The skinny straps tie at her waist. A simple pull at the strings, and it would fall down her legs. My hand stays where it’s at, but I can feel my fingers move like they’re imagining gliding down her soft, golden skin.
“Rowan,” Ellie says, snapping me back into reality.
“Yeah?” I squeeze my eyes shut and then open them, putting my hand over my eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asks timidly.
I wave her off and place my hands on my hips before saying, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a lot of sun today. It’s making me a little tired. Don’t worry.”
She lets out a laugh and then pats the seat next to her. “Come sit. Talk to me.”
I feel my legs move before my mind can process what she asked, and when I’m done processing what she said to me, my ass is already on the chair next to her. I can’t control my legs, but I swear I need to control my eyes. How am I supposed to think or function when her boobs are right there?
It’s not like I haven’t seen her boobs before. I mean, I’ve only seen them a few times, and dumb-ass teenage Rowan was so busy being in shock each time that I never took a mental image in my head. It was the first time I saw boobs in person and not on a screen. I didn’t know what to do.
“What have you been up to these last couple of days?” Ellie asks.
“Not much. Working. Hanging out with Mom and Aunt Rosey.”
She lets out a small gasp and asks, “Oh my gosh, how are they? I haven’t seen them yet. I miss your mom's baked ziti so much. Ugh, it’s so good. And your Aunt Rosey, is she still dating around?”
I laugh at that last part. “Yeah, Aunt Rosey goes on dates here and there, but not as much lately. My mom is doing well. She’s happy you’re back for the summer. You should definitely stop by. I know she would love to have you over for dinner. You were always her favorite. And Aunt Rosey—she always loved having you around. You can keep up with her wit.”
I feel her knee brush against mine and she doesn’t move it right away. I wonder if she misses me just as much as I miss her. Or if she thinks about me when she looks up at the stars at night, like we used to do as kids. Being around her is just a reminder that I’ve always let the relationships in my life dwindle because she’s never left my mind or my heart.
Not even when she left to get on that plane.
“We should totally plan a dinner at their house,” Ellie says. “That sounds like fun.”
“Okay, sure. I’ll ask them what day works out for them. Now that they’re both retired, they have a lot of time on their hands. My mom would love nothing more than for you to see her. When was the last time?”
Ellie scrunches her nose, her freckles squishing together. “It’s been long enough. I know I come to visit when I can, but since it’s always in such short bursts, I only ever have time to see family. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to see you guys. I should bring her flowers.”
A corner of my lip tilts up. “Or you could bring her favorite brownies.” I raise my eyebrows in question.
She tilts her head at me. “Rowan, you know I’m here to relax. Not to work.”
“That wouldn’t be working, and you know it,” I tease.
She lets out a huff of a laugh and says, “Yeah, I know, but I don’t know.” She sighs. “I’m scared to step into the kitchen again. I know I’ll need to get over that soon enough, considering I said I would cater Mrs. Anderson’s art show.” She looks down at her lap.
“Wait, you’re going to cater? What made you say yes to that?”
She deadpans. “You know I can’t say no to people.”
I go against what I know I shouldn’t do, but I pull her into me, wrapping my arm around her in comfort. I feel her arms wrap around my waist and feel the sensation of her shoulders rise and fall as she takes a deep breath.
“You’re too nice. It’s okay to say no sometimes,” I say quietly.
“I know. I just don’t like seeing people upset.”
My hand starts to rub at her back, and all I want is to feel her shoulders relax and her breathing slow down.
“Sometimes you need to think about yourself before you put others in front of you. It’s okay to look out for yourself.”
“I know,” she mutters.
“Are you sure you want to deal with catering? You can change your mind.”
