Wrong Quarterback | ✓

41 | senior ditch day

"You came to find me first," He points out, gently lifting a few errant wet strands of her hair having stuck to her cheek and tucks them behind her ear. His breath tickles her skin as his gaze flickers to her lips. "I'm really glad you did."

Looping her arm back around his neck, her fingers absentmindedly hook together as her cheeks warm with her smile. The distant happy shouts from the shore are nothing but mere background noise as her gaze holds his; droplets of water lingers in his lashes, darkening the shade of them.

"I am–," Her smile cracks into a chortled grin as Ethan's lips brush against hers. "Too."

Her cheeks warm with her smile as his hand gently comes up to her jaw, hooking his finger under her chin as he lifts her lips into another, longer kiss.

She bats her eyes open as they part, pressing another fleeting peck to his lips as her toes leave the sandy bottom of the sea, her legs absentmindedly wrapping around his torso instead. His arms securely rest over her hip as she lets one of her hands fall from where it's knotted in his hair, pausing palm down at his shoulder before continuing down his chest.

Out of the corner of her eye she notices the smirk curling on his lips as her fingers trace a pattern over his skin. Her cheeks tighten with her stupid smile as she her gaze trails her movements, the pads of her fingertips lining the indents of his abs.

"What are you thinking about Waters?"

She lifts her gaze to his, warmth flooding her cheeks as her jaw begins to ache ever so slightly; the price she's come to accept she has to pay for not being able to control her smile, especially if Ethan's the one who put it there.

He raises his brows, the twinkle of faint amusement in his eyes reflects in her own. "You okay?"

Loosely cupping his cheek, she brushes her thumb over his skin as her lips hover over his – their breaths melting together as she inches closer for another kiss. "Don't act like you don't love it."

♡♡♡

Pausing, Avery takes her eyes off the words on the page before her.

"Are you reading over my shoulder?"

She can sense a smile pulling at Ethan's lips, his cheek warm where it lies pressed against her skin. He lets his fingers trace a pattern along her spine, touch gentle and featherlight as he turns his head to press a kiss to her shoulder.

His curls tickle her temple as they brush against her skin before he lets his head fall sideways onto their shared towel, his smile a full beam on his lips. "No."

She lets her book fall back against the sand, its pages slightly battered from the droplets of water having fallen onto them from her hair. Enveloped in the mixed scent of sunscreen and salt air, she relishes in the sun's warmth shining down on her as she scoops some sand up into her palms. Her lips slip into a soft smile as she watches the grains run back down to the ground as she sprawls her fingers.

 Ethan rolls over onto his back, still so close that his skin lies warm against hers. He traces a gentle line along her arm, from her shoulder to her elbow.

"On a scale of 1-10, how likely is it that you've forgiven me for throwing you into the water last year?"

Narrowing her eyes, Avery follows his gaze as he props himself up on his elbows to look out at the ocean. "No."

He laughs, having her chest expand with a warmth that has nothing to do with the sun as her smile automatically widens.

Falling back onto the towel, he folds his hand under his head and squints up at the sun. She leans her chin in her hand, taking his sunglasses from where they're perched atop her head and extends them to him.