Page 1 of My Summer Girl

Chapter One

Verano

De Lunes a Lunes – Grupo Frontera

“Vex is the place.” The tail end of someone’s words trails off, stealing my attention. My ears twitch, attempting to pick up more. “Oh, I’ve heard that’s where you find all the romantic matches.”

“It’s true, I found my Ivar there,” Cylia mentions, nodding her head. The group of them corral near the pillars. It’s the planning of our Midsummer Soiree. We do it together as a community, votes happen, and it generally stays the same every year.

But this year is a bit different.

This year, I’ve felt this pull inside my chest, one to seek more. To find someone to spend it with. Don’t get me wrong, being a queen fulfills a lot of my needs in life, and Raevar—my best friend and confidant—satisfies my other wants as someone to confide in.

Yet, I want more.

I want love.

There’s a big part of me that wants a princess to hold and protect, to love on and pleasure until she cries out for me. Or maybe it’ll be a prince. One to sit at my feet as I pet him, rubbing his head with the softest gestures.

My heart hammers as my mind travels to all the possibilities. Maybe it won’t be a prince or princess after all.

Perhaps it’ll just be a monster seeking love.

Any will do. I don’t have a preference.

“If you’re looking to find the one, that’s where you’d go,” Tomás says, joining the conversation. I’m unsure of where his sentence starts since my thoughts distracted me, but mention of ‘the one’ has me fully invested. Knowing how preoccupied my mind is, I’m wondering if the choice I’m about to make will change it.

“Raevar,” I hastily call out, snapping my fingers. He’s never too far behind me, only a few paces, and whatever I hear, he also hears. If anything, he catches more.

“Mi reina,” he casually responds, lowering to my eye level. While everyone calls me “my queen” as a formality, Raevar has always said it in his mother tongue.

His scent invades my nose. Something warm, like grass after rainfall as the sun comes out. It’s refreshing and crisp, and somehow reminiscent of summer. Still, I stay looking at the people chatting while his breath heats my neck.

Raevar is more than I can ask for in a person. He’s tall, muscular, and makes me feel tinier than a sunflower on the lowest bushel of leaves. His eyes meet mine, brown and ever-present, consuming everything in their wake. There’s a fondness there that mirrors mine. I’m not sure where I’d be in life without him. Since we were kids, we’ve been inseparable. He’s my lifeline.

“I want love,” I uncharacteristically blurt out, clasping my hands while looking away from him. Embarrassment comes unnaturally to me, my cheeks heating with the admission. I’m not a shy person by any means, but the thought of a forever kind of love has my heart hammering in my chest.

He stands taller, almost stiffly, as confusion is written all over his face. Is it from me not showing an inkling of desire for others before now?

Sex, sure.

A lot of people have sex.

It’s fulfilling in a carnal way. Pleasure isn’t something I’ve stopped partaking in over the years, but it’s not a necessity. Romance on the other hand, that little fluttering feeling I’ve witnessed with my own eyes as others experienced it, is different. The true devotion of someone sharing their day with you, being there emotionally while you return the favor, and making big decisions together... I want that. Scratch that, I need it.

It wouldn’t be strange that he’d question my intentions. I’m of thirty-two summers now, without love or a mate.

“Mi reina,” he rasps, swallowing whatever thickness is straining his voice. “I apologize if I’m confused, but this is news to me. A shock, really.” His face blanches, as if I’ve told him someone has passed away. “A mate?”

His cheeks darken a shade, like he’s flushed, and I wonder what would make that appear. “Yes, Raevar. A mate. Summer love. Someone to kiss me as I run my fingers through their hair. A person I can tell about my stories and listen to theirs. One who will fight alongside me and question my overzealous ideas. A love who challenges me and cherishes me in equal parts.”

His eyelashes flutter before he closes them a moment. I eye him, wanting to know what he’s thinking. Somehow, his breathing seems stalled all while his throat bobs with another swallow.

We’ve broached many topics in the past. Immature assumptions and gossip, even. He’s helped me while on my monthly cycle and the uncertainty of my body’s changes. Raevar has taught me about sex—or rather, helped me—dabbling with guiding the partners I’ve had while I was with them. He has even walked in on me loads of times. This is nowhere near being over the top, so why is he acting all weird?

He takes a single step back, as if needing the distance from me. “Anything you ask,” he finally speaks, quiet enough for only me to hear. A few moments pass before he leans forward again, the softness of his face grazing mine.

“Vera, please tell me this isn’t one of your whims.”

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