Page 45 of The Lies Always Told

“No, ma’am. At least not today, and not here. Not gettinga ticket for licking you out here in the open.” She pouts, and I laugh.

“So greedy.”

“Only for you.” Nellie winks and opens her box, grabbing some crackers and prosciutto and taking a bite. She then grabs another one, adds a piece of cheese on top, and offers it to me.

“Open up,” she says, and I open my legs, mimicking her reaction the other day. She laughs and rolls her eyes at me, but eventually, I open my mouth and let her feed me.

My heart is racing, and my chest feels tight, which has been happening more and more lately, so I want to make sure I watch what I eat. I grab a strawberry and feed her, and the same thing happens again. We take turns feeding each other, and with each bite, her body comes closer to mine to the point where she’s practically tangled around my lap. My dick is at attention always, and every time she feels it, she giggles. I’m always like this near her. Needy for her. Craving her.

Craving her hands on my body. Her hair on my chest. Her eyes on me and my lips on her. I kiss her gently, tasting salt and sweetness with a faint mint aftertaste on her plump lips. Holding her delicate face between my hands, I try really hard to keep my word not to fuck her on this beach.

“I need you to stop kissing me like that if you’re not going to do something about it.”

“Kissing you like what?”

“Like you’re starving, and I’m your favorite snack.”

I chuckle with her lips near mine and give her another quick peck. “I am, and you are. You wanna swim?” I ask her, because I know she must be dying to, and she nods. I take my shirt off and get up, holding her hand and walking with her to the water. It feels like I’m returning the ocean a piece of itself when I bring Nellie back in the water. When I see her smile, close her eyes, and tilt her head back, lifting her feet to float, I know she feels it too.

I sit down, my ass touching the sand. The water hits me at chest level. I rest my hands under her back and hold her up—or pretend to hold her up, since she’s floating on her own.

“I love this weightless feeling,” she says with her giant sunglasses on her face, little drops of water on them.

“What do you love about it?”

“While I’m floating, I don’t think about anything else, other than my body in the water. I don’t feel heavy. I don’t feel pain. I don’t feel chaos. I just feel whole.”

“You and the ocean are the same. I called you a little fish the other day, but I think you’re a little wave. My little wave.” She smiles at my words and brings her arms closer to her body, letting my hands do more of the work, keeping her up, her face above water.

“So what’s the plan? Take Cara and Manny out for dinner when they get back and tell them…or are we talking to them separately?” Nellie asks.

“I would rather talk to him in private, personally. He’s gonna want to act like an overprotective sibling, especially if he finally told Cara how he feels about her.”

“You said he loves her, right?”

“He always has. It’s obvious to anyone who pays attention but the two of them.” Nellie sits up and lifts her glasses. I’ve come to realize this is her tell when she’s focused. Glasses up, eyes on me. I love it.

“Has he really?” I nod, and she smiles. “Is he a good man, Gus? Like you?”

“He’s the better twin. His heart is whole.”

“So is yours.”

“That’s debatable.” I mean it in more ways than one. I don’t like these little lightheaded episodes I’ve been getting lately. I don’t like this tightness in my chest. I’m worried it has to do with my heart, but I want to be oblivious about it, at least for now. “Cara is safe with him, but I think we shouldtalk to them separately. Then, maybe we can tell our parents together.”

“Wouldn’t that be something?” Nellie asks, a mischievous smile growing on her face as she adds, “You best friended too closed to the sun, and your children became lovers.” She cackles at her own sentence. “We will always be their children, but we’re adults now.”

“Yeah, yeah. Siblings first, then the parents…okay?”

“Deal. Now, let’s go swim,” she says, tossing the glasses all the way to the shore and sinking into the water as I follow.

1 Congratulations, sister. You deserve it.

2 Congratulations bro and welcome to the family

FOURTEEN

WE HAVE TIME

---