All The Days Of Summer

FOUR

Four. 

I don't know what to say, because really, honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing. The moment he speaks, it shatters the adrenaline farced that willed me to step into the water, reality hits, and I'm all too aware that I am here, at this moment, right in front of him naked, again.

"We have to stop meeting like this" I pull myself further under the water, not wanting him to notice my body. 

"You're going to freeze" His tone is flat-lined, he holds my dripping wet clothes and I begin to notice the tense way he grips them, his rigid, and I can only imagine that he's growing angry with me. the pit in my stomach returns.

"I'm trying to be fun" I throw back at him, vodka apparently still fueling an unknown attitude. If he wants to be mad now, then fine, ill be mad too. He lets out a huff of frustration and I almost catch what he whispers under his breath. silence passes between us. 

"Get out of the water Lu" the nickname catches me off-guard, Lu, Like my dad, I almost want to correct him, tell him he can't use it, that its too special to be thrown around, but something about the way he says it, the way it sits in my ears and on my chest, makes me want him to say it again. 

"I can't" My clothes are dripping, they are caked with sand, and there's absolutely no way I am walking out of this water whilst he stares at me, I can't handle more humiliation. "Ask Megan to bring me down some clothes and a towel" 

"You'll freeze, or drown" I wonder if he cares, the way he says it, in that bored flat tone makes me think he doesn't, I shiver. "You can wear my shirt up to the house, its long enough, Get out"

 "It won't fit" it's almost a whisper. My cheeks flush and my heart squeezes, I hate this. This is worse than being not fun.

"What? Lu, it'll fit, can you please get out of the water" He drops my wet clothes, discarding them to the waves. If I move, if I go up there and get his shirt and it doesn't fit then what, he laughs, and I know it won't fit. I almost consider drowning myself for a second. "Please?"

"Turn around" I sigh, and he does, taking his shirt off as he does. I breathe heavy breaths as I walk out of the cool water, the adrenaline has well worn off and I am freezing, but it's the anxiety of being seen that makes my body shake so hard that I think my legs might give out. I cover everything I can with my hands, desperate for some decency and dignity, it doesn't help, I'm far too exposed and I can feel every part of myself as I move, the feeling makes my stomach turn.  I'm close enough now that I can see his tattoos, one swirls around the top of his biceps, and in a better light, I might be able to see what it is, the one on his back is coated in moonlight though, the large tree stretches across his shoulder blades and the trunk runs down his spine splitting into roots that dip into his waistband. 

"Shirt" I blurt it out, frantically reaching for any fabric I can get to cover myself, he hands it to me reaching his hand behind him,  I am grateful when the shirt falls loosely on my body and landing at my middle thigh. I reach to touch the tattoo before thinking, tracing the line with my middle finger, he only allows me a mesmerizing moment before turning around and grabbing my wrist, my cheeks heat at the contact. 

"Sorry...Thank you, Sorry" I stammer, unable to read his expression, I'm embarrassed that I had reached to touch a stranger so confidently and mentally remind myself to stay away from alcohol and cute boys, cute, I catch myself, Cooper was, cute wasn't the right word, but he at the least was incredibly attractive. our eyes lock and he smirks, almost as if he knows what I'm thinking, I drop my eyes quickly.

"don't do shit like this again, it's dangerous, at least take someone with you" He doesn't let go of my wrist, and I want to pull away, overwhelmed at the contact, and the idea of skinny dipping again, but I don't, because its nice to be touched by a cute guy, even if it was only to safely return you to your home like a lost puppy, I cringe.