This Summer Will Be Different(66)

Thunder shakes the earth, and I reach for his belt.

“More.” The word has many meanings.

“Here?” I feel his chuckle, but his fingers move to the bow on the shoulder of my dress. He pauses, then looks around. “Maybe not here.”

Felix takes my hand and leads me around to where the rock and cliffs create a private cove just for us, and then we’re kissing again. Soaked through to our skin. But I’m not cold. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel the cold again. I could taste the rain on Felix’s tongue forever.

I unfasten his jeans, and he unties the bows that hold my dress up. He’s so hard in my hand. Heavy. Thick. Perfect. His mouth moves from my neck, down my chest. My bra is tossed to the sand, and he sucks on one nipple, then the next, the way I like. Hard, then harder, then teeth. His hand grapples with the skirt of my dress, pushing it up my thighs. I’m helpful. I take my underwear off myself while he digs a condom out of his pocket.

“Always prepared,” I say as he hooks his arm around my leg, holding me tight, opening me up for him. And it feels so good, the slow stretch. Bliss. I arch back, tilting my chin to the sky. But when he begins to move, it’s too much. My leg goes weak.

“I can’t do this standing up.”

“Fair enough,” he says, gripping my ass, and lifting me clean off the ground. I yelp and snap my thighs around his waist.

“You can’t hold me up like this.” We’re so slippery.

“Try me.”

I squeeze him with my legs like a stress ball, afraid I’m about to crash to the sand.

“Relax, Lucy. I’ve got you.”

“You better,” I say, loosening myself. Felix adjusts his stance, and then he sinks so deep, I suck in a loud shock of air. He thrusts once, and I have to close my eyes.

“You okay?”

I mumble out a “Fantastic.”

His replying laugh is strained. I tuck my face into his neck, holding him close. With every sound I breathe into his skin, his fingers tighten on me. It feels unreal, like every time we’ve been together before, but new, too. More primal. Unrelenting. Too much. Not enough. I come so fast, I’m a little annoyed with myself.

“What’s that face?” Felix says, slowing his pace, kissing me softly.

“Too soon,” I say.

He hums. “Feel like getting sandy?”

And then he’s lying back on the wet beach, and I’m on top of him, kissing him, savoring him, relearning every inch of him. It’s still raining, but it’s gentler now. The water warm. This time when I come, Felix does, too, his mouth on my moles.

I lay strewn over him like a blanket, out of breath. He runs a hand over the pebbled skin on my arm.

“Let’s go back to the house. Let’s get you dry.”

Felix helps me off the ground, reties my dress, and tucks me against his side. We make our way back to Summer Wind. Happy, laughing, and covered in sand.





29





Now





The house is empty. Felix and I call out for Bridget, but she’s not in her room, the bathroom, the kitchen. She’s not watching TV. She’s not anywhere. I check the driveway. Zach’s truck is gone, and Felix’s is, too.

“Um . . .” I say, stepping back inside. “I think we’ve been ditched.”

Felix stands beside the coffee table, a sopping wet mess. We brushed ourselves off as best we could, but we still dragged half the beach back with us. I think my dress might be ruined. I begin to laugh, but then I see a sheet of paper in his hand.

“What’s that?”

Felix passes it to me. My name is at the top in Bridget’s handwriting.

“I haven’t read it,” he says.

    Bee,

I know you’re upset with me, and I’m sorry. I know you put your life on hold to come here for me, and I’m grateful for that. I’ve bought our tickets for Wednesday morning—they’re on me. Flight leaves at ten.

I’m meeting Miles in Charlottetown. He lands this evening. We have some things we need to work out in person, but I promise you I’ll explain everything to you when we’re back tomorrow.

You are the very best friend, and I love you.

—B

P.S. Tell Wolf I borrowed his truck.



I hand it to Felix after I’m done. As his eyes move across the page, they harden. A muscle in his jaw ticks. But when he lifts his gaze to mine, the ice melts. He throws an arm around my shoulder, drawing me to him. He brings his lips to my forehead. It’s so casually affectionate, and the ease at which he does this is a little staggering.

“I hope you don’t mind being stuck with me for the night,” I say.

“I can think of worse things.” He looks at the letter again. “Should we call her?”

“No. Let’s leave her alone.” I’m baffled by what “everything” could be, but I’m also hopeful that if she’s meeting Miles, the wedding is on. “I love her, but this trip has been chaos.”

His thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “It’s not all bad.”

Felix’s eyes are on me. And I know that look. That blue fire.

“Shower?” he asks.

“Shower,” I say.