Page 67 of Don’t Be A Stranger

I start to count the water droplets coating his eyelashes, but when that becomes too tiring for my brain, I bury my face in his neck. I inhale his scent of tea tree oil and coconut, the familiarity of it settling any discomfort my body is feeling right now.

“I don’t feel good,” I state the obvious.

River wraps his arms around my waist and presses his cheek against my temple. “Well, that’s what happens when we down three shots of Patrón.”

“Don’t judge my life choices right now.” I groan. “Just hold me.”

He chuckles against my hair. “I am.”

River continues to hold me under the lukewarm water without letting go once. He doesn’t tell me that Moose or Bethany could walk in at any second. Neither of us remind each other that nowhere in our deal does it state that this would be okay. River uses his fingertips to lightly drum along my spine, humming the lyrics to “My Girl.”

I could get used to this.

I shouldn’t but I could and that is dangerous.

“Dude, why do you have the bathroom door open?” Moose’s voice interrupts our bubble, popping it just as fast as it formed.

River doesn’t hesitate to answer but he also doesn’t bother to let me go. “Summer ran in here to grab something. I think she must’ve just forgotten to close it.”

River squeezes me a little tighter.

“Matthew Creshaw!” Bethany’s groan comes from somewhere in the apartment. If she drank even close to what I did, I’m surprised she’s not in the bathroom throwing up. “I need tea or I’m going to throw up all over your sheets.”

Oh, there it is.

Moose laughs. “My future wife requires my assistance but next time, keep the door shut. No one wants to see that, man.”

The door closes. I feel River chuckle against my skin and I smile against his shoulder.

The room is spinning. My throat is now drier than it was before and I’m sure I might just puke again at some point, but it all seems to be worth it when River is holding me like this.

Twenty-Three

River

I’ve decided I’m not going to tell Summer that she basically confessed to me last night. She was drunk and considering she hasn’t even tried to mention it all day, I’m assuming she forgot. Or she regrets ever saying it in the first place. So instead, I’ve been focusing on taking care of Summer as much as she allows me to.

We’ve been lying in my bed all day. I ended up texting Mario and telling him that I couldn’t come in. Summer doesn’t really need to know I did that because she doesn’t need to feel bad.

I wanted more of what happened in the shower this morning. More time to hold Summer without any expectation or being around each other and remembering these rules that we’ve set in place. I simply miss being with Summer.

So what if I miss out on one shift? Lord knows Mario will pile on three more of them in return anyway. For now, I’m good right here with Summer lying on my chest while we watch movies on her laptop.

“Don’t you think it’s crazy that they’ve never even dated?” Summer mumbles against my chest. “I mean, the chemistry is oozing off the screen.”

And indeed, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves have a lot of chemistry in Speed.

“Who says they didn’t? What if they just kept it a secret and it didn’t work out?” I twirl the ends of Summer’s hair around my finger.

“I guess.” She sighs. “But they would make one hell of a couple.”

I chuckle and pull Summer closer, unable to help it, as if her leg isn’t already thrown over my waist and my arm isn’t around her shoulder.

Moose and Bethany have pretty much been cooped up in Moose’s room, so there’s been no one coming in here and forcing us to pull away from each other. But honestly, even if Bethany or Moose did walk in here, I kind of just plan on keeping Summer right where she is. If she’ll let me.

“Are you feeling any better?” I ask, tracing random shapes along Summer’s arm.

“Yeah.” She presses further into my side. “My head isn’t pounding anymore. I still feel like I’m sweating like a pig, though.”