work. Too much shit has happened between us. And if I’m being honest, I’m not real sure I’m ready to let you into my life again, in any way.”
“I’m sure that’ll change, given time,” she says without hesitation, smiling confidently. “And you have a girlfriend,” she adds.
“Yeah, and that.” Damn. I haven’t thought once about Nadia since seeing Emerson in those stands, wearing that jersey, smiling and laughing with our friends, just like old times.
Things are what they are with Nadia, and that’s the way it needs to be.
“So, you should—”
“Go,” she finishes. Hopping down off the tailgate, she turns towards me and looks at me with those big brown eyes. “Thanks for the little jaunt down memory lane. It was fun. Maybe we can do it again?”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” This is the last time. I can’t keep doing this shit. I won’t keep doing it.
“Hmm,” she hums, tapping her pink lips thoughtfully as she walks away, backwards. “I don’t know if I believe that. I seem to remember you havin’ a hard time staying away from me.”
“That was ten years ago. Things change,” I call after her.
“And some things never do,” she calls back. “And you’re the same guy I left ten years ago.” There’s a knowing smile on her lips, one that says more than words can. Maybe I haven’t changed as much as I think I have, but I’m not that damn weak. I can stay away from her…at least I think I can. Fuck, I hope like hell I can.
“See you around, Z.”
She turns away from me and I watch her walk off. I almost go after her. I’m having a hard time not doing what I should have done ten years ago.
“Wake up!” Bang. Bang. Bang. “Wake the fuck up!”
I crack an eye open and look over at the clock.
Eleven .
Rolling over, I hide under my pillow. Letting my tired eyes close, I ignore the noise and pray that whoever it is goes away.
Bang! Bang!
“ Get up, you lazy bitch!”
Getting out of bed, I damn near crawl to the door, my tired limbs trailing behind me. I slept like shit last night. “Somebody better be dead, or somethin’ better be on fire,” I grumble as I wrench the door open.
Heat wafts in, instantly assaulting me. I debate a second too long about shutting the door because Row’s foot stops my attempt.
“Lake day!” Row announces at an ungodly decibel. Grinning at me around her shades, she lifts a brow, daring me to challenge her when I start to frown.
“Lake what?”
“Lake day! Grab your suit and towel, and we’ll pick up the beer on the way.” Her words come out quick. My mushy brain can hardly keep up.
“Row,” I moan, shoving my tangled hair out of my face. I feel like ass, and I’m sure I look it too.
“Suit, bitch!” she orders, pushing her way in, shoving me towards my dresser. “Get it or swim naked, I don’t care. But either way, you’re comin’ with me. It’s a fucking lake day!”
“I hate you.”
Rummaging through my dresser, she stops to grin at me. “I love you too, sunshine,” she says as she slingshots my bikini at me. “Let’s go.”
~~~~~~
We cruise down the single lane backroad, evergreens as far as the eye can see. Green blurs past the windows as we make our way to the lake doing fifty.
Row’s feet are hanging out the side of my jeep. The essentials are packed to the roof in the back—towels, beer, wood, booze, firewood, more beer, and a change of clothes.
“My turn,” Row says, smacking my hand away from the radio when I go to change it. I groan but give in, knowing she’s going to do it anyways.
“Ohhh!” Row squeals when Tim McGraw’s smooth twang comes through the speakers. We both turn and look at each other and immediately crack up. The song brings a slew of memories with it, both of us remembering them.
“The tampon,” we say in unison, falling into a fit of laughter.
“Fuck, that was so embarrassing,” she moans through a hysterical laugh.
I shoot her a look. “For me, maybe.” She
“I’m sure that’ll change, given time,” she says without hesitation, smiling confidently. “And you have a girlfriend,” she adds.
“Yeah, and that.” Damn. I haven’t thought once about Nadia since seeing Emerson in those stands, wearing that jersey, smiling and laughing with our friends, just like old times.
Things are what they are with Nadia, and that’s the way it needs to be.
“So, you should—”
“Go,” she finishes. Hopping down off the tailgate, she turns towards me and looks at me with those big brown eyes. “Thanks for the little jaunt down memory lane. It was fun. Maybe we can do it again?”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” This is the last time. I can’t keep doing this shit. I won’t keep doing it.
“Hmm,” she hums, tapping her pink lips thoughtfully as she walks away, backwards. “I don’t know if I believe that. I seem to remember you havin’ a hard time staying away from me.”
“That was ten years ago. Things change,” I call after her.
“And some things never do,” she calls back. “And you’re the same guy I left ten years ago.” There’s a knowing smile on her lips, one that says more than words can. Maybe I haven’t changed as much as I think I have, but I’m not that damn weak. I can stay away from her…at least I think I can. Fuck, I hope like hell I can.
“See you around, Z.”
She turns away from me and I watch her walk off. I almost go after her. I’m having a hard time not doing what I should have done ten years ago.
“Wake up!” Bang. Bang. Bang. “Wake the fuck up!”
I crack an eye open and look over at the clock.
Eleven .
Rolling over, I hide under my pillow. Letting my tired eyes close, I ignore the noise and pray that whoever it is goes away.
Bang! Bang!
“ Get up, you lazy bitch!”
Getting out of bed, I damn near crawl to the door, my tired limbs trailing behind me. I slept like shit last night. “Somebody better be dead, or somethin’ better be on fire,” I grumble as I wrench the door open.
Heat wafts in, instantly assaulting me. I debate a second too long about shutting the door because Row’s foot stops my attempt.
“Lake day!” Row announces at an ungodly decibel. Grinning at me around her shades, she lifts a brow, daring me to challenge her when I start to frown.
“Lake what?”
“Lake day! Grab your suit and towel, and we’ll pick up the beer on the way.” Her words come out quick. My mushy brain can hardly keep up.
“Row,” I moan, shoving my tangled hair out of my face. I feel like ass, and I’m sure I look it too.
“Suit, bitch!” she orders, pushing her way in, shoving me towards my dresser. “Get it or swim naked, I don’t care. But either way, you’re comin’ with me. It’s a fucking lake day!”
“I hate you.”
Rummaging through my dresser, she stops to grin at me. “I love you too, sunshine,” she says as she slingshots my bikini at me. “Let’s go.”
~~~~~~
We cruise down the single lane backroad, evergreens as far as the eye can see. Green blurs past the windows as we make our way to the lake doing fifty.
Row’s feet are hanging out the side of my jeep. The essentials are packed to the roof in the back—towels, beer, wood, booze, firewood, more beer, and a change of clothes.
“My turn,” Row says, smacking my hand away from the radio when I go to change it. I groan but give in, knowing she’s going to do it anyways.
“Ohhh!” Row squeals when Tim McGraw’s smooth twang comes through the speakers. We both turn and look at each other and immediately crack up. The song brings a slew of memories with it, both of us remembering them.
“The tampon,” we say in unison, falling into a fit of laughter.
“Fuck, that was so embarrassing,” she moans through a hysterical laugh.
I shoot her a look. “For me, maybe.” She
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