That Summer (Completed)

Chapter 22

The wonderful thing about having a twin sister is that you go through many firsts together. I never had to do anything by myself because Miranda was always there with her unquestionable support. Mom said we even took our first steps within hours of each other. Unfortunately, since we looked nothing alike, we couldn't trick anyone no matter how hard we tried. No Parent Trap jokes for us. Growing up with a built-in best friend was a blessing I often took for granted. I'd miss her the minute she was gone.

Mom said we were a nightmare to raise. An absolute nightmare. From cutting each other's hair with kitchen scissors to painting our bodies pink. There was never any lack of creativity from either of us, we were each other's guinea pigs. Miranda was the dangerous, overly hyped up on candy kid while I was constantly worried about getting our asses kicked by Mom.

Sometimes when I think about our childhood, it's hard to believe we were the same people we are today. Now it seems like we have the dynamic of distant family you see on Thanksgiving dinners.

******

Somehow, despite the five hours sleep, I woke up oddly rested the next morning. I shut my eyes and felt a smile tugging at my lips when I remembered last night. And then I frowned thinking about how reality was going to really smack me wide awake today.

I turned over to face Jake and jerked up into a sitting position when I realized he wasn't there. I looked at the rumpled up sheets, confusion clouding my mind. The room was quiet but I could here distant voices from the hallway.

Before I could overthink the situation into something it wasn't, I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up. When I walked out, the door quietly opened, scaring me half to death in my half-sleep state. Jake walked in and froze when he saw me standing there.

"You're awake," he said, his eyes hungrily raking over my body. I found myself doing the same with him. The room suddenly felt really hot.

"Hi," I said shyly, not sure how to act.

He held up a brown bag awkwardly. "I brought breakfast."

I smiled when I realized he was just as unsure as I was about this. He came over and put the bag on the bed side table. I fluffed up my pillow and leaned back against the headboard. I watched him as he pulled out the containers and set up a tray for us. He was a glorious sight with his mussed up hair and a five o'clock shadow lining his jaw. When he sat beside me, I had an overwhelming urge to kiss him senseless.

So I did.

I put the tray back on the table and climbed up onto his lap. He made a surprised sound when I grabbed his face and pulled his lips down to mine. Clearly I'd taken him off guard but he recovered quickly and his warm lips were moving enticingly against mine in record time. His strong body pressed against mine, and I was left breathless. He felt like heaven.

His phone started ringing, breaking the spell, and I pulled away reluctantly. He gave me a final deep kiss before taking me with him as he leaned over to grab his phone. He picked it up, his eyes still on me. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned into his chest as he spoke to the person on the line. Every time I thought about having to go to the beach house and seeing everyone, my stomach clenched with anxiety. So I shoved the thoughts to the overflowing back burner in my mind and focused on Jake.

He cupped my cheek softly as he talked and I turned my face and kissed his palm before threading my fingers through his. I looked at his ever so calm face and had a wicked thought of messing with his demeanour. I traced my fingers over his chest and trailed them downwards. He made a choking noise when my hand passed his stomach and continued moving. He grabbed my hand and gave me a warning glance.