Silver Bay Song (7 page)

We didn’t talk again until we arrived at Lobster Shack. As it was only Tuesday, it wasn’t that busy and we managed to park quite close to the door. Once again he opened my door for me and l climbed out into the afternoon sun. Its golden rays caressed my shoulders and we walked inside.

We were shown to a table and to prove that in my mind we weren’t on a date, I sat beside him instead of opposite him. It amused him somewhat and I suppose it showed him that I wasn’t looking for anything more from him. Even though I was, even though his aftershave made my mouth water and I felt like I was quivering inside. Kaden had made it perfectly clear that there would be nothing between us and I had to stop getting my hopes up.

We shared a lobster, I could eat one to myself, but he probably would have thought I was greedy enough by the way I picked that thing clean of meat. Then sucked the juice out of the lemon and smiled. He watched me now and then, not constantly, but I caught him staring a few times and he looked bemused. 

“It’s nice to take a girl out and watch her eat,” he remarked after wiping his napkin over his mouth.

“Isn’t that the idea, when you go for a meal, to actually eat something?”

“I took a girl out once and she ate ice cubes, nothing else. What would make a girl want to eat nothing but ice?” he sighed.

“Wow, that is so sad.” I said and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “I like food, I don’t eat enough some days, but I do enjoy it when I do and I drink lots of water.”   

“So, tell me something bad about yourself,” he smirked lifting his drink to his lips.

“Um, I can’t sing, not one note, I don’t even join in with my students, seriously, I suck.”

“That’s not a bad thing.”

“You haven’t heard me sing,” I smiled.

“Still, not enough to put me off,” he shrugged.

“Okay, um… I lick the cream out of Oreo’s at work and then I put them back into the packet. I keep a stash in the teacher’s room cabinet. I caught Keith taking one once, his face when he bit into it was priceless.” I grinned proudly. 

He shook his head smiling, “That’s not bad or disgusting, it’s actually ingenious.”

“I don’t know then, I suppose I am just a good girl,” I replied and set my napkin on the table beside my plate. “Hold on a sec, I am possessive, I hate liars and I suffer with the world’s worst PMS in the history of women, seriously, even I avoid me when I get like that.”

“Still not convinced,” he sighed lifting his drink again.

“I cheated on my boyfriend in college with two of his friends,” I admitted. “Tanner Loxley and Lewis Jones, Tanner was insanely hot and Lewis not so, sorta cute I guess, anyway, I was dating their roomie Cain and he was, well for want of a better word, boring. He left town to go home for something, I think it was his grandmother’s funeral. Tanner took me out on the Thursday night and we went back to his room. Lewis, we went out on Friday and well, he was sort of a dork and I guess I wanted to know if the rumours were true.”

“What rumours?” he frowned, I could see he was enjoying this.

“That their huge brains are the same as their huge, um, well, yes actually, I discovered it is true and that he was actually the best guy I had ever slept with up until I met Jay.”

“What did Cain do when he found out?” he asked keenly.

“He never did, not from me anyway. I broke up with him the day we graduated and the last I heard, he was teaching in Italy or something.”

“You naughty girl,” he grinned. I felt my cheeks warm. “That is not telling me to leave you alone, it’s making me want to know more.”

“Sorry, I am trying very hard to gross you out.” I shrugged.

“Do you have any bad habits, other than the Oreo thing?”

“I crack my fingers when I am thinking, I can’t help it, I never shave my legs during the winter, I eat ice cream out of the tub, drink milk straight from the carton and I am terrible at cleaning out leftovers from my fridge, sometimes I actually grow things in there, it gets so bad.”

“Um, ouch, furry can be nice, I can relate, always tastes better right from the carton, but not cleaning your fridge, that’s just disgusting and extremely lazy.”

“See, now we are getting somewhere,” I chuckled and sipped my Sprite.  “What about you, Mr. Perfect, what flaws do you have?”

“I hate doing laundry, have even worn my boxers inside out so I can where them for a few days. If I can’t pair socks, I throw them in the trash. I love butter, I have been known to eat it right out of the tub and I will try anything once, so deep-fried scorpions in Thailand, crocodile steaks in Australia and raw oysters in Paris.”

“And you have travelled,” I remarked.

“A little, I did a gap year.” He replied.

“So, what do you do now?”

“Nothing, I made my money, I don’t have to work anymore,” he answered arrogantly. “I too am lazy, so lazy that I used to eat off paper plates just so that I didn’t have to do the dishes.”

I chuckled lightly, “My dishwasher broke once and Jay had to um…”
Jay, no jokes about Jay.
“Sorry.”

He stared for a while, his sparkling eyes sunk back in their sockets, “And there it is, emotional wreck over dearly departed fiancé.”

“I think I need to go,” I said, was he seriously mocking me because Jay died?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“If that’s how you feel then you don’t really know me at all.” I retorted and stood. “Thank you for lunch. I’ll get a cab home.” I lifted my purse and headed out of the diner.

I hadn’t noticed that the sky had clouded over or that it had started to rain. I hurried across the highway to the cab office where I was told I would have at least an hour’s wait. It wasn’t far, so I stepped out of my shoes and lifted them from the ground, then began to walk up the highway. A huge thunder clap roared above, I guessed it was Jay’s way of calling me an idiot.     

Eight

Kaden

Did she just walk out on our lunch-not-a-date? Am I that much of a dick that I can’t even get her to stay and finish a meal with me?
I couldn’t believe it, if I didn’t have to settle the check I would have ran out there after her and knowing that it was pouring with rain outside, I felt even worse. Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut over Jay? What the hell was wrong with me? 

We were getting along so well, she laughed, her face lit up and it warmed my soul. So why was I acting like this? I liked her, everything about her, even her wacky habits, I had to find her.

As soon as the waitress returned with my credit card, I hurried out to find her. She was nowhere to be seen though. I saw the taxi cab building across the street, I ran over to them to ask but they said she couldn’t wait and left. So, great, the only girl I had truly felt something for in my life was walking up the highway in the pouring rain and it was all my fault.
Asshat!

I hopped into my car and started the engine. Speeding back towards Silver Bay I caught a glimpse of her walking hunched over in the rain and she was barefoot with her shoes dangling from her fingers. I pulled my car off the road just ahead of her and got out into the rain.

“Skylar,” I frowned. “At least let me take you home.”

“I’m fine,” she snapped. Her hair was flat against the side of her face and rain dripped off her nose. I gazed down at her feet, her toes looked red with cold.

“Please, get in the car,” I begged.

“I don’t think we should take this any further,” she said, “you are too hot headed and arrogant and where the hell do you get off accusing me of being an emotional wreck over Jay? Maybe I am, maybe because I was such a bitch to him, that when he died I was angry at him and had threatened not to marry him. Do you think that is something I can just forget? My fiancé died thinking I didn’t love him enough to marry him regardless, what sort of a bitch does that?”

“You are not a bitch,” I frowned. “I am a total dick and an asshat, but you, you are so damn perfect, it irritates the hell out of me. I am sorry that you had that fight with Jay, that he died and left you. But being like this every time you mention him, it’s not going to change the fact that he is gone.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” she barked.

“See, I am doing it again,” I roared. “You know what, fine, screw it. I am done trying to be nice to you, trying to make up for the fact that I will never be good enough for you. I can’t do this, I don’t have the time or energy anymore.” I turned to leave.

“I never asked you to,” she cried. “You and your glorious eyes, I never made you yell at me or my dog.”

I turned back to her. She was shivering, but not from cold, I could see she was afraid. I almost told her, as tears streaked with mascara rolled down her soaked cheeks, I almost said I am dying, I have MS and there is no cure, its killing me and I can’t fall in love with you because it will hurt you, I will hurt you. Almost.

She began walking again and at that moment fear flooded my body, covering me like a tidal wave, I couldn’t let her go, I couldn’t and I didn’t want to. I reached out to her and took her quivering hand, I pulled her close to me and as she fell into my arms. I lifted her face with my finger under her chin, pressed my rain soaked lips to hers and I kissed her.
Dying my ass, not now, not today!

              I felt her warm in my arms, her quivering subsided and as our mouths danced in the rain, I felt I had actually found a reason to my life. In my head though, I knew it couldn’t last, she didn’t deserve the pain I would bring to her life. Still, I couldn’t stop kissing her.

              Eventually we parted lips, she pressed her forehead to mine and gazed into my eyes as I cradled her head in my hands. Her eyes were still pooled with tears and it actually hurt me to think I had caused those tears. I used my thumbs to wipe the tears that had dripped from her eyes, from her cheeks.

              “Let me take you home,” I said, she nodded her head and allowed me to tow her to my car. She climbed in and sniffed. Before I started the engine I turned to her, “I have something to tell you, you probably won’t like it and after if you want nothing to do with me, I’ll understand.”

              “Are you married?” she asked.

              “No, I was engaged though.”

              “Was it recent?”

              “Yes,” I admitted, “but we drifted apart a long time ago, so, we’ll talk back at my place, okay?” I checked. She nodded and I started the engine. 

As we drove back to my house I ran it over and over in my head, but the truth is, there is no easy way to tell someone you care very much for that you are going to die, that your body, however normal it looks now, is going to change and your mobility will be considerably reduced. How do you say those words ‘I have Multiple Sclerosis and it is going to kill me, if I live long enough to let it?’

I had every intention of telling her everything, who I really was, where I had come from and what was wrong with me. I had it all ready to say, but when we got back to my house she climbed out and I could see how scared she was. How could I do this? Why did I want to destroy this chance?

Silently, she followed me into my house, still clutching her shoes in her hands. I led her to the living room and told her to sit down while I made hot drinks to warm us both up. The thunder roared outside and lightning streaked the ocean as I carried two hot, smoky coffees into the living room and set them on the coffee table. I sat beside her on the couch as she heaved a shaky breath.

“So, um, what is it you have to tell me?” she asked.

“My uh, my ex and I only broke up a week or so ago.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t what I needed to tell her.

“That soon huh? And you thought you could accuse me of being hung up over my ex,” she retorted angrily.

“I know and I feel an ass for it,” I admitted.

She nodded, she agreed that I was in fact, an ass. “But that’s not all of it, is it?”

“No, I am um, I moved here to get away from her and everything back in LA. I just needed a time out and then I met you, the teacher who has me captivated.” I smiled slightly.

“Do you have any children with her?”

“No.”

“A cat or a dog? A mortgage even?”

“No, to all three. I don’t do pets and I bought my house without a mortgage.” I replied honestly.

“Are you going back?” she asked, I gazed into her eyes, “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re leaving, that’s why you can’t get too close to me.”

“I uh…” I chickened out, “yes, eventually I will have to go back and face the music.” I muttered. “I am not sure where that leaves us, but…” she leaned closer and kissed me, stopping my thoughts and my heart. 

She pushed her fingers through my hair and it drove me insane, I pulled her onto my lap as our mouths moved and tongues explored. I wanted her, I had never wanted anyone as much as I wanted her. She pulled my shirt over my head and began kissing my neck and shoulders. I gently caressed her peach colored skin with my fingertips causing goose-bumps to cover her. She moaned slightly as I kissed her neck, taking in her scent like a fine wine.

As she sat astride my lap, she began to unbutton the back of her dress, allowing it to drop exposing her white lace covered breasts, I caressed them with my hands, I couldn’t help it. With her arms wrapped around my neck, I stood from the couch and carried her into my bedroom.

I set her on the bed and watched as she scooted towards the pillows, I kicked off my shoes and pushed my jeans down my legs, my arousal held firmly against my hip by my jockeys. She smiled warmly as I knelt by her legs. Taking my middle finger and moving it slowly up her smooth leg. I reached the top of her leg and could already feel her heat as I lightly touched the lace of her underwear. She linked her hands around my neck and pulled me up to her mouth.

“It’s been a while,” she husked, “I don’t think it will last very long if you tease me like this.”

“I want to touch you and tease every inch of your body. I don’t care how long it lasts, for me, this moment will last a lifetime.” I smiled and pushed my hand inside her underwear, feeling her ready for me. Then it hit me, I didn’t even have a condom, I stopped moving my fingers and frowned at her.

“What?” she asked breathlessly, her eyes wild with desire.

“I don’t have um… I don’t have a condom.”

She smiled, “I do,” she got off the bed and disappeared into the living room. When she returned she held the condom up and grinned. Before she got back onto the bed, she removed her dress from her waist. “Now then, Mr. Wright, where were we?”

I had never experienced anything like it, as soon as I placed myself inside of her, I felt like I could do anything, be anyone, be hers. As I began to move within her, I never wanted to be with anyone as much before in my life. In those mind blowing moments that thundery afternoon we made a connection, as if our souls became one and I honestly felt that I couldn’t face a day without her.

She quaked in my arms as our heartbeats slowed and our bodies calmed. Wrapped in a white sheet, I held her as we both drifted off into a blissful sleep, satisfied and so unbelievably relaxed.

I’d had more than my fair share of women, I lost my virginity at sixteen, so had already been sleeping my way around for ten years. But not in all of those years did I ever feel this way about any of them and in truth, it scared me a little. How could someone that was so wrong for me feel so right?

When I woke, I was alone. The sheet was draped over my waist and I don’t think I had slept so well in months. I could hear movement in the house and smell food cooking, so I sat up and pushed off the sheet. I pulled my shorts on and followed the mouth-watering scent. Wearing only my shirt from that afternoon and cooking what smelled like eggs, Skylar turned her head towards me,

“Hi,” she smiled.

“Hi,” I replied, “what are you doing?”

“Making you an omelette, it’s the only thing I know how to cook and not burn. It’s almost seven, you must be hungry.”

“Only for you,” I smiled.

“Well, Kaden, that’s not going to happen unless you go to the store and get some condoms,” she smirked. “I am all out.” She added raising her eyebrows.

“Oh, Skylar, you miss read me,” I retorted playfully. “I can devour your body with my mouth, I don’t need a condom for that.”

“Promises, promises,” she chuckled.

I liked watching her cook, I liked that she was naked under my shirt and I knew that because as she bent over to get the butter out of the refrigerator, I saw everything, nothing had ever turned me on so much. She caught me looking of course and the pink flushing her cheeks turned me on even more.

“I’ll go to the store now,” I said standing from the door jam.

“Not until you eat this,” she said and served the omelette onto a plate. It was huge.

“Only if you help me,” I grinned.

“Deal,” she nodded.

After finishing her amazing cheese and bell pepper omelette, we cleaned the kitchen together and decided that we both needed a shower. She left my house to go and check on the dog and shower at home, still wearing nothing but my shirt, which I found extremely hot, and I took a shower in my own bathroom. I dressed quickly and headed to my local gas station for some condoms. I couldn’t think of anything else I would rather do than to have spent the night making love to her. I grabbed the biggest box from the shelf and a bottle of white wine.

Arriving back at home I noticed her standing on the sand. With my grocery sack in my hand I locked the car doors and slipped my shoes off. The sand felt cool as it again tickled my toes, the warm see breeze made my skin feel moist, the rain had stopped and a silver dollar moon say high in a deep, blue velvet sky studded with diamond stars and the odd wispy cloud.

Misty was running around panting and yapping, I placed the sack on the sand and folded my arms around Skylar as she stood wearing a cotton t-shirt that barely cover her backside. She pressed against me as I moved her hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck.

“Where did you go?” she asked.

“To the gas station,” I answered and kissed her again. “I hope you are not planning on getting much sleep over the next few days.”

“Oh really, and why is that?” I lifted the bag and handed it to her. “Mmm,” she smiled, “there’s only eighteen in here.”

“You don’t think it will be enough?” I frowned.

“I suppose it will, if we pace ourselves.” She grinned and turned to face me, linking her arms around my neck, she pulled me to meet her lips. As she pulled back she gazed into my eyes, “I have never had sex on the beach.”

“Neither have I,” I admitted.

“And I have never had sex in the sea,” she added.

“Oh, well actually, that is something I have done and would totally recommend it.”

“We’ll definitely need more condoms.” She said taking my hand and pulling me towards her house. “Misty, come on,” she yelled and the dog followed us inside. She locked the door, lifted two wine glasses from the counter as we passed the kitchen and then led me up the stairs to her room.