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“Just grab your chair and go up there.” She pointed to the deck. There was smoke coming from the barbeque, and it smelled like burgers cooking.
“I thought we were getting dinner on the road?” I folded the chair, and grabbed my towel.
“We can. If that’s really what you want.” She shrugged. Aimee was acting weird, and it worried me. The last time she acted like this was when she caught David at a bar with another woman. She played it off like nothing was wrong, but she sucks at hiding things.
“You’re lying about something. I know you.” I pointed to her. “We’re talking on the ride home.” I began climbing the stairs. When I reached the top, Russ was standing in front of the grill with his back to me.
“You got any aloe in your stuff?” he called without turning around.
“No. Why?” I leaned the chair against the deck, and tossed my towel over the railing.
“I think I might need some tonight. I got a little sun.” He turned around, and his chest and abs were bright red.
“A little? That’s a lot.” I cringed. I knew it had to hurt. His skin looked as if it were on fire. “Didn’t you put on sunscreen?” I stepped closer, and lifted my hand without thinking. Russ recoiled and stepped back like I’d already hurt him.
“Yeah, I did.” He frowned.
“You suck at putting it on.” I furrowed my brow. There were white spots where he’d put on sunscreen, but they were in a patchwork on his chest. It looked almost like writing, but who would do that?
“I told you she wouldn’t get it,” Aimee grumbled from behind me. “Now your dumbass is in pain.”
“Get what?” My head swung between the two of them. “Why do I feel like you two are talking in a code I don’t understand?”
Russ turned back to the grill shaking his head, and Aimee just stared at me. After a few seconds, she sighed. “Fine. I’ll tell her. He wrote words on his chest in sunscreen. It’s a message.” She rolled her eyes.
“What?” I all but screeched. I grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. As I leaned closer, I tried to make out what he’d written. The letters were backwards though. “I thought you were smart. You wrote this backwards.” I shook my head at him. “How am I supposed to read it that way?”
“I used a mirror. Sue me!” He flung his hands in the air, almost hitting me with the spatula.
“Well what does it say?” I squinted as I attempted to read his sunburn lettering.
“It says, I want you to stay,” Aimee yelled in exasperation.
I stared at him, and then her, and back to him. His face looked stoic, as if he didn’t have an opinion on the matter. Aimee seemed disgusted that he was even doing this. “Then ask me.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Ask you what?” he grumbled as he turned back to the grill.
“Ask me to stay.” I turned and rushed down the steps and onto the beach.
I was only down there a few seconds before I heard him thundering after me. He rushed up, and spun me to face him. “I didn’t ask because I don’t want to be the reason you blow up your life. You have a life back at your home, a job, and friends. You’ve been telling me for days that you’re leaving.”
“I need to know that you want me here.” I got angrier at the fact that all this time we’ve known each other, and we still can’t express what we want.
“I’m here all summer. Stay with me. We’ll figure it out. We’ll spend school breaks together. We’ll make it work. I want it to work.” He leaned closer. “I think I’m in love with you.” His forehead touched mine as he leaned down.
“I thought you were smart,” I murmured as he pulled back as I grinned at him. “What kinda idiot sunburns himself on purpose, and then writes it backwards?”
“One who’s in love.” He chuckled.
“I must be in love too then because I’ve done some dumb shit this week.” I shrugged as my giggle turned into a full-blown belly laugh. “So now what?” I sighed.
“Now we move your stuff into my place, you let Aimee have your car, and we spend the last month of summer making as many memories as we can.” He held out his hand for me to take.
“As many?” I placed my hand in his and intertwined our fingers.
“Yeah, they’ll keep you occupied when we’re apart. This is going to work. I’ll move if I have to.” He jogged up the stairs.
“Move?” I stopped walking, causing him to pause too.
“I’m not letting you walk out on me again. I’m going to fight for this.” He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Might wanna order some takeout. I’m pretty sure you made me burn dinner.”
