Page 21 of Invisible String
I’m thankful for the change of topic.
When I slip my shoes off and peel my socks off, I dip my feet into the water. Warming me up from the cool breeze. I leave my shirt on not to reveal the marks on my back. We sit in silence for, I’d say, five minutes. Only the rustling of the wind and Lana’s giggles can be heard in the quiet night.
“So, where do you work?” Rainey asks in her soothing voice.
“I got fired. Then came here.”
She scoots closer to me, her feet making small splashes. “How did that happen?”
“Punched the boss’s son. He was being a dick.”
“Well then, he deserved it.” Her finger makes circles on my thigh, causing goosebumps. “He shouldn’t mess with a badass boxer.”
For the first time in a long time, I grin with an ego boost.
“Ahhhhh!” she yells.
“What is it?” I turn around, ready to fuck someone up. All I see is the pitch-black forest.
“You smiled. You have the most beaut?—”
I close her mouth shut. “Don’t say it.”
“You…should…do it…often.” Her words are muffled by my thumb and index finger pressing on her lips.
I can’t help but stare at how plump they are. Letting go of her lips, I swipe my thumb across them.Soft.Our gaze connects, and she leans in, waiting for me to kiss her. My thumb glides down to her chin. It pulses against her soft, delicate skin. My heart speeds like it’s racing in NASCAR, working its way to first place. Who am I not to give this beautiful woman what she wants when I know I’m not what she needs? The last time I kissed anyone was years ago. She was my last kiss. Rainey’s mouth parts. Her hand grips my thigh as our lips brush.
CHAPTER SEVEN
RAINEY
I’ve waited for Max to knock on my door or for us to run into each other for the past few days. It seemed he avoided me like the plague after our dinner. I played back that night to see what I did wrong. Was it too intimate? Two friends having dinner is not a big deal, but it didn’t seem that way. It felt like more to me. Maybe that scared him away. I didn’t expect Lana to show up. Honestly, her showing up hit me with disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my best friend, but I wanted to have Max to myself. The guy she’s hooking up with is okay. It’s the guy from the party. The other guy she brought with them is supposed to be a hookup for me. I hadn’t spoken to Lana about Max until she showed up here. She was in shock when I told her he’s, my neighbor. Lana knows how upset I was when Max never returned to school that year.
He consistently crossed my mind.
Peter, the friend of Lana’s hook-up, is so damn annoying. The guy was so drunk and horny he was like a chihuahua in heat. Every time he would get near me, I would move. Thinking if I jumped into the hot tub, he would not follow. Wrong. He did. Then I saw Max coming around from his run, I assume. When Lana screamed his name, I figured he wouldn’t want to comeover. Max is an antisocial type of guy. I’ve learned a little about mental health. Not much, since I still have a way to go with my schooling. I’m surprised Max told me his mom passed. Maybe that’s why he’s quiet. He lost her at a young age.
The need to be next to him has been borderline obsessive. I know I’m scaring myself. The pull is so strong that I jumped out of the hot tub and ran to him, dripping and all. He seemed angry, maybe jealous. I’m fooling myself. Why would he? Wishful thinking that he was jealous. When he opened the door like an angry god, that’s when my heart did jumping jacks. Max cared for me in his own strange way.
Now, his soft, tender lips skim against mine. The heat of his body seeps into mine and rushes to every vessel. He smells of Ivory soap and spice. My chest rises and falls like crashing waves. I can’t believe he wants to kiss me. Our breaths mingle as I swipe my tongue over his lips.
“Raineyyy,” Lana yells, causing me to jump up. “Oh, ohh.” Her hand goes over her mouth. Seriously, she has to come at the worst time. In flash speed, I jump out of the water. My feet slap on the wet wood as I rush to Lana, standing below the balcony.
I give her the stink eye, although she’s not affected by it. She smiles widely. That only makes my frustration rise with the need to strangle her. I grab her arm and drag her back some. “What are you doing here? Did something happen?” I whisper.
“No, I wanted to see if you guys wanted to come tubing tomorrow,” she whisper shouts.
“And that couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
She looks behind me to peer at Max. “Oh my gosh. Rainey, he’s hot as a habanero pepper and cute as a cucumber. He’s very muscular,” she shouts, tipsy from the alcohol. “Sorry, I interrupted. I didn’t know you were about to suck face. Damn, you guys move fast.” She giggles.
I pinch her side. “Shut it, Lana.”
“Ouch, jeez, bestie,” she whines.
“Well, you have a fat mouth.”
