Read Online Silencing Joy by Amy Rachiele - Free Book Online

asked
quietly.
    “Yeah. I’d like to take some pictures, too. I
haven’t even turned on my camera all week.”
    In one swift movement, Will put his hands on
my waist and lifted me easily on to the dock. In the next second,
his was sitting next to me. We dried off with the towels Will had
brought from the cabin.
    We stood and continued drying ourselves, and
I caught myself staring. I was bent over drying my legs when I
noticed Will’s toned ones. Blushing a little at my thoughts, my
eyes shifted up his body. He had lean muscles that were defined.
Below his rib cage area were large, dark bruises. Mesmerized, I
walked over to him and rubbed my hand gently over the very sore
looking spots.
    “Hey,” he said. “That tickles.” Will laughed
and gently pulled my hand away. I peered up at him.
    “Will. That is unbelievable. I can’t believe
I didn’t notice it earlier.”
    “Maybe ‘cause you avoid looking at me,” he
countered matter-of-factly.
    “What?” I asked disbelievingly. “What are you
talking about? I look at you!”
    “You didn’t EVEN look at me at the hotel. You
barely let your eyes meet any part of me, including my own eyes,
while we were in the water. And you must have had the most
interesting pasta in the whole world when we ate lunch,” he rambled
on while drying his brown hair roughly with the towel.
    I know I’m a little shy, but I didn’t realize
that it was so noticeable. Suddenly, I realized I had missed two
water droplets on my feet.

“See, you’re not looking at me now.” he chuckled. I forced my now
red face up to meet his eyes. He playfully got in close. “I
challenge you to a staring contest.”
    “What? No, that’s stupid,” I said as I
gathered my things...not looking at him again, I might add.
    “That’s because you know you’ll lose.” His
voice was challenging.
    “It’s getting cold out here. I’m going in.” I
headed towards the cabin, Will right behind me.
    “Why don’t we have a bet? I bet you that, if
I win, you have to learn to swim, even if it’s freezing out.”
    “What do you have to do if I win?” I stopped
and crossed my arms.
    “That’s easy...nothing, because I’m going to
win,” Will commented arrogantly.
    “Ugh...” I swatted my hand out at him and
continued into the house.
    “Okay, name your price,” he called out.
    “I’ll have to think about it,” I said, not
really taking him seriously.
    “Great, you have until morning.”
    Changing out of the wet bathing suit felt
great. I put back on the government issued sweat suit and slipped
on my sneakers. I came down the stairs and saw Will piling up wood
by the fireplace.
    “We can have a blazing fire tonight,” Will
told me as he busily organized the wood. I grabbed my camera
bag.
    “Sounds good.”
    “I always wanted a fireplace when I was a
kid,” he said. “Where are you going?”
    “I really want to take some pictures. The
area is beautiful.”
    “Stay close to the house,” he ordered.
    “Got it.”
    I felt invigorated after the cool swim in the
lake. I think it was the first time I’ve felt that way after
swimming. Every time I got out of the water when I was a kid with
my parents, I didn’t feel invigorated, I felt anxiety ridden. I
also felt like a failure that I hadn’t learned to swim for another
year.
    The porch on the cabin was truly amazing. I
stepped back away from it into the driveway by the car. I focused
my lens on the tree-trunks supporting the porch roof. The trees
must have been enormous and old. I pulled the camera away from my
face and went back up the steps onto the porch. I moved one of the
rocking chairs and angled it just right for the perfect shot, then
went back to my position by the car and snapped a few pictures.
    The sun glistening on the surface of the lake
caught my eye, and my feet automatically moved towards it. I didn’t
go towards the docks where we swam this time. Or I should say
where Will swam and carried me. I headed for a small area