Summer Lovin'

Chapter Thirteen

Summer went under the hot shower and enjoyed its heat through her body. She was still trembling and she wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or if it was still from his touch. Had she been imagining what she thought was between them? It had to have been only a half a second. She could have imagined half a second. Summer closed her eyes imaging that half second again, when his eyes were on hers so intently as he stroked her hair, as his hands skimmed across her shoulders.

She rubbed her hands across her face, trying to erase the image. She couldn't imagine her and Jesse that way! She had to live with the guy. Maybe that was a mistake. When Dana comes back, maybe she'd just get a place of her own. There was no way she could bear having a roommate, who she was desperately in love with, and couldn't be with in the way she wanted. Needed.

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"Are you okay, little bro?" Julie asked him as he past her in the upstairs hall.

"Yeah, fine," he answered, going in the bathroom.

"You've been acting weird."

"Have not." Jesse opened a drawer. He handed her the hair dryer. "Put that outside the bathroom downstairs."

"Oooh, you're in love." Julie teased.

"Why can't anyone in this family mind their own damn business?"

"Because we love you," she answered with a smile.

"And, I, you. So, can I take my shower now? Before I catch pneumonia?"

"Fine," She left with a grin and walked down the hall.

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Julie leaned on the bathroom doorframe as Summer finished blow drying her hair.

"You should leave your hair down like that. It's really pretty."

"You think?" Summer asked, shutting off the hair dryer and looked skeptically at her hair in the mirror.

"You've got gorgeous hair. I'd kill for those curls," Julie said as she watched Summer run a brush through her hair.

"You can have them. When it rains... Whoosh," Summer brought her hands out a foot above her head.

Julie laughed. "Mine is just too straight. Won't do a thing," Julie said, looking over Summer's shoulder, into the mirror, and tossed her chin length hair.

"Thank you for the hair dryer," Summer said, handing it to her.

"Not a problem. Jesse asked me to bring it down to you," Julie said, checking her lipstick, waiting for a reaction.

"Oh?" Summer murmured, trying not to show how touched she felt by the nice gesture. She ran the brush through her hair again.

"Is something going on between the two of you?" Julie asked. She turned back around and leaned against the counter.

"Me and Jess? No...no...why would you think that?" Summer asked with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, I don't know. Just the way he's been acting. The way you've been acting."

"Me? You hardly know me."

"Maybe not, but I know my brother. And my brother is acting weird."

"How so?" Summer asked curiously.

"He's suddenly quiet. Distant. Not so...animated. He watches you."

"Watches me?"

"You hadn't noticed?"

"No."

"Summer, his eyes are always on you. He loses sight of you for a second and his eyes are going around the room like ping pong balls trying to find you."

Summer laughed. "I'm sure you're imagining things."

"Maybe. I'm sorry; I know you guys are roommates. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. I only want Jesse to be happy. And I like you a lot."

"I'm sure Jesse is fine," Summer said, tossing her wet clothes in her bag. "He's probably just worried about his house. And, thanks, I like you too."