Friends Don't, But We Do

16. Show Me the Lake

Things continue in this way for a couple of weeks. We spend a lot of time together like we've been doing all summer, the only difference is that we now have sex quite often- sometimes five or six nights a week.

I'm breezing through my job, not letting my lack of office friends get to me. Everything seems easier now that after work I get to see Nolan most days. It gives me something to look forward to. And if he's too busy or has plans with the guys, I'm always sent to sleep with a text of some funny meme. The thought is incredibly sweet, and not something that's expected from a friend with benefits. But Nolan's gotten a bit more sweet, a bit more tender, ever since that night we drunkenly slept together.

Remember we aren't anything official. When I say we're friends who have sex, I really mean it.

It's nearing the halfway mark of Nolan's summer. He goes back to Philly mid August. Speaking of Nolan...

He's calling. I answer. "You ready? We're coming over now," he greets.

I glance at my duffel bag and backpack stacked by my front door, all ready to head to the lake for Canada Day weekend. "Yep, I'm so excited to be away from work for a couple days."

"Yeah it's gonna be great," he agrees. "Aimee and Maddie got in a fight or something, so she's in our car by the way."

I giggle at the way he grumbles it. I can hear Aimee in the back yelling that it wasn't her fault that Maddie drove away without her, but Nolan shushes her. "That's alright," I tell him. I don't get nearly as annoyed with the youngest Patrick sibling as he does- especially since she's nearly an adult now.

"Aimee get in the car, I'll be right out," his voice carries into the phone speaker enough for me to hear. "Anyways," he says much louder, signaling that he's focused on me again. "I hope they make up by the time we get to the lake. They're supposed to share a room."

"Well I wouldn't mind sharing with one of them-" It was entirely too kind of them to give me my own room anyway. Nolan's been forced to the pull out couch, but he's used to it.

"Noooo," he whines, "I want you to get the room. It's the only time we'll get to be alone."

I scoff. "You don't think that you staying in my room will be a red flag to your family who already thinks we're together?"

"I wasn't gonna stay the whole time... just for like twenty minutes at a time."

I scoff again, and clench my teeth at his laughter. "I'm gonna slap you when I see you," I say back, picturing his body shaking with laughter at this moment. "I'm kidding!"

"Are you coming or what? I'm itching to get out of this apartment."

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming. See ya."

"Bye."

I'm expecting a text from him when he and Aimee are outside, but instead I hear my front door open. I quickly exit my bedroom, and am met with Nolan's body walking into me. "Oof sorry," I say, backing up and fixing my hair.

"Hi," he says happily, unfazed by our collision. "How was work?"

"It was fine, how was hockey?"

It's how all our conversations start. He shakes his head, brushes it off by saying it was the same as always. I go to gather my things, and he beats me to the pile at the front door. "This all you're bringing?"

"We're only there for three days," I counter. He shrugs, saying that Maddie and Aimee brought half their bedrooms, I laugh. He throws my backpack on his back and lifts my duffle bag easily, leaving my hands free to lock the door.

As we approach his car, Aimee waves to me from the front seat. "I'll kick her to the back, don't worry," Nolan says as we walk around the the trunk. He chucks my bags in the back and I shake my head. "It's not a big deal."

"Oh you don't wanna sit next to me?" He says with raised eyebrows. I roll my eyes and shut the trunk. "I think you can handle a couple hours away from me."

He purses his lips and then shakes his head. "Nah I can't."

I scoff and laugh as he goes around to the passenger door and opens it. Aimee looks at him and he moves his head to the backseat, "Get in the back."

Aimee scoffs at her older brother and crosses her arms. "Why?"

"Because Teagan's sitting here."

"I can sit in the back, it's not a big-"

I'm interrupted by Nolan shushing me, and Aimee laughing but ultimately getting out of the front seat. "Fine, you want your girlfriend in the front, all you had to do was say so."

"Aimee she's not- you're so-"

"Thanks Aimee, he's hard to deal with sometimes," I interrupt, before the two get into an actual argument. Arguing with each other may be fun for them, but I'd rather not spend the two hour car ride hearing them bicker.

We all settle in, get the radio to a station the three of us agree on, and are on our way to the lake. The ride is pleasant, Aimee is clearly excited to get to the lake because she talks nearly the whole way. Then again, Nolan is too because they have a pleasant time together- no fighting like I would have expected. They're funny together when they wanna be.

At the lake house, Maddie's car is in the driveway. Aimee runs inside, hoping to avenge whatever fight they had gotten into previously. I meet Nolan behind the car at the trunk, waiting to help bring in all our bags.

"Tanner's family is here this weekend, he's gonna come over soon," Nolan tells me. I watch as his arms flex with pulling out suitcases and setting them down. It's nice getting to appreciate how attractive he is, without my conscious telling me to stop.

When I don't answer, he glances at me and smiles. "You alive in there?"

I blush and shrug. "Sorry, but yeah that's good." Hanging out with Tanner will bring back memories of this lake during our teenage years. I always had the best time with all those guys.

He shuts the trunk and then leans down to pick up a suitcase that's hot pink, so I assume is Aimee's. "Wait," I preface before wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling myself closer.

I hesitate in this position for a moment. But then decide not to second guess my instinct. I kiss him softly, just barely touching my lips to his and holding them there for a couple seconds.

We don't normally kiss unless it's in the context of sex, so I was acting a little off the cuff kissing him so casually like that.

When I pull back, he's smiling at me. "What was that for?"

I shrug. "Nothingggg..."

He laughs and loosely throws his arms around my body. "Yeah right."

"You really want me to say? It's gonna make you blush." We both know how much he hates when people point out his hyperactive cheek flush.

He rolls his eyes and insists that he wants to know. "I wanted to kiss you because you look so hot."

I was right when I said it would make him blush. "See I told you!"

He looks away and at the ground, anywhere but my eyes. "You can't say stuff like that when you know I can't do anything about it," he grumbles. His choice of response makes me giggle, and I tap his hips for good measure before letting go and grabbing a couple bags.

"I thought you were sneaking into my room tonight," I chirp and rush inside with laughter.

We'll see if he actually does, and if I let him.

I know we're still riding on the thin veil of being just friends, but the more days that pass, the more that line is blurring. But still, reinforcing in my mind that we aren't in a relationship has to be better for my psyche when he leaves. It better, or I don't know how I'll be able to live in any sort of peace.

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