Ricky & Nini

Chapter 13

Nini's POV:

We made it to my car, both smiling and relishing the moment that had just passed. "Mind if I drive?" He asked. I pretended to think about it for a second before responding, "I trust you." And I handed him the keys with a kiss on the cheek.
We both got in and he started driving. He never actually said exactly where we were going, though.

"Hold on," I started, turning towards him in the car, "how did you just leave? What did your mom say?" I asked, because it didn't make any sense to me. She wouldn't just let him run off like that would she?

"My mom doesn't control me. I realized that after you gave me your ukulele, that I have a voice and I should use it to stand up for what I believe in." He told me, without taking his eyes off the road. "And I believe in us." He gave me a quick glance and a smile. I couldn't help but smile too. I believed in us too.  "And besides," he continued, "what was she gonna do, drag me back into the airport kicking and screaming?" He laughed and shrugged as if the possibility of that happening was completely ridiculous.  Honestly I wouldn't put it past her, I thought. But something still felt weird about the situation.

"What about your luggage, and all of the stuff in the moving truck? It's all gone now, what are you going to do?"

He paused for a moment, probably thinking about it for the first time himself. "Honestly," he gave me a look and then back at the road, "didn't think about that." He said seriously before laughing, causing me to break out into laughter as well.

"Hey it was a spur of the moment decision, I couldn't think everything through!" He defended himself. We laughed a little more, "I'll just borrow some of my dad's stuff it's no big deal." I gave him an are-you-serious look, and he just laughed it off... although he never said he was joking which scared me a little bit.

We sat in the car, driving for what seemed like forever, until finally he stopped the car.

We were at the lake.

A dock at the lake.

The dock.

Ricky's POV:

I got out of the car and went to open Nini's door, welcoming her with a kiss on the cheeks before taking her hands in mine, kicking the door closed with my foot.

I guided her towards the end of the dock and we took a seat at the edge, our feet dangling off the side.

I looked out at the lake and then spoke, "remember when my parents used to take us out here every summer when we were kids?"

I looked at her and she laughed and nodded, "how could I forget? You'd always try to show off by flipping into the water."

"Hey, I thought it made me look cool." I defended.

"I just thought you were a crazy kid on a sugar high" she joked back with me.

"Well, that too." We laughed.

I stared at her as she thoughtlessly stared at the water. "God we'd stay out here for hours, even until it was cold and dark outside." She smiled down at the lake.

Her smile was so beautiful. She was so beautiful. Everything about her, inside and out. How could I have ever let her go?

She looked up and met my eyes, but she didn't say anything. Neither of us did. We just stared at each other, admiring each other.

"I remember those nights." I started, not breaking eye contact. "I remember laying in this very spot staring up at the stars with you." I looked away for a brief second, "and you were always so eager to show me the stars and constellations." I looked back at her. "But if I'm being honest," I leaned slightly closer to her and lowered my voice, "I was never paying attention to those stars." She shyly laughed and looked down again.  "My focus was always on one star in particular." She laughed, "oh ya? And which one would that be?"

I stared at her in silence for a few seconds before placing my hand on the tip of her chin and lifting her chin so that our lips touched. It was a soft and short kiss, but when I pulled away I could still feel the burning sensation on my lips. "You."

She smiled her gorgeous smile before wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me. This kiss wasn't short and soft. It was long and deep, like we'd only live if we kept kissing. I brought my hands to her back as we continued to kiss. It wasn't until now that I realized just how much I'd missed Nini. How much I loved her.

She pulled back, her hands now on my face. "Ricky..." she started but then went silent. I have her a look to show her my confusion and then she hesitantly continued. "This place... I don't want you to have to think about...." she didn't have to say it. I knew what she meant. "The only person this dock makes me think of is you."  She gave a small smile.

I took my hands and set them behind me so that I was now resting on them, staring out at the lake again. "Besides, I don't think they ever actually stepped foot on this dock. They were always inside or walking along the waters edge, which now that I think about it," I looked at her and wagged my finger around, "not very good parenting."  She laughed a little and I did too. "I mean what if we were up to no good." I wiggled my eyebrows up and down. She gave my arm a little shove, "ya right, we would've never done something like that when we were kids."

"I almost did." I said, with a straight face too. She looked at me in shock. "But I was a wimp back then." A said looking back at the water.

"Still are." She teased, an amused look on her face. I gave her my best I'm-offended face and she stuck her tongue out at me. Fine I see how it is.

I stood up. "Oh yeah, I'm still a wimp huh?" I pulled my tshirt over my head. "What are you doing?" She laughed, confused by my actions. I pulled my pants down so I was now only in my underwear.

"Would a wimp do this?" And with that I flipped out into the water.

When I came up I saw Nini's face staring down at me. "Are you crazy?? The water is freezing right now!"

"It's not bad with the sun out."

She laughed.

"So am I still a wimp?"

"You'll always be a wimp." She joked back at me.

"Well then why don't you come join this wimp in the water."

"No way! It's way too cold for that!" She argued back.

"Wimp!" I sing-songed.

"Forget it, no way am I getting in that water."

I needed a new tactic.

I shot under water and quickly back up, waving my arms all over the place and kicking like a madman. "Help! Help I'm drowning!" I shouted, spitting up water. She laughed, "nice try but I'm not getting in." Instead or responding I just kept kicking and waving, occasionally dropping my head under the water for many seconds at a time. "It's not gonna work Ricky!" She sang back to me. I needed to try harder. I ducked my head and grabbed onto the dock underwater. I stayed underwater for a while until I heard a splash next to me. I popped my head back above the water.

I felt a punch on my arm. "Ricky! God you scared me! I thought you had actually drowned!" She yelled at me. "Hey! Hey!" I shouted grabbing her shoulders to calm her down. "I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to scare you." I told her. Truth was, me feet were touching the ground the whole time, there was no way I could've drowned. She pouted for a little bit I stopped as soon as I grabbed her waist. She put her arms around my neck and smiled lightly. "It's really cold." She shuddered. I wrapped my arms completely around her waist and pulled her closer to me. "How about now?"
She playfully thought about it for a second before responding, "mmm, still cold." I smiled. I gave her a quick peck on the cheeks. She smiled playfully, "warmer". I gave her a peck on the lips. "Warmer" I smiled again and then kissed her, I mean really kissed her. She pulled back, and I asked "still cold?" She smiled and shook her head no before leaning back in to kiss me.

We didn't stop until the sun began to set.