Arden's Boisterous Summer with River

(10) Arden's Water Ski with River

"So how did you figure out I was here?" I wonder after smacking River's head for slobbering all over my hand.
"I didn't, I sorta got hungry." Sheepishly, he grins.
"Uh! I could've been kidnapped," I exaggerate, indignant.
"No you couldn't have; this is a high security hotel!" I giggle at how cute- no, I mean funny- he looks. "What are you giggling about?" A toothy smile extends on his face. It makes me breathless for reasons I don't even want to explore.
"Nothing." I smile in a cryptic manner which causes him to come forward with determinded smirk.

"What are you doing-" My scream cleaves the air when River practically lifts me up and starts tickling the hell out of me. "Oh my God! Stop that!" I manage to wheeze through my uncontrollable laughter. I squirm relentlessly and I could feel my body becoming fatigue from all my kicking and moving around.
"No way! Not unless you tell me what was so funny..." I could practically feel his evil grin forming. Arse. Now I have to find out which matters to me most; my pride or my life. Well, maybe I'm being a little dramatic.

River picked up the pace and I could feel my lungs crying for oxygen.
"Fine, fine! You just looked cute!" I pant. My cheeks burned in embarrassement, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I peek over my back to sense his reaction after he remains silent for a few moments. Instead of a cocky smirk, like I expect, or smug eyes, he appears bashful.

I'm glancing at him from the corner of my eyes and my neck cricks painfully. This position almost seems like yoga, minus the relaxing part. But I can't break free from his intense glaze. His eyes are a form of art, a mixture of colours floating around a fathomless orb. I hate that I'm staring and that I'm so weak to his eyes, but there's something about the way he looks at me in moments like this. Moments I cannot even begin to explain.

I have no romantic feelings for River; that's a lane I don't even want to go down in. Aside from the complications, I don't want another meaningless fling. I want something real and true; basically, what my parents didn't have. I don't even know why my mind is trailing down this path-this very, very dangerous path. I look away before my mind can wander more. This is why I've been thinking of Alex lately; my mind is warning me. Good job, mind, hope you do half as well in college!

"So, um, what are we doing today?" I ask, my voice a bit husky. Great, now he's gonna think I'm totally trying to seduce him! Or that I was impersonating Morgan Freeman. I blush- again- as he blinks and trys to compose himself.
"Do you even have to ask?" He laughs, a little quake in his voice. Nice to know I'm not the one effected. "But first, we're going to grab some proper breakfast. Or, brunch."
"Damn you for not telling me," I joke, my voice steady (thank goodness). We continue to joke around and chat, but one pestering thought is nagging in my head the whole time; what the hell is happening to us?

River and I leave and head out to the car. There's something tangible in the air between and it appears in the little things; the way we distance ourselves from each other, the way we stiffen our hands so they wouldn't accidently graze and the way we avoided each other's eyes like they would electrocute the other. Am I imagining things? Am I hallucinating? Am I getting my period soon? It would explain a whole lot of things.

"Dad's car is all ours today!" River broadcats, patting down the car like it was his baby.
I roll my eyes. "You're such a guy."
"Well, I have the guns to prove it." He flexes and kisses his biceps. He wiggles his eyebrows when he adds, "And other parts."
"River!" I chastise. I didn't think it's possible to blush from head to toe, but the heat warming my body all over makes me reevaluate.
"What? It's not like it's a big secret." Then, he snickers. "Pun intended."
"Oh God, just shut up! I can't believe I'm even having this conversation."

Even though I've rode in it quite a few times, sitting in this car makes me feel like anxious. I feel like if I breathe wrong I would mar this beautiful thing. I've never been much of a car person, but when you see a car like this, you need to gawk a few minutes in appreciation. And how is it even this spotless? Rich people.