Salt

The Swim with the Sharks

I've never believed in miracles, but when I next opened my eyes to find a naked Jesse in bed with me, I had to suppress my screams. Here he was, a beautiful man in the body of a God, his arms enveloped around me as he kept me close. I was listening to the sound of his heart, the calm and steady stream that run in his veins – and I was utterly content. The most I'd been for a long time.

        The fluttering butterflies at the pit of my stomach rose to prominence, until they were escaping through my mouth as I pressed my lips to his neck.

        He grinned. "What are you doing?"

        "Giving you kisses, what else?"

        His hand raked through my hair, massaging soft spots on my skull.

        "Oh, here was me thinking you were trying to seduce me."

        In response, I attacked his ear. Nibbling on the lobe very quickly before he was flinging the quilt up and climbing over me. His touch electrocuted me, drawing out sounds from me I barely recognized anymore.

        This kiss was different. Softer, patient, but no less hungry. I was hot and steaming and ready to eat. Good thing he feasted like an animal.

        When we stopped, it was just a lot of staring and caressing. I traced one of his track marks as he laughed.

        "What?"

        "Nothing, I just... I thought we were over."

        Suddenly seeing how downturned his eyes became, I pecked him on the nose. His body was trembling again, maybe not in the way it did before, but as long as he was happy, then so was I.

        "We're never over." I whispered, growing giddy once more as he shivered. Not giving him much chance to reply, I gently patted his arm as I wiggled out from under. The cold of the February air made my skin stand out in goosebumps and I felt breezes in places that weren't used to such temperatures. Looking over my shoulder, I resisted dancing on the spot as I noticed him eyeing me top to bottom, literally. I beckoned him with a finger and a kiss. "Well, aren't you joining?"

        The screams were once again of pleasure as he galloped after me in direction of the bathroom.

        Picking me up once we made it to the door, we twirled around for a few soaring moments. Spinning and spinning, one of us should've surely been sick, but the only sickness I could make out was the sweet burn of our mutual passion.

        It was consuming. It shouldn't be celebrated, I was wholly aware, but every time I saw him, all I could think about was how I struck gold.

        Turning on the shower, it wasn't long before we were surrounded by fiery steam. It clung to our bare bodies, dripping down into crevices, where we touched and stroked until it was more than just vapor.

        Waltzing in, he was already nuzzling my shoulder, finger-nails scraping my arms. The water gushed down us, mirroring the sensation between my legs as his lips peeled back and he kissed behind my ear.

        Poking my rear with his erection, I let out a sigh. I leaned to grasp the handlebar as he inserted himself fully, suddenly awash not just with steam and liquid, but also the mad need to bring me to the edge of a dream.

~o~

"The red ones so I can match your top!"

        Pattering back to the bed on my own, Jesse stayed in the bathroom to finish his skincare as I opened his chest drawers. I quickly decided I'd find a pair of his boxers to wear too. There wasn't anything more intimate than wearing your boyfriend's clothes.

        Boyfriend. Were we back to that already?

        I pinched myself. Shit, this was really happening.

        I snatched the ruby pair he asked for and a plain black one for me. Lifting it to my nose, I was correct in guessing they'd smell like chalk. Somehow, most of his clothing ended up that way. I never questioned it.

        My smile wavered, however, when I spotted a familiar dusty pink pattern lying in the far corner. It was poorly covered by an old perfume I used to buy, but I recognized it. Picking it up, I unfolded it completely and was undoubtedly face-to-face with the underwear I was wearing on Founder's Day.

        My surprise wasn't done though as under that piece of fabric, was a cellphone. Not just any cell – it was one hundred percent mine. I'd be able to distinguish the pink sparkles from a mile off.

        It felt heavy in my hands. Warm too, which meant it had been recently used.

        I input the passcode and accessed everything unique, to make sure nothing was used or changed. Luckily, everything seemed in place.

        Maybe he'd just held onto it for safekeeping? I mean, that could be a real possibility.

        My mind was going a million miles per hour when I heard a voice that was not my own calling out. I had two options here but by the time I settled on one, he was out of the bathroom and fast approaching.

        Hammering couldn't compare to the build-up in my chest. Just when my heart was ready to burst, this had to come along and stab it a thousand times instead.

        "What... what is this?" I turned around, both items in my hands.

        His eyes bulged.

        "Hey, isn't that your–"

        "Are you being serious? They were in your drawer. Why do you have them?"

        "I-I don't know."

        I couldn't believe this. He was denying it. He was talking more, spurting out reasons why he couldn't have taken them. His eyes were glassy and his movements were frantic, but until he slit my wrists and watched me bleed out on the floor then he didn't know what panic was.

        I guess I zoned out, as he had since gotten closer and was struggling to hold my hand. The pulses that had synchronized so providentially earlier were now thumping at different rates, albeit still fast.

        Everything was melting. The wax statues of us dissolving until we were nothing but dry skin.

        Gathering up my clothes, I began pulling them on. My wet hair tangled under the material, reminding me that pain was versatile.

        "Ash, you know me. I wouldn't do this."

        "It wouldn't be the first time you'd lie to my face." Fuck, I know I shouldn't have said that, but it was too late to take back as well. Evading the wounded and glassy look in his eyes, I slipped on my shoes, stealthily pocketing the items. "Jesse, whatever you did–"

        "I didn't – I didn't do anything! I would never hurt you like that, ever. It makes me sick knowing somebody did. But it wasn't me. Please."

        I was a slave to the rising anger, the fury. I looked at my palm, my missing items bundled together like a horrific secret. I didn't know much right about now, but I knew I wouldn't dare keep it.