Authors: Kirsty Dallas
“Come on, Breeze, you said you had never skinny dipped. This is your chance to cross something of your never list. I’ll even close my eyes.” My head rolled back as I looked into the cloudless blue skies above, I drew a deep breath and returned my eyes to Harper’s, trying very hard not to drop my gaze lower. I couldn’t believe I was considering this.
“What if someone comes along?” I was grasping at straws and I knew it, there would be no one around for miles.
“We are literally in the middle of nowhere, Breeze. The chances of someone strolling by are pretty bloody slim but it kinda adds to the excitement don’t you think.” He winked. Winked!
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “Turn around and don’t turn back until I say.” He quickly obeyed and I began pulling off my singlet and shorts. I considered for long moments leaving my underwear on but the whole point of this exercise was to step outside the box and do something I had never done before. I had swam in my underwear before. Maybe I had only been twelve, but it still counts. I hesitated at the clasp of my bra for only moment before deftly unhooking it. I slid down my knickers and quickly tip toed into the water.
“Damn, Harper, no way, it’s too freaking cold,” I gasped, the icy water biting at my feet.
“Get in fast, it’s easier.” I was again hesitating. “I’ll make it easy for you, I’m turning around…right…now.” True to his word Harper slowly began to turn around. I moved faster than a chubby kid chasing an ice cream truck, descending into the freezing water until it sat modestly at my shoulders. The tension in my body was palpable as Harper grinned and began a lazy swim in my direction.
“Stay away, you evil butt-munch, I’m pissed at you right now.”
“I like the way you incorporated a lame word like butt-munch with a nice adjective
like ‘pissed’. It’s like a Breeze specialty, lame and cool all mixed together.” He held out his hand and I eyed it nervously.
“I’m surprised you know what an adjective is,” I said warily, still staring at his outstretched hand.
“You tutored me in English remember? Come on, this freezing water has completely unmanned me yet you don’t see me freaking out. And I made you a promise, nothing inappropriate.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Unless you ask me.” And God how I wanted to ask him, instead I reached silently for his outstretched hand and let him pull me into the deeper water.
“You wish,” I whispered. “What sort of bitey things would be in here?”
“Just the usual, crocodiles, eels, snakes,” Harper joked and he should have known better. Spiders I could deal with, snakes, eels and crocodiles scared the ever loving crap out of me and while part of my brain realized we were too far south for crocodiles, I still began to freak out. I struggled to move away from Harper and back to the safety of the shore. I didn’t even care if he would cop an eyeful, I was out of here.
“Fish, baby girl, little itty bitty fish who are probably completely freaked out at our naked bodies. Just relax and float with me.” He laughed. After a short time of studiously checking the shore and water around me for bities, I finally began to settle down and allowed my body to float on the surface. I still owed Harper a story for the day and the one that sat at the forefront of my mind today demanded to be told.
“I was ten years old and it was Easter. My mum was passed out in her bedroom in a mushroom hazed high and I was bored out of my mind. There are only so many episodes of
The Powerpuff Girls
a girl can watch before going certifiably insane. Anyway, I was watching the house across the road from my window, a new family had moved in and I was curious. A boy wandered out into the front yard with his arms full of timber and he began hammering away. I spent two days wondering what he was building. By the end of that second day, it got the better of me, and, even though I was so nervous I felt sick, I crossed that road and asked what he was building. This tall dark haired boy with the most amazing blue eyes I’d ever seen just stared at me. I felt like such a freak, but then he smiled. It was the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen and he sat me down and made me watch him finish building a skateboard ramp. As soon as he finished it, he showed me how to ride a skateboard and even though I refused to go down the ramp, it was the most exciting thing I had ever done. Crossing that road was the best decision I ever made.” Harper reached out and threaded his fingers through mine.
“I’m damn glad that cute as a button of a girl was brave enough to cross the road.” Silence enclosed on us, the pops and gurgles of the water over my ears was the only thing to be heard. I tried hard to ignore the fact that if Harper looked at me now he would see everything. I watched the blue sky above, my ears submerged beneath the water. It was so quiet, so deathly silent.
“I wonder if this is what death is like,” I found myself wondering out loud. “Quiet and peaceful,” I added.
“I don’t know about other people, but I believe death is what we make of it. It can be scary and painful or tranquil and calm. I think whatever you learn to embrace in life passes on with you. Trick is to live a peaceful, accepting life so that’s what you take away.” Sounded easy enough when he put it like that, but recently my life had become painful, dark and scary, and I couldn’t shake that. I was terrified of dying, so much so I had already stopped living.
“It scares the hell out of me, Harper. I don’t want to die yet.” I felt the water stir beside me as Harper stopped floating and stood over me. For a split second I was awfully conscious of the fact he would be able to see my exposed body, but his eyes never left mine. That look was filled which such intensity there was no room for embarrassment.
“No one can escape death, Breeze. For some it comes way too soon, but we all end up in the same place and it will be beautiful and peaceful.” I looked at him for the longest time seeing the overwhelming love and honest belief in his words. The backs of his fingers brushed my cheek, a touch so soft I barely felt it, nothing more than a whisper across my skin, but the contact reverberated right down deep into my heart. “You are going to live, baby girl, and you are going to live with no regrets. And if you go before me, I want you to know when it’s my turn I will find you. I’m going to rock your afterlife just like I rocked your living life.” He gave me a smug grin which belied the grave look in his eyes. This man who had stood firmly by my side for thirteen years, who always saw to my needs first over even his own, who adored me, who loved me—how could I keep him out of my heart? The answer was I couldn’t, he was already in there and had been since I was ten years old.
“Come on, let’s get out of this water before my balls seriously disappear,” he whispered. I let Harper leave the water first and although I tried really hard to concentrate on the shrubs and trees around me, I couldn’t help but sneak a quick look. My heart thumped like a heavy drum in my chest. God, there wasn’t a single inch of fat on that body, it was all powerful man. Broad shoulders that glistened under the afternoon sun, the contours of his biceps emphasized with shades of grey and black that snaked a path down his strong arms to his fingers. The descending rivulets of water took my gaze on a leisurely tour down his back to his tapered waist and finally to an ass that I was dying to grab and, for some bizarre reason, bite. Oh heck, I was horny as a toad! I quickly averted my gaze as Harper bent over to grab his towel.
“My eyes are closed!” he called out. He stood there with a towel riding dangerously low on his hips and my towel in his outstretched hands. And yes, his eyes were closed. I quickly exited the water and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around my body which was now covered in goose bumps which weren’t caused by the cold. No, that was all heavy desire playing havoc with my body. My inner woman giggled from behind her door and I scowled at her.
“Let’s sleep here tonight under the stars.” I looked at Harper like he had lost his mind.
“No way. I don’t want to wake up with a damn snake in my sleeping-bag, nu-uh, Harper Somerville, I am not sleeping under the stars here in the middle of the bush.” He sighed, obviously disappointed with my lack of adventure but he knew camping and I had a fickle relationship at best. I was a girl who appreciated walls and a roof, hot water and a running toilet. I understood nature, I respected it, I just didn’t want to live in it without a few luxuries. Without argument Harper led the way back to the Jeep.
Chapter 13
The Grundle
An ugly dude who thinks he’s totally hot
We made it to Port Macquarie that night. By the time we drove into town, my butt was asleep, I was starving and my mood was very delicate. Harper found a motel and checked us in. My stomach demanded the world’s quickest shower and for the first time ever I was bouncing around waiting on Harper. For a Sunday night the pubs were packed. Our choice was made by simply finding one that had a free table. The food was below average, much to my stomach’s dismay. Food and I had always had a good relationship, up until I got sick that is. Two beers later I found myself in a nice little buzz and when Harper suggested we leave I shot him down immediately. Music was playing, people were dancing, and the vibe was good. It wasn’t hard to persuade Harper to stay, he was the master of parties. Another two beers later I had reached my ability-to-talk-without-slurring limit.
“I didn’t get to ask youuuu any truths last night,” I pouted, and truths sounded more like thruths. I shook my head trying to clear the ridiculous speech impediment I was suddenly afflicted with. Harper of course seemed completely unaffected by his fifth beer.
“You don’t need a bottle to get the truth out of me.” He smirked.
“Well, I got one anyway!” I declared proudly. Sinking the last of my beer, I slammed it down a little too hard on the table. I tipped it over and gave it a little push, hoping it would stop to face at Harper. It didn’t point at him but was close enough.
“Truth,” he said leaning over the table.
“Did you like kissing me in March?” Harper leant across the table and I found myself leaning forward, like a moth drawn to a flame.
“I liked kissing you so much I haven’t been able to think of anything or anyone else since.” Good answer! Harper spun the bottle and it settled once again facing him.
“Do you wanna do more than kiss me?” I slurred. So unattractive. My inner woman was trying to kick my ass right now.
“Breeze baby, my nights are filled of dreams where I fuck you in every conceivable position and in every conceivable place.” Oh…My…God… I think he just melted my knickers right off of me.
“I think I need another drink,” I murmured. We moved from beers to shots and I was officially wasted. Harper and I danced till sweat began dripping from our bodies, then we danced some more. I glared at the women who tried to approach Harper, which Harper seemed to find quite amusing. Harper growled and puffed up any time a guy got too close to me, which I found strangely erotic, so I assumed he would enjoy the reciprocation on my part. A little after eleven I stood on unsteady feet by the bathrooms waiting for Harper and it wasn’t long before a young guy with a messy head of hair and dark glassy eyes approached me. I watched him through my own glazed eyes as he strolled with far too much confidence and leant his hand against the wall behind me. His cocky demeanor bothered me, it felt too threatening, too possessive, and not a good possessive but a creepy possessive. In my drunken state my lips had become numb. Words eluded me.
“If you were a burger at McDonald’s, you’d be the McGorgeous.” I continued to just numbly stare at him until his words finally registered. Then I laughed. I laughed so hard and loud I almost peed myself a little. Mr. McDonald’s was watching me with what I thought might have been annoyance, but I was pretty drunk, so he could have been wearing a clown’s nose and a big goofy grin and I wouldn’t have realized. His hard hand gripping my neck a little too tight made me think he was definitely irritated with my response. He’d compared me to a burger! What the hell did he expect?
“Think that’s funny, do you?” He squeezed my neck and my smile disappeared, fear and anger left in its wake. I put my hands up to his chest and pushed. The guy was like a Mack truck, wide and solid. He didn’t move an inch.
“It was ridiculous.” The way ‘ridiculous’ slurred off my tongue was equally ridiculous. “Let me go!” I growled, quickly beginning to sober up.
“You have bad manners,” he snarled, leaning in so close I could feel his hot alcohol soaked breath on my cheek. “Maybe someone needs to teach you a lesson.” My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I pushed against the hard wall of his chest again and his answering smirk was ugly and wrong. Suddenly, a hand gripped Mr. McDonald’s shoulder and wrenched him away. I rubbed the ache he had left behind on my neck. I bruised easily these days, it was sure to leave a mark. Harper’s face was full of unrestrained fury as he buried his fist in Mr. McDonald’s face. He followed it up with another hit. It took seconds for the fight to draw attention and a hand tried to pull Harper away. That split second he took his eyes off Mr. McDonald, the asshole landed a meaty right hook in the side of Harper’s face and I screamed, tears flooding my vision in a blubbering, drunken mess. Harper quickly recovered and pounded on the thick stranger before bouncers interceded. As Harper found some resemblance to calm, he turned to check on me. Seeing my tears he shook off the giant bouncer and swept me into his arms.
“Are you okay?” He pulled away, checking my face, fury blazing when he saw the marks on my neck. My hands instantly went to the red mark on his face that would make one nasty bruise. Harper pulled my hand away and kissed it before tucking me back into his body.
“Mr. Somerville?” Came a voice from behind us. Harper glanced over his shoulder. Wearing nice dress pants and a button up shirt, I assumed it was either the owner or manager.
“He had his hands on her, he was hurting her,” Harper explained, nodding in the direction of Mr. McDonald who was struggling with the bouncers. They were dragging him slowly towards the exit.