me.
Water pooled at our feet. Carter’s heart thumped beneath mine. I looked into his eyes and he stared right back. My breath caught in my throat. I’d never been this close to a guy before and I didn’t know what to do. My hands fluttered over his soaking wet chest as my body started to shake and my teeth chattered.
Carter’s hand rubbed my back. “You’re shivering.”
“It’s okay,” I said breathlessly. “That was fun.”
He nodded. “It’s one thing you can check off your list.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Any time.” His face was so close to mine I could smell his minty breath. His hand still circled my back, and his palm was surprisingly warm through my wet shirt.
“You’re a lot different than I thought,” I confessed.
“How so?” One of his eyebrows shot up.
“When I first met you I thought you’d never be the kind of guy to play in the mud.”
“Why’s that?” Carter seemed amused at my assumption. I noticed he still hadn’t let go of me, not that I was complaining. Just a little surprised, I guess. It was clear I wasn’t in danger of falling over anymore.
“You were so perfect when you first showed up here wearing your khakis and your collared shirt, nothing out of place. I guess it reminded me of my parents. They never look sloppy like me.”
“Trust me.” His hand reached up, his finger tipping my chin. “You never look sloppy.”
“Whatever,” I forced words out despite how fast my heart was beating. This was so different from how fast it used to beat in captivity. No, this wasn’t a scared kind of beat. It was an exhilarating one. One I hoped to experience again and again. “I know I’m kind of a tomboy. I’m more comfortable in shorts and t-shirts with mud on my hands than I am in a dress.”
“Aspen, even in your shorts and t-shirts with mud on your hands you’d blow the socks off most women in their dresses.” His thumb grazed my cheek. “You have no idea how stunning you are, do you?”
I stiffened, shocked by his words. No one had ever said that to me before.
“We can add that to the list of things he’s stolen from you. But not for long. Just wait. Pretty soon you’ll see what I do.”
I wondered what he meant by that.
His gaze shifted from me toward the house, and then he quickly dropped his hands. “I don’t think your mom is very happy about our water fight.”
I glanced up at the kitchen window. Mom watched us, her lips puckered. Laughter shot from my throat. I imagined this was what it felt like to be a rebellious teen. To do something just for fun.
But most of all, to have a friend.
After turning off the hoses, I wrung out the bottom of my shirt with my hands. The sun was getting hotter so I chose not to change out of my wet clothes. It felt kind of good , actually. Instead, I grabbed us some beach towels.
Carter and I spread them out in the grass and lay down to dry off. Our faces were upturned, allowing the sun to shine on us. My hair fanned around my head, the edges crinkly from the water. My skin smelled like hose water and grass.
“If I wasn’t worried about getting my camera wet I would’ve gotten some shots of you earlier. That would’ve been priceless. You should have seen the look on your face when I first squirted you.”
“It’s not fair. You gave me no warning at all.”
“That’s what made it fun.”
“Did you and your friends have water fights like that when you were younger?” I rolled my head to look at his profile. He had on sunglasses now so I couldn’t see his eyes, but I could tell he was still looking up at the sky.
“All the time.” A smile passed over his lips. “But we didn’t always use hoses. Sometimes we used squirt guns. I had a super soaker.”
“Should I be frightened?”
“Nah.” He turned his head to look at me. “No more water fights. We’re moving on to bigger and better things now.”
“Now I really am frightened.”
“Don’t be.” His fingers gently brushed mine.
Water pooled at our feet. Carter’s heart thumped beneath mine. I looked into his eyes and he stared right back. My breath caught in my throat. I’d never been this close to a guy before and I didn’t know what to do. My hands fluttered over his soaking wet chest as my body started to shake and my teeth chattered.
Carter’s hand rubbed my back. “You’re shivering.”
“It’s okay,” I said breathlessly. “That was fun.”
He nodded. “It’s one thing you can check off your list.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Any time.” His face was so close to mine I could smell his minty breath. His hand still circled my back, and his palm was surprisingly warm through my wet shirt.
“You’re a lot different than I thought,” I confessed.
“How so?” One of his eyebrows shot up.
“When I first met you I thought you’d never be the kind of guy to play in the mud.”
“Why’s that?” Carter seemed amused at my assumption. I noticed he still hadn’t let go of me, not that I was complaining. Just a little surprised, I guess. It was clear I wasn’t in danger of falling over anymore.
“You were so perfect when you first showed up here wearing your khakis and your collared shirt, nothing out of place. I guess it reminded me of my parents. They never look sloppy like me.”
“Trust me.” His hand reached up, his finger tipping my chin. “You never look sloppy.”
“Whatever,” I forced words out despite how fast my heart was beating. This was so different from how fast it used to beat in captivity. No, this wasn’t a scared kind of beat. It was an exhilarating one. One I hoped to experience again and again. “I know I’m kind of a tomboy. I’m more comfortable in shorts and t-shirts with mud on my hands than I am in a dress.”
“Aspen, even in your shorts and t-shirts with mud on your hands you’d blow the socks off most women in their dresses.” His thumb grazed my cheek. “You have no idea how stunning you are, do you?”
I stiffened, shocked by his words. No one had ever said that to me before.
“We can add that to the list of things he’s stolen from you. But not for long. Just wait. Pretty soon you’ll see what I do.”
I wondered what he meant by that.
His gaze shifted from me toward the house, and then he quickly dropped his hands. “I don’t think your mom is very happy about our water fight.”
I glanced up at the kitchen window. Mom watched us, her lips puckered. Laughter shot from my throat. I imagined this was what it felt like to be a rebellious teen. To do something just for fun.
But most of all, to have a friend.
After turning off the hoses, I wrung out the bottom of my shirt with my hands. The sun was getting hotter so I chose not to change out of my wet clothes. It felt kind of good , actually. Instead, I grabbed us some beach towels.
Carter and I spread them out in the grass and lay down to dry off. Our faces were upturned, allowing the sun to shine on us. My hair fanned around my head, the edges crinkly from the water. My skin smelled like hose water and grass.
“If I wasn’t worried about getting my camera wet I would’ve gotten some shots of you earlier. That would’ve been priceless. You should have seen the look on your face when I first squirted you.”
“It’s not fair. You gave me no warning at all.”
“That’s what made it fun.”
“Did you and your friends have water fights like that when you were younger?” I rolled my head to look at his profile. He had on sunglasses now so I couldn’t see his eyes, but I could tell he was still looking up at the sky.
“All the time.” A smile passed over his lips. “But we didn’t always use hoses. Sometimes we used squirt guns. I had a super soaker.”
“Should I be frightened?”
“Nah.” He turned his head to look at me. “No more water fights. We’re moving on to bigger and better things now.”
“Now I really am frightened.”
“Don’t be.” His fingers gently brushed mine.
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