Lone [MATURE HS]

Chapter 9.

He doesn't react. The same hard stoned look on his face that I saw the first time I ever saw him replaces the previous amused grin. Maybe he thinks I'm a whore, maybe...he's one of those guys who think women have to live by certain societal rules that profoundly differ from those of men.

But that's not the case, and I take a chill for a second. Harry sits up and then he's removing his shirt. All of the heat in my body somehow transgresses and flushes to my face and my face only. However, through the adrenaline that seems to be running through both of us, I lightly grin at the fact that Harry is joining me on my rash decision.

His shirt falls to the wood soundlessly. I avoid the well built body in front of me. He is not overly muscular or defined entirely, but he's lean and fit...and it shows. Broad shoulders and toned arms, chest...my dream, but as pathetic as that sounds in my head, I thought it anyway and accepted the fact that I even did.

"Bad ideas need the right people to test them out," he says suddenly, voice still so serious but he looks unsure himself, sighing through his nose, and yet somehow he manages to look amused; lips curved at the corners and eyes flickering to the water and occasionally me. "And I like both the views my eyes have, so this is nice."

Ignoring the subtle (and yet painfully obvious) flirtatious comment, I allow myself to inhale, shaky laugh escaping when I overly enthusiastically spat, "I'm confident we're the right people."

"Eh...I might be..You? Hmm..." He teases huskily, looking up to me again while I send him a scoff. "Teenage angst? I think so."

"I'm way past that."

"Oh yeah?" He tests, and I feel a harsh beat beneath my rib cage when his tongue pokes out from his lips, gliding gently across his bottom lip.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I raise my chin. My breasts rise with the push of my arms, and I gulp when I notice his eyes and the way they flicker rapidly as to avoid any awkward attention. All fails when gravity, by law, makes them technically bounce -- for lack of better word -- when my arms fall.

Regardless, our conversation continues. I firmly testify, "Yes."

He stares curiously, knowingly...cockily. "You're about to jump into a lake....half naked...I mean...literally everything about this moment is teenage angst-y," he explains lazily.

"Um, I beg to di--"

Seconds later, arms wrap around my waist in a tight grip, and they're pulling me towards the open air. I screech for only half a second, knowingly aware of who's responsible for dropping me into the water. Water that now engulfs my freezing, discomforted body. The arms that held me have long let go by the time I rise from the water again. Gasping and hair sticking to my face, I push the soaked strands away and see Harry a foot away from me, treading water like I'm doing myself.

His hair is matted to his flushed cheeks, pink-tipped nose and parted pink lips. Green eyes watch me, eyelashes decorated with a few water droplets that disappeared when he blinked. They clumped up together now, making them look thicker than they already are, focusing on the details of his irises. His nostrils flare as he breathes heavily, laughing, white teeth on display in neat rows. I begin to chuckle softly, sniffling and shaking my head at him.

"I can't believe you..." I mutter, raising my glistening hands to push away the matted, wet strands of my hair away from my cheeks and eyes. The cold I feel makes my body extra sensitive in all the overly erogenous places...ones that I would not want to bring attention to. I wiggle my toes onto the dirt beneath us.

"Believe it." He brushes a hand across his forehead, moving away hairs and then rubbing his pink nose. I roll my eyes and lean my head back, looking up at the darkening sky. My body is now becoming accustomed to the chilly water, and I barely feel it by the time I'm looking back towards him, noticing that he's looking at me. He murmurs lightly, "Is that teenage angst-y enough for you?"