Page 109 of Saints & Sailors

It was too good.

My nails dug into his skin as his thrusts became deeper and I felt the pressure building.

“Dreux.” I called his name, a desperate plea. I was close to the edge and I wanted nothing more than to dive into it.

His strokes sped up and my vision blurred. Skin to skin. Chest to chest. Kiss after kiss. Nothing else mattered, and soon I was gone.

It was different with Dreux. I was a sweaty mess, and he dried me off. I could’ve gotten dressed myself, but he swatted my hip when I attempted to do so, and took the initiative to tie my bikini himself. He never stopped touching me. Caressing me. Smiling at me.

I was happy. Still, an ugly memory of the past had me nervous as I finished putting my clothes back on in my own changing room. I grabbed my beach bag and chanced a look in the mirror before I left. The girl looking back at me didn’t seem the same as the one back in LA. Here, in Meadow Grove, I was sober, I had friends who were different than me but were still amazing, I had a job I didn’t mind working, and I was building a relationship with my father.

And then there was the boy next door.

Outside I bumped into Dreux. The rain had cleared and the air felt damp and humid.

Dreux wasn’t a boy, but more a man.

For a fraction of a second, I worried if he’d be like the one before.

With Bonham, I’d only wanted a hookup, but the thought of this being casual with Dreux felt wrong.

“You ready?” He came and grabbed my bag.

I should’ve left it alone, but it felt like I should say something.

“Uh…” God. I was fumbling with my hands, unable to look at him as I rambled on. “I haven’t done…that a lot. That was only…my second time. Ever.”

Heat blazed across my cheeks and I knew I was bright red.

Dreux took a dangerous step forward, took my chin, and made me look him in the eye. He was smiling at me, looking just as shy as I felt. Soon, he was closer, so much closer, as his lips brushed against my cheek, lingering. “Same.”

Oh. Something about this fact comforted me. “Did…did it mean something to you?”

My question took Dreux by surprise. He blinked a few times, tilting his head and staring at me as if confused. “Yes.”

I didn’t want to be a fleeting thing to him. I felt dumb at the thought of voicing it.

“Okay.” I settled on saying.

Dreux narrowed his eyes. “Yeah? Any more questions?”

I was blushing again and focusing up ahead at the path back to the parking lot. “No.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Dreux took the lead toward the path, not without stopping to watch me curiously a couple of times. We’d only made it a few steps before his arm was around me and he was pulling me close. “My silly little wildflower.”

We walked the rest of the way back like that and I hated the idea of getting used to this. At loving the idea of us.

Dreux parked in the driveway at his house and once more paused his playlist for me. Harry Styles had been singing about sunflowers and I totally agreed Fine Line was in the top two of his albums. We weren’t even halfway through the playlist and I loved it already. I couldn’t wait to get lost in my room listening to it.

“So,” Dreux began as we got out of the Bronco. “You wanna come inside? We could nap or eat lunch, or both.”

Food and sleep sounded good just then. “Yeah, let me go grab a quick shower.”

Dreux tugged on my hand, trying to get me to follow along toward his house. “We can do that, too.”

I debated leaving my stuff on our porch and following him right then to give him his birthday gift I hadn’t been able to give him back at the Pier. I wanted to, I did, but I also needed a moment alone to process what we’d done and what it all meant.

“I’ll be right over, I promise,” I insisted as I pulled my hand back and took a step toward our yard.