Page 112 of Romance Languages

I dove headfirst into the oncoming wave, submerging myself in the cold, salty spray of the Atlantic Ocean. Even in the heart of summer, the Atlantic was cold enough to freeze a guy’s nuts off.

I jumped out of the water, flinging my hair back like I was in a photo shoot. Sunny skies and warm air greeted me. Was there anything better than a beach day?

Yes, there was.

There was my boyfriend, coming to join me in the water, his hot body on display for all the beachgoers.Hands off, people. He’s mine.

He clenched his teeth as he waded into the water.

“Just run in like I did. It’s the quickest way to adjust,” I said, no longer freezing.

“I’m psyching myself up.” He nodded to himself, as if he were saying some kind of motivational chant.

“You’re dunking, not walking over hot coals and broken glass.”

He held up the “one minute” finger. I had all the time in the world. The water was crisp yet delightful. It would be even more delightful when Jules joined me, and I could pull him close for an underwater sword fight.

Julian sucked in a cloud’s worth of air and plunged under the water. He stayed down there a few seconds. Right as I started to worry he’d become a permanent resident under the sea, he bobbed up. His wavy hair wet and pushed back was averygood look on him.

“Still getting adjusted,” he said, teeth chattering.

“Here.” I hugged him for warmth.

“I thought the water was supposed to be warm by August.”

“We had a rough winter.” I gazed into his big, brown eyes. Whenever I looked into those eyes, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. “What took you so long? My fingers are starting to prune.”

“I was on the phone with my mom. We’re on for tennis with her and my dad tomorrow.”

“Excellent. I want a rematch.”

Julian’s mom was terrible at planning parties, but that was because she spent all her time playing tennis. The woman was a force on the court, and her husband was no slouch either. They wiped the court with Julian and me last time. If we were playing baseball or back alley stickball, it’d be a different situation.

The four of us had made a summer Sunday tradition of tennis and lunch. Each time, the ice between Julian and his mom continued to thaw. She’d stopped making comments about his weight and eating, and it allowed them to get closer. If she ever did let something slip, Julian knew I had his back. I had no qualms about standing up for my man.

We swam out a little so we were farther away from the crowds.

“I can’t believe we start school again in a month,” Julian said. “I’m not ready to wake up early.”

“Think about all the coffee you get to have.”

“I can have coffee now.” We had our morning routines down. There was a fresh pot brewing every morning for Jules.

“My video views go up during the school year, so I’m selfishly not dreading the return.”

“How did Cyllabus like that last video?”

“They loved it. And they loved the feedback you gave them.”

Since my first sponsored post in March, I’d had a few more brands approach me to make videos. I tried to do them sparingly so that my feed wasn’t all sponcon. When Cyllabus had approached me about making a video, Julian and I thought it was a joke at first. Had they been listening to our conversations about their product?

Once I got in good with them, I’d handed over some issues the South Rock teachers had been having with the software, and they’d actually made changes. It was a win-win for everyone.

But the big win was that the sponsored content enabled me to speed up payments to Greg and Ethan. I would pay them back completely by early next year. Things were still tight for me financially thanks to my other debts, but I was so happy I could do this for Lauren. She’d been able to get her dream house and go on her dream honeymoon. She was doing great.

I was spending practically every night over at Julian’s place, and we’d recently broached the topic of cohabitation. Our relationship was moving fast, yet not by our own doing. It was natural. Nothing felt forced. We had already laid the groundwork through years of friendship.

Back in the ocean, I had Julian wrap his legs around my waist.

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