Unexplainable [Original Version]

[chapter twenty-five: "follow your heart"]

"Kev! What the fuck?! My shoes are soaked!" I make my way towards the shore with a frown. I can feel the aggravating way that my socks and shoes slosh as I walk. It's at this moment I realize my ankle didn't hurt at all when I smacked the water; I guess I really am back to normal.

"Ah, they'll be all right. Just sit 'em on the back of the four wheeler and they'll be dry in no time!"

"You do it!" I take my shoes off and chuck them at Kev, who merely laughs and catches them. One of my socks manages to smack the side of his head, though, and I'm quite proud of that. "Get your ass out here. Might as well swim while I'm already wet." The moment the last word comes from my mouth, I know what kind of reply I'll get.

"Oh come on, you're always wet around me." Kev laughs before he walks over to the four wheeler, placing my shoes and socks on the back of it.

"You know it, babe!" I blow him a playful kiss. Kev shakes his heads and walks over to the chairs. He takes off his muscle tee and shoes, leaving him in only his swim shorts. Holy fuck, I'll never not be mesmerized by hot Kev is.

I jump on Kev's back as soon as he gets near me, and with a laugh, he charges into the water. I feel like everything is in slow motion right now, like nothing else matters aside from this moment. This is absolutely perfect.

Kev and I swim and goof around for the majority of the day. When we get out of the water, we just lay around on the beach chairs, chatting up a storm. I apply a couple of more coats of sunscreen throughout the day, but I'm still afraid that I'm going to burn. I wouldn't mind a small little tan, but a sunburn is not something I want to deal with. Later on in the night, Kev builds a little fire and we sit across from each other by it; we've both drained half of our bottles of beer.

As I take a long drag on my cigarette and listen to Kev ramble on about his schedule this week, it's as if something clicks in my mind. I lean forward in my seat, holding my beer between my legs.

I love this. I love Kevin Nash.

I'm sorry, Scott, but I've got to give something a chance. I could be painfully wrong with what I'm about to do, but I'll never know if I don't take some sort of risk.

"-Joli? Babe? You okay over there?" I look up and see Kev looking at me with a look of both confusion and concern.

"Kev, I think I'm ready to follow my heart." I blurt out before taking another drag on my cigarette. Kev's visibly startled, and there's such a worried look on his handsome face.

"You are? Are you sure about that?" Kev clears his throat. "You don't have to make any choices right now, but whatever you-"

"I'm not ready to date, not yet. But," I inhale and then exhale a large cloud of smoke. Damn, this shouldn't be nerve-wracking. "I want to warm up to it. I can't just jump right back into something like that, no matter how much I wish I could."

"I don't doubt that. I'm sure you've been through some shit." Kev gives me this serious, sympathetic look. My heart feels as though it's beating out of my chest.

"Would you be willing to help me?" It sounds like such a pathetic question, I know. "I'd love to be with you, Kev, but I'm just..."

"Jolene, I will wait for you as long as it takes. I'll help you out every step along the way." Kev smiles so brightly at me. "Whatever you need, I'll provide."

I put my cigarette out in the water bottle by my feet before sitting my beer beside of it.

"I don't deserve someone as considerate and patient as you. Really, I don't." I tell Kev truthfully. I'm wearing this big, goofy grin, but I can't help it. "You're such a good person, Kev. I love you. I... I love you so much."

Kev takes a small drink of his beer before sitting it down and standing up. He walks over to me and pulls me up by my hands; I'm giggling all the while. One of Kev's hands tilts my chin up so that he can look down directly at me.

"I love you, too, Joli." I can tell he wants to say something more, like there are so many questions he just can't bring himself to ask. I know that "What about Scott?" is on the tip of his tongue, but Kev doesn't say another word; he merely leans down and presses his lips against mine.

For the first time in over seven years, I find my heart feeling full of happiness and hope. This kiss is different, but it's familiar all the same. Everything about this just seems right.

Maybe, just maybe, I can make this whole love thing work.