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“Oh my God! How have I lived here my whole life and didn’t know this existed?” Her eyes darted around, taking in the bright green of the trees that refused to succumb to early fall’s embrace. The waterfall from the tops of the rocks that plummeted into the pond below. Bushes and flowers surrounded the pond, and birds tweeted nonstop. It was like a miniature tropical paradise. Ben had accidentally found it a few days ago while out exploring his new hometown.
“You really didn’t know this was here?”
“Are you kidding? I would be here all the time if I did!” Kayleigh squealed and her joy had him chuckling. She let her bike drop into the grass and hurried over to the rocks, clambering over them to get better access to the water. The waterfall pounded into the mini lake but there was a decent space for swimming and Ben immediately began removing his socks and shoes.
“Shall we dive in?”
Kayleigh turned to him, her eyes on his feet before they slid up to his crotch where he began unbuttoning his khaki shorts. She swallowed and nodded before meeting his stare. He pulled his shorts down and stepped out of them, folding them up, not wanting to crease the material. She cleared her throat and turned away as he pulled his shirt over his head, folding that up too and placing it with his shorts.
He suddenly felt self-conscious. He wasn’t buff and muscled like some of the guys he’d seen in town. Would she like his lean body? Did she like a beefier look on a man? His thoughts derailed when she pulled her T-shirt over her head and peered at him over her shoulder. The air left his lungs in a huff and his throat tightened, breathing impossible as she bent over and pulled her shorts down her legs, stepping out of them daintily.
She faced him in her two-piece white swimsuit decorated with little cherries that would be forever imprinted on his brain.She was too adorable and too sexy, the two aspects of her startling him as he realized she was the first woman who he just wanted to pull into a hug and then bend over the nearest thing he fucking could.
“Race you!” she shouted then cannonballed into the lake, astonishing him.
He laughed and ran over to the edge just in time to see her break the surface, water trickling down her fair skin. His gaze traced each drop as it disappeared back into the water about her shoulders.
Her arm hit the water, sending a wave towards him. “Come on!”
He laughed again at her glee before he dived in and came up next to her, splashing her. They played together, teasing each other. They grew competitive: who could hold their breath the longest? Who could swim the width the quickest? Who could perform the most dramatic dive? He disappeared under the water and tickled her legs and darted out of the way before she could kick at him. When he resurfaced, she pushed him back under, then he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, throwing her into the deeper end. Her peals of laughter only spurred him on until they were finally floating side by side, exhausted. The rush of water, the bird song and just being with her created the perfect moment.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He turned his head slightly to look at her. “For what?”
“For today, for not treating me like everyone else in this town, like I need to do you a favor. I’ve been struggling recently with life stuff and it’s been nice forgetting who I used to be.”
The thought of her struggling while he had no idea didn’t sit well. “Used to be?” he asked, feeling his brow furrow at her words.
“I wasn’t happy with who I was and I’m trying to be a new version of myself, a ‘Kayleigh 2.0’ if you will.”
“Kayleigh 2.0, huh? What’s different about her?”
Kayleigh considered that for a moment. “She’s more confident, she won’t be pushed around, and she takes control of what she wants.”
“She sounds great, I can see why she exists. But how come those aren’t previous Kayleigh traits?”
She swam upright and played with the water before shrugging.
He didn’t want to push her, he just wanted to understand more about her change. “OG Kayleigh was pretty cool too, ya know.”
Her cute nose wrinkled. “You never properly met her.”
His pulse pounded in his ears at his little slip up. “Uh…I’ve seen glimpses of her, and I liked what I saw. But so far, I’m just a fan of Kayleigh all round.”
“All Kayleighs are fans of you too.” She smiled shyly again. He loved that little peekaboo smile, especially as he watched a water droplet trickle down her face and land in the crease of her lip. He was suddenly desperate to pull her into his arms. He began to move towards her.
“Kayleigh 2.0 found something else she likes.” She interrupted his maneuver, her head tilted back. He followed her stare and his stomach plummeted. There were two platforms overlooking the waterfall, one halfway up and one at the top. Both looked perfect for diving from, and that was exactly what he knew Kayleigh wanted to do but fear trapped him in place.
He shook his head. “No.”
“Yes!” she cried and grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the edge of the lake. He was momentarily distracted when she vaulted out of the water and all her glorious skin was on spectacular display, wet and glistening.
“Come on, Ben!”
“Hang on a minute,” he protested, desperately willing his erection away, especially in his swim shorts that would cling to his body the second he got out of the water. He turned away from her and pulled himself out of the lake, using the delay to rearrange his goods before turning back around. Steely resolve settled over her expression before she dragged him over to the waterfall and his heart practically leapt out of his chest.
He had never been afraid of falling before, not until two years ago when he fell off the front of the stage in a concert venue he’d played. He had raised his leg to place it on an amp he thought was at the edge of the stage but there was nothing there. The smoke machines and flashing lights made it impossible to see the edge and he tumbled straight off, breaking his ankle and two ribs. His stomach still turned every time he remembered the moment he realized he was falling and the helpless feeling that went with it.
