Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (46 page)

“Even if we wait, I want to be prepared. I know I love you and that’s what I would be waiting on anyway. I think it’s best to take care of it now than to wait and be sorry we didn’t. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Just because I get the shot doesn’t mean we have to that night.”

“But we will,” he laughed.

“We didn’t tonight. We could have used a condom
,
but we didn’t.”

“I didn’t bring one,” he said, touching my cheek
.
“Gosh, you are so beautiful,” he sighed.

“You didn’t bring one? I figured you had one in your wallet since you were 12. That’s what guys do, isn’t it.”

“
You know by now that I am not your typical guy. I waited 18 years to kiss the perfect girl, never measured my penis, don’t have a condom in my wallet, and at 18 have my entire life almost completely mapped out. Roll over.”

I looked at him confused
,
and he nodded, “Roll over.”

I laid on my stomach and he ran his hand across my back. “Ok, is that erased well enough?”

“Yeah, it’s good,” I smiled. “What are you going to do?”

“Geography. Okay,” he said, touching my back, “This is me, over here,” he ran his finger across my back, “This is college, maybe
Kentucky
?”

“Not
Kentucky
,” I moaned
.
“That’s too far.”

He sighed and moved his finger to the left, “Here’s
Kansas
.”

“Better,” I smiled. “Now after let’s say two years of college
,
I go pro, he ran his finger down the small of my back. What team do I go to?”

“How bout the Clippers or Pacers?”

“Sure, we will say Clippers,”
h
e said, writing Clippers on my back.

“Am I anywhere on your map?”

“You are right here,” he said, circling my entire back. “You are every part of my map,” he said, kissing it. “And right here is our house,” he drew a house with his finger, “And our little family,” he said poking me.

“You poked me 8 times,” I laughed. “Let’s stop at four kids.”

“You’re the boss,” he smiled.

I rolled back over on my back and looked at him, wondering if he was just joking about everything, but he looked serious.

“Ok, no kidding aside, you really want me part of your map?”

“Without a doubt, I do.”

He took my hand and kissed it. “I can’t imagine you not being in my life. Every time I think about my future, you are there. There is not one time that I don’t see you on my map.”

“I love the thought of that,” I smiled, still wondering if he was really serious. “I can just run into to the d
octor and get the shot tomorrow.”

“Thanks! Hey, you want to walk down to the water?”

“Sure,” he said, sitting on the side of the bed. I watched him slide his jeans on and slip on his shoes. I stood up and reached for my clothes on the floor. I walked over and looked in the mirror. “I think its looking better, isn’t it?”

“What? Your body? I don’t know that it could look any better.”

“Awe, you like purple and yellow girls?”

I’m not the racist one in this relationship,” he smiled. “I don’t see color, although that is a lovely shade of brown right there.” He pointed at my right rib cage. “See brown is beautiful.”

“I agree.” I slipped on my underwear
,
a long t-shirt and sandals. We started down to the river.

“Look at the moon,
”
he said, walking up the dock and helping me up.

“Is it full?”

He looked at it and twisted his head side to side. “Nope, I don’t feel anything. Maybe tomorrow night.”

“Oh please
,
don’t be referring to a Twilight movie,” I said, sitting on the dock. I felt him sit behind me and I leaned back
,
resting my back against him. “My goal in life is to never see those movies.”

“That’s a simple goal. Do you not have any harder goals?”

“Other than the pro basketball player?” I laughed.

“Yeah,” he smiled, “other than that.”

“Gosh, I am 2 hours away from being eighteen; I should have a goal shouldn’t I?”

“No, you don’t have to
. J
ust most girls have their wedding completely planned out, what their house will look like
,
and what movie star they will marry, don’t they?”

“Well, I am not your typical girl,” I mocked him.

I felt his arms move around my waist as he gently rocked me.

“It’s so amazingly quiet out here,’ he sighed, kissing my neck.

“I told you it
is
a weird town. It’s crazy on the weekends then dead after 6 on Sunday till the next weekend.
You
missed
that tumbleweed rolling down
Main Street
earlier.
Ok
,
now that baseball season is over with, what are your plan
s for the rest of the summer?”

“I’m thinking maybe falling more in love with you
,
if that is at all possible.”

I took his hand and squeezed it, “You are truly the most romantic guy I know.”

“Where and when is your cheer camp?”

“Oh wow,
n
ext week in
Kansas City
. I haven’t even thought about it, but it’s always the week after my birthday. I might have to miss it.”

“You sure? Will that hurt you keeping captain or staying on the squad?”

“I’m not certain, but I’m not sure I can go like this. It’s brutal on my body when I’m not bruised already.”

“How is cheerleading brutal, you just jump and say rah rah.”

“You’re an ass,” I laughed. “It’s very brutal. I get thrown 25 to 30 feet and caught. If I don’t fall right or they don’t catch me right, I get hurt. You would make a great base.”

“How so?”

“Because you’re super strong. Unless those muscles I love so much aren’t real. Take your jeans off,” I said, jumping into the water.

“I’ll just have on my boxers.”

“No one will see you. Just do it.”

He took them off and jumped in the water. “Nice,” he said. “
The
water feels great.”

“Ok,” I stood in front of him. “Cup your hands. I am going to step in them and spin around. All you have to do is lift me to your shoulders, kind of like you are preparing to lift two bar bells. When you have me balanced and if you are strong enough,
and that’s big if,” I smiled, “
straighten your arms like this.” I raised my arms over my head. “Got it?”

“Probably not, but I’ll try. I
won’t
hurt you, will I?”

“I hope not,” I laughed. “You should be fine. Ready?”

He cupped his hand and did step by step what I instructed
,
lifting me over his head. “What if I drop you?”

“I land in the water. Am I too heavy?”

“Yeah, I can feel my arm crackle,” he joked.

“You are really strong. I bet you can hold me with one arm. Ok, hold my left leg steady, I’m going to do an arabesque.”

“I expected nothing else.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” I said, raising my leg behind me and holding it 2 inches from my head.

“Wow,” he said, watching me
.
“You are super flexible
. Let’s go back to the bedroom.
How do you get down?”

“Just drop me and step back. I’ll land in the water. I don’t want you to catch me because that will hurt.”

I splashed into the water.

“That was really good for your first time. You have good balance. Good core
,
”
I smiled patting his stomach.

“Good teacher,” he winked. He took my hand and pulled me to him, kissing me as he walked further out into the deeper water.

“I don’t think I want you to cheer anymore.”

“Why? I haven’t got
ten
hurt before. We are safe.”

“Well, that totally turned me on. I don’t want your base buddy getting worked up looking up your skirt while you are over his head.”

“So you do have a jealous streak.”

“Naw, I won’t like it if it happens and I don’t see how it can’t, but that’s high. I don’t want you to get dropped. How much can you trust all those backstabbing girls to catch you every time?”

“Good point. I just always have.”

“I hate to quit but it has become such a political mess. Hailey is going to bully me like never before. I know she will make my life a nightmare. Gosh, I am hungry. Let’s go in and get something to eat.”

He grabbed his jeans and we started walking up to the cabin.

“It’s really beautiful out here.” I sighed, looking at the huge moon and all the stars. “I’ll run in and get us towels and bring some chips or something out here. Sound good?”

“Yep, sounds great,” he said, sitting on the lounge chair on the deck.

I walked back out with two towels and a half a box of leftover pizza. “Better, eh?”

He took a slice out of the box and started eating it, not saying anything. I took off my wet t-shirt and panties and wrapped the towel around me, sitting down beside him. He still wasn’t saying anything.

“I’m going to get us something to drink. What do you want?
”

“Have any milk?”

“Yuk,” I shuddered. “Yeah, I saw some.”

“Yuk? Milk is perfect for you. Makes you strong.”

I walked back in and got me a glass of tea and him some milk.

I opened the door and saw him looking up at the moon, deep in thought. I set his milk down and he didn’t seem to notice. I sat down and watched him, wondering why he was so quiet, making me a little nervous.

I put my hand on his leg and he looked at me
.
H
is expression
still did not change
.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

‘No,” he said, “just thinking.”

“About?” I pushed, curiosity killing me.

“Nothing really.”

“Ok?” I said, not really liking the unanswered question.

He stood up and started drying off, taking off his boxers and wrapping the towel around his waist. “I don’t want you to go next week,” he finally said, after a long silence. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea. I know it’s your decision
,
but I feel uneasy about you leaving town. If there is a problem with you staying on the squad and not going to camp, then we can fight it. That is if you decide to stay in cheer. I just don’t want you going.”

He didn’t wait for me to comment, “There are too many reasons for you to not go. I don’t want you to get injured. I don’t like the idea of you going when you are already in some kind of pain throughout the day. I don’t like the idea of that bitch being there
,
and I don’t trust that you won’t be followed. If he knows you are out of town
,
and I’m not there to watch you, then no telling what he might do. I just don’t want you going.”

“I hadn’t put any thought into it, but now I think you are right. It probably won’t be a good idea. This will give my Dad another reason to think I am a quitter.”

“And we care about what he thinks because..?”

“Good point.”

I moved over to his lap and sat down. I laid my head on his shoulder
.
“I’m not going,” I said. “There are too many reasons to not go and too few to go. I will be a nervous wreck all the time. If I get kicked off, it’s not a big deal. I have a big schedule this year that it might be too exhausting for me to try to fit cheer into it anyway. And, I have a boyfriend! I’ve never had a boyfriend to work into my schedule.”

We went back into the bedroom. “We need to
Google
birth control. We need to decide what to do. Planned parenthood?” I asked
,
scrolling down the list.

“That make
s
me nervous,” he nudged, “How about Non-parenthood. Is there a site for that? At least for a few years.”

“You crack me up. Okay, it says here that if I get the shot up to 4 days after my cycle it will be effective immediately. Get dressed, we have to go now,” I laughed. “
I’ll
just run by in the morning. That will be your birthday present for me. And anyway, if I have to get with a needle, you have to pay. That’s the deal.”

“Aren’t we supposed to discuss deals before hand? I think I just got taken here,” he smiled
.
“Turn around.”

“What?” I asked, spinning around.