“Why do I get the feeling there’s more?” he asked.
Because… “There’s always more.”
She swam back to the side of the pool, pulled herself up on the edge to sit there. Her feet stayed in the water, but she leaned back to allow what was left of the sunshine to warm her face.
“You don’t have to tell me,” he said, swimming to her, tracing her ankles in the water. “Everything you’re running from. Not until you’re ready.”
That was sweet, but, “I’ll probably never be ready.”
“Then that’s how it is.” He pulled himself up beside her, kicking his feet in the pool next to hers.
He reached for her jawline, moved his thumb along the ridge there leading down the column of her throat. “That’s how it is.”
“Are you for real?” she asked him.
“For you I am.” He continued running his thumb against her skin.
Nerve endings she’d forgotten she had fired up at this touch. She shivered.
“I believe you,” she said, turning to him, letting her chest brush against his.
“That’s enough of a start for me.” He didn’t move his hand, didn’t move in for a make-out session. He only cupped her cheek with his palm.
Her limbs felt weighted—but in a comforting “stay here” way. Could he really be the reason she stayed?
Pfft, they barely knew each other. This was only their first date. Maybe second if they counted the puppet show, which she didn’t but he did. So maybe one-point-five dates? That was hardly a solid reason to stick around.
She wanted to trust him, sure, but wanting and doing were two separate things. And trust took time to build. Time they didn’t have.
Her throat got thick because deep inside, she’d already decided to give them a try.
“I can’t promise that I won’t leave,” she said. Honesty hurt, but she needed to say this. “But I won’t leave right away. I… I think I want a shot at trying this. If you do.”
“Fuck yeah,” he said, grinning.
She moved her face to kiss his palm. “You don’t have to tell me either.”
“Tell you what?” He gave her a look like they forgot to put the patty on her hamburger. “I told you everything.”
“Whenever you have to pretend to be someone else. You don’t need to tell me.”
“This whole time we’ve been talking out here?” he asked. “I’ve only been me. I think I’ll be okay.”
“I like you, Tanner. What if we only concern ourselves with the now and the future? The past was just the way we got here.” That made so much sense and was so sage.
“I like that,” he agreed, staring at her bottom lip.
“Thanks, I made it up myself.” She pulled the band from her hair and let the wet strands fall across her shoulders. She toyed with the hair band, keeping her hands busy with the fabric and rubber.
“You know, I do enjoy spending time with you, Sammich,” he said, standing and reaching to help her up.
“Oh?” She didn’t like the way her nerves all perked to attention at that announcement. Didn’t appreciate how her heart beat a little faster and her tummy got squishy like it did when someone offered her a free chocolate cake with lava sauce on her birthday.
“Is that my official nickname?” she asked, a little hair falling over the side of her face. She pushed it back.
“Don’t you love it?” he asked, excited and bouncy.
She loved it. Of course she did. “I’ll cherish it forever.”
