last one is from my sister.
CLEMMIE: Yeah, think that’s the guy I saw sucking face with Story last weekend