Page 50 of When We Were Younger

The next morning, I wake up early to throw on a pot of coffee and do my best attempt at breakfast. I slice bagels and put out the fifteen different kinds of cream cheese from the refrigerator, then cut up some honeydew and arrange the pieces on a platter with grapes and pineapple.

When the coffee is brewed, I pour a large mugful to take upstairs to Dorothea. I find some hazelnut oat milk creamer on the refrigerator door and stir in a little bit, just enough to turn the coffee a milky, chocolate brown. Not too sweet, just the way my girl likes it.

My girl.

Those two words keep crossing my mind. On one hand, it’s the most natural thing in the world. Dorothea has never not been mine, just like I have always belonged to her. Distance, timing, none of that ever mattered to me. I may have been able to put my feelingsto the back of my mind over the years, but they were always there.

On the other hand, she’s not mine. Not really. She might be mine for the season but even if she doesn’t go back to LA, she’s never going to stay here. I can’t blame her for that, but I also can’t help but wonder why she’s always found it so easy to leaveme.

"Is that coffee?" she asks, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist. She presses her face into my back and inhales, breathing me in the way I've been doing to her whenever I get close enough.

"It is. I was going to bring it to you in bed, sweetheart," I say, turning in her arms and giving the top of her head a kiss.

"I woke up a little bit ago. It was cold in the bed without you." She snuggles into my chest, and she feels wonderfully warm pressed against me, hair still slicked back into a bun and slathered with product. My Hudson Family Construction hoodie hits right above her knee, covering half of the cute green pajama pants she has tucked into a pair of fuzzy socks.

"Want to have your coffee down by the lake with me? We can bring a blanket and snuggle."

"Mmm, that sounds wonderful," she says. I gather a few blankets and she grabs the mug, and we set up shop on the edge of the dock, one blanket underneath us and one draped over our laps. My legs are spread, Dorothea planted right between them, our feet swinging over the edge. I hold her around the waist as she holds her mug, sipping and sighing and leaning herhead back against me. It feels so perfect, so right, and yet there's a buzzing in my ear. A low, nagging drone that I can't seem to ignore. My mouth moves of its own accord before my mind has a chance to catch up.

"Dorothea," I whisper, and she hums in response.

"Why did you leave the way you did?"

26

DOTTIE

Age Eighteen

So, as it turns out, sex is really, really fun.

I mean, I knew it would be. How could it not? Everything else Stephen and I have done up to this point has been fun.

The first time was over very quickly, but I expected that. Kira warned me after she did it with Danny Young last summer and he didn't tell her he was a virgin. She said she barely had her pants down before he was huffing and puffing, asking if it was good for her.

Lucky for me, Stephen had a little more tact than Danny Young. The second time was much longer, much better. I cried, like full on tears because it all just felt so good, so right. I love him so much, and I was so overwhelmed to finally share this experience with him.

The third and fourth time? My soul left the proverbial building. Itranscended.

Sex is really, really,reallyfun.

We were able to stay out extra late last night because his parents expected us to be up on McKenna Mountain for Kira's prom after-party (supervised by her dads, of course) and my mom never bothered to ask me what we'd be doing after the prom. We walked back to his house this morning, and Mrs. Hudson had a full breakfast prepared for us.

"For the hangover I don't want to hear about," she'd said, and Stephen and I just gave each other knowing glances. I was feeling a little hungover, but not from alcohol.

We were drunk on each other.

We spent the day at his house, vegging out watchingThe Real Housewives of Orange Countyreruns with Delilah and Ivy. Keeks called earlier, wondering where we'd gone last night, and I promised to fill her in on all the details tomorrow over lunch.

Now, it's nearly nine o'clock at night and Stephen just walked me home. We have plans to meet back up in the field tonight, and I can't wait.

But for now, I wander into my house, my prom dress draped over my arm, expecting to be met with quiet. I'm going to sneak into the shower, freshen up, and then put on this really sexy pair of black lace panties I bought from Victoria's Secret. I just know they're going to drive Stephen insane when he sees them.

"Look who finally decided to come home," Mom sneers from the couch, and I nearly jump out of myskin. I did not expect her to be awake, especially not after I had passed the kitchen and clocked the empty bottle of wine next to the half-full bottle of gin. I place a hand to my chest and take a second to collect my breath before I answer.

"I was just next door, Mom." I say, and she rolls her eyes. Mom tolerates the Hudsons at best. I can never figure out why. They're the nicest people in town. But maybe that's just it. Maybe Mom is jealous.

"You've been gone since yesterday. You didn't call."

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