May 31st #3
I grab her bikini and hand it to her, stopping for a moment to kiss both of her boobs again.
“Maybe we can pretend like we didn’t hear them,” she says, giving me her sultry eyes and pressing herself against me again.
Why are they home so soon?
“Day-Day!” is yelled out in the kind of bloodcurdling scream only a toddler can muster.
I then hear the sound of my little sister’s footsteps stomping up the stairs. I pick Ainsley up, move her off the top of me—suddenly grateful that I had yet to take my shorts off—rush to open my door, and scoop Weston up, hopefully before she sees Ainsley.
Because she is struggling with tangled strings.
Weston gives me a fat pout and starts chewing me out. “I yell for Day, and you no come!”
“That’s because I was, uh, asleep, taking a nap,” I tell her.
“With Lee-Lee?” she asks, causing my eyes to get big.
“Yeah, we had, like, a slumber party, only for naps,” I confirm as I carry her down the stairs.
“Westie no like naps. I tell Mama, I not tired,” she says just as she rubs her eyes. “Plus, I have a broked arm and a cast.”
“I know you do, honey. How come you were looking for your Day-Day?”
“Happy birffday to you,” she says, singing. “Westie want Damon to eat cake. Now.”
“But my party hasn’t even started—” I stop speaking because Ainsley comes out of my bedroom, and I swear my heart starts beating out of my chest like I just ran sprints.
She grins at me as she holds the handrail and glides down the stairs, her long brunette mane floating behind her, looking gorgeous.
“I beg to differ,” she says in a sultry voice.
I start laughing because she’s right. “I am hoping that the party continues—later.”
She shrugs. “We’ll see. Depends on how good the birthday boy is.”
“Day-Day naughty and sneaky,” Weston says to Ainsley. “He steals my candy.”
Ainsley breezes past me in a tight little dress on her way out the door and says to Weston, “He can steal my candy anytime he wants.”
Which causes me to swallow hard. Because, damn.
I take a deep breath and shake my head, focusing on the task at hand.
“I don’t think the birthday party starts for a while,” I say, glancing at my watch.
But then I see that it’s nearly six. Which means we’ve been up in my room for over two hours .
I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Weston grabs my face in her little hands, scratching one side with the cast, and says very seriously, “Don’t let Lee-Lee steal your candy.”
Live in the moment.
Ainsley
Sure, I just waltzed past Damon and teased him about taking my candy. But that doesn’t mean I feel normal. All I can think about is what would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted.
And I know it would have been amazing.
But I’m worried about what will happen when our time here is up. He’ll go to Lincoln. I’ll go to Fort Worth, then come back here and work at the resort until school starts.
It’s only a few hours’ drive between the two schools, so it’d be doable this fall.
But he’s a college freshman. And a hot—very hot—football player. He could probably have his choice of beautiful girls. He’d be stupid to want a relationship. He’ll be busy with school and practices and parties—all that stuff you experience when you leave home for the first time.
Which means when the reunion is over, we probably will be too .
But the thought of that makes my heart hurt.
I call Sammy and pace in the grass until he answers.
“What am I supposed to do?” I ask him. “It started out fun, just flirty stuff, but it’s turning into more.”
“As in you’re finally getting some? Perfect. Now why would that be a problem?”
“I haven’t told you this before, but when I first saw Damon three years ago, we kinda had a moment.”
“What kind of moment?”
“The kind where you lock eyes with your soulmate.”
“Hmm,” Sammy says. “Three years ago. That would have been the summer after Brad.”
“Ohmigosh, guess what! I saw Brad!”
“Wait. Hold that thought. Here’s what I think. You saw Brad. You slept with Damon, and now you think you love him .”
“No, we haven’t slept together. I mean, we’ve done some stuff. And obviously during the naked scavenger hunt, we were pretty naked. And I did tell him he could steal my candy …”
“Is that a euphemism for sex that I don’t know?”
“Never mind. But the point is, just a few minutes ago, we were in bed. And we almost had sex.”
“Why almost?”
“Because we got interrupted by his little sister, but I’d wanted to. Badly.”
“A seven-month drought would make anyone desperate,” he teases. “Let’s revisit the seeing-Brad thing. When and where? Give me the deets.”
“I was shopping in Eureka Springs and ran into his mom at a store. She hugged me, said she missed me and was sad that I’d broken up with Brad.”
“Wait, but—”
“Exactly. All he’d told her was that we broke up, not why. She was shocked to learn the truth. Especially since—and get this—she was there to meet his fiancée’s family. He’s engaged! And her ring is literally the ring I’d always told him I wanted.”
“Disgusting,” Sammy says.
“And in the midst of that awkwardness, Damon came up from behind me, kissed my cheek, and whispered loudly enough for them to hear that he decided shopping and lunch with me sounded more fun than golfing. Of course, Brad wanted to be introduced, and as soon as he said his last name—”
“Oh boy!”
“Yeah, so that was great. We hightailed it out of there. Went to meet up with the family for lunch, and guess who ended up at the table next to us?”
“They didn’t!” Sammy screeches in delight. “I love drama! Was there a catfight? Did Brad go off, and Damon had to defend your honor? Spill the tea, girl!”
“I’d made his mom watch the Sector movies with me because my mom often worked the night shift. And she’s a huge fan of Jennifer. So, what happened was, when I introduced them, Jennifer, in all her kindness, suggested we slide our tables together and celebrate.”
“Oh, the horror! It’s amazing!”
“We did a champagne toast to my ex’s engagement, and then Damon announced that we just came for the toast and that he had other plans for me today.”
“Ooh, were they very sexy plans?”
“They were very thoughtful. He took me on a tour to see the architecture in the area.”
“Wow,” Sammy says. “That was really thoughtful.”
“I know. He’s amazing. And then the other day, he took me on this picnic.
Packed all the food, picked the spot. And we had butterflies.
And that means we’re soulmates. And he told me he loves me.
And even though I don’t think he expected me to say it back, I did.
Because I do. And I’m going to sleep with him.
It will probably be the best sex of my life.
And then I’m going to have to leave. And he’s going to leave.
And then we’ll have be at different colleges, and it’s not going to work.
So, why should I even let myself be heartbroken?
I should end it now. I mean, not right now.
Tonight’s his birthday party, and that would just be cruel, but soon.
Like, before we sleep together. We can go our separate ways. No harm. No foul. Right?”
My phone buzzes that Sammy wants to video chat. I press the button.
“What the hell are you thinking? You are being ridiculous. You are planning the relationship’s demise before it even gets started.
You have to stop doing that. You need to start living in the moment and enjoy life.
So what if you get hurt? It’s the freaking risk you take when you put your heart on the line.
But it’s the heart and love that brings us the most joy. ”
“And the most pain,” I counter.
“You know what will be more painful? And not just a temporary pain, but a literal lifetime pain? You living without someone you think is your soulmate because you were afraid of love.”
I let out a whoosh of air. Like he just punched me. “That’s harsh.”
“It’s true. And you need some tough love right now.” He grins at me. “And as big as that man is, I’m hoping that’s the kind of love he gives you!” He starts cackling with laughter.
“Sammy! What am I going to do?!”
“What you said earlier. Let him steal your candy. Why not? It’s clear he’s already stolen your heart.”
I nod at him. “You’re right. But what about when it’s over?”
“I don’t know where you have been for the last decade, but long-distance relationships are pretty common. Especially for the short-term.”
“But with a college freshman? What did you do your freshman year, Sammy?”
“Okay, I might have partied a little, but Damon is an athlete. Some of them hardly drink at all, including Damon’s father.”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because he has that fitness plan for athletes. And I went on it for a while. My point is, stop thinking of all the reasons why it won’t work and start thinking about how it could.”
I close my eyes and nod my head. “You’re right. Thank you.”
He puckers his lips, goes, “Mwah, my love,” and then ends our call.
I make my way to the backyard and see that everyone has arrived.
There are also things I didn’t notice earlier.
There are games set up for the party—horseshoes, cornhole, lawn bowling, ring toss, bocce ball.
A buffet with a spread of barbecued food and all the fixings.
A cake on a stand. A ballon arch in his team’s colors of red, white, and black.
I walk by a waiter who, instead of offering champagne from a platter, hands me a bottle of beer. One made in Kansas City.
I take a long drink, close my eyes, and think about what Sammy said. And decide that I’m done being afraid. I’m done letting the actions of some jerk from my past hold me back from my future happiness.
I’m going to live in the moment from here on out .
Lied to myself.
Damon
I look at Ainsley, chatting with my sister, swaying a little to the background music.
I think about how Chase told me not to eff it up.
My mind went somewhere else when he said that. Because we haven’t yet.
I want to.
But at the same time, I want to savor it.