Secrets of Our House, page 3
“Not even close.” He straddled the bike and motioned behind him. “Hop on.”
She sat behind him, her jean shorts inching to the tops of her thighs. Her fingers glided around his middle, which was hard and lean. He started the bike, and they were off. The cool mountain air studded her skin. She gripped him tighter when he shifted gears. They raced toward the base of the mountain. He took the first turn so fast, she slid sideways on her seat. She focused on the scenery. They rose up the mountain, mingling with the trees. Below, the town reduced to nothing but colorful specks. A few early fireworks exploded into the sky, fizzing with color and then vanishing into the blue.
They rode for five minutes, winding up and up. The sun disappeared as they approached the mouth of a cave. He sped up until they were inside a tunnel. Will howled and she joined him, tossing her head back to scream.
The tunnel was black and cool, and she shivered from the unexpected temperature drop. He said something over his shoulder, but she couldn’t hear. With the throttle of the engine, they burst out of the tunnel. Fractured light glinted through the heavy spruce and pines. He revved through a small dirt path, which opened into a private parking lot. He slid into a space before killing the engine and stomping down the kickstand. He dismounted, removed his helmet, and shook out his hair. “You okay?”
Her ears rang from the speed and vicious wind. She dismounted too, swinging a shaky leg to the ground. Her entire body felt boneless, her skin chilled. She nodded and handed him her helmet. “That was thrilling.”
“You’re thrilling.” His smile blinded her. “Now for the surprise.” He extended his hand and led her down a narrow path. Fresh wood chips scattered the trail, just like at The Black House. Pathway mulch lodged into her sandals and Jules tapped her toes against the earth to kick them free.
While most people would get nervous traipsing through the woods, she felt instantly at home. The trees bowed inward along the path, their tangle of branches arching toward them at various angles. She stared at Will’s back. Had he brought other girls here before? She killed the thought in its tracks. So what if he had? She knew he’d had plenty of girlfriends before her. They passed signs to stay out of the woods to preserve the natural wildlife. Will lightly touched her arm, pointed. “Look. Deer.”
They stopped to stare at a group of deer, their long brown necks bent in search of food. She’d hunted deer most summers, and her dad had showed her how to break down the entire animal so nothing went to waste.
They padded silently past, and after a few more minutes of walking, Will pointed to a small trail that veered uphill. He glanced at her gladiator sandals. “It’s steep. You okay to climb?”
“Why don’t you find out?” Jules heard herself say. She rocketed ahead of him and broke into a run. He yelled in surprise and chased after her, but years of cross country meant she could keep a five-and-a-half-minute-mile pace, easy. Her lungs burned until the lactic acid flushed from her system. She found her rhythm, but Will was right. It was a challenging climb full of switchbacks and turns, but she followed it effortlessly and beat him with two minutes to spare. When he got to the top, gasping, he bent over, hands splayed on his knees.
“How did I not know my girlfriend was an Olympic sprinter?”
She was barely out of breath. “Cross country, not sprinting,” she reminded him.
He moved closer and placed his hands on her shoulders, kissed her softly, then turned her around. “Walk.”
She approached a set of stairs, formed by large, wide rocks, and descended. The temperature fell again, and she marveled at the glossy boulders perched in space above them. The rush of water roared as they approached. At the very bottom stair, she rounded the corner and almost screamed in delight.
Rich green water gushed over a massive inky rock. The waterfall seemed endless and powerful, and Jules took a moment to admire its majesty.
The cool spray drenched her cheeks and clothes, and she opened her arms wide. Behind her, Will kicked off his boots and peeled away his T-shirt. Jules stared at his stomach carved with muscles. Desire rattled her insides. He unbuckled his jeans slowly, and her eyes tracked him like prey.
“What are you doing?”
“Living,” he joked. “Come in.” He motioned to the water then dove straight in. He emerged and slapped the top.
“Get in!”
She stared at the froth of the waterfall churning anything below it. Surprisingly, he swam right toward it, unafraid. She removed her top and shimmied out of her shorts. She was wearing her only nice lingerie, ironically bought at Will’s mother’s shop at the start of summer.
After a huge breath, she rocked back on her heels and jumped off the side, propelling her body outward to avoid the rocks. A thousand icy needles pricked her skin as she plunged deep into the black before clawing her way back to the top. Finally, she broke the surface, steadied her breath, and freestyled toward him.
“This way.” Will turned and dove underwater again. She followed him until they bobbed near the edge of the waterfall. He swam to the right and pulled himself up onto a rock. “Careful. It’s slick,” he said.
She eased out of the water and instantly found her footing. Once she was stable, they walked over moss-speckled rocks, which were furry beneath her slick soles. At the right side of the waterfall, he wedged himself into a sliver of space just wide enough for two bodies to slip through. Suddenly, they were behind the water, being sprayed by its clean, pure mist. She huddled beside Will to get warmer. “This is incredible,” she said. Her teeth chattered involuntarily.
“Cold?”
“I’m good.” In the dark, she could only make out the whites of his eyes.
“I used to come here as a kid. Sneak away from the house and swim for hours.” He hesitated. “I’ve never brought anyone here before.”
Pleasure rippled through her body at the admission. “Why not?” she asked.
“I’ve never wanted to share it with anyone. Until now.”
She leaned into his wet shoulder, their bare bodies so attuned to each other. Time stretched under the hypnotic rush of water.She wondered what it must have been like to grow up with nature all around. The waterfall drowned out her thoughts.
A few minutes later, he led her up to a trail so they didn’t have to swim back. They walked silently through the woods, the branches lashing her bare skin. Dead leaves clung to her wet feet. He looped them around to a clearing on top of the rocks, with the crush of the waterfall below.
He pushed past a few trees. Inside the cover of leaves, a rectangle of earth was covered with a red blanket. Twinkle lights hung between the pines, and a wicker picnic basket dangled from a leaning branch so critters didn’t devour its contents.
“Will.” She said his name softly. “When did you do all this?” She shivered once again in her bra and panties, but her body was primed and alert. He reached down and unfolded another blanket from a stack and wrapped her in it, warming her arms.
“I wanted to do something special for you,” he said. His voice quivered from the cold.
The water shimmered and rippled below, and a gust of wind rustled the leaves, pricking her skin with a fresh layer of goose bumps. She opened the blanket and invited him in.
“Every day with you is special,” she said.
There was so much they hadn’t talked about: their four-year age difference, the fact that she was going to college in a couple of months, the preposterous conclusion that they would have to say goodbye in just four weeks’ time. The unspoken truth existed between them, but for now, she didn’t want to think about living on borrowed time.
He kissed her hungrily, and she kissed him back. Their slippery bodies molded into one, until they lowered themselves to the earth. She could feel how aroused he was, and she pressed her weight on top of him, kissing him deeply. He moaned and pulled her closer. They were never alone, always at his house, where his mother was just a room away, or out in public, where all eyes were on them. Here, she felt free. She was in her favorite place with her favorite person, and she wanted to give herself to him completely.
She straddled his body and unhooked her bra.
He inhaled sharply. When his hands cupped her breasts, her body throbbed in anticipation. How had she ever lived without his touch? His fingers wandered down her hips, squeezing and rubbing every inch of her. She leaned in and kissed him again. Gently, he rolled her onto her back and stared down at her. His skin on her skin. His breath on hers.
“You are so beautiful.” He trailed his fingers from her jawline to her breasts and stomach and gently parted her thighs. “Is this okay?” His fingers moved over her panties, tracing slow, agonizing circles.
Jules moaned yes. If she thought her body had been alive before, she was mistaken. Now, every nerve ending sizzled as he pulled her panties to the side and slipped a finger inside. She succumbed to the feeling of him, wanting more. She fumbled with his underwear, pulling them lower. He stood up, fully naked, and her eyes trailed down to the most vulnerable part of him. She crawled to her knees and took him in her mouth. He moaned and gripped her hair. Finally, he pulled away and she lay on her back. He climbed on top of her again. She opened her legs, an invitation.
“Are you sure?” he whispered.
“Yes.” She’d never been surer of anything in her life.
As he entered her, she relaxed into him. The first sharp moments melted into liquid pleasure. He kissed her as he rocked in and out of her body. She cried out and bit into his shoulder as she climaxed, but he slowed, wanting it to last. He pulled back, his eyes locked on hers.
“I love you, Juliette,” he whispered.
She looked at him, the bright sun bathing him in golden light. “I love you too, Will.”
He kissed her again and in that kiss, she knew: she wanted to spend her life here, with this man, doing this exact thing, for as long as they both lived.
After, they both lay on their backs, sweating and sucking fresh air. She rolled onto his chest and smiled.
She’d just had sex for the first time, with a man she loved. She knew other girls weren’t so lucky. She’d heard horror stories of girls losing their virginity. She’d never made decisions about her virginity either way, but now, she was glad Will had been her first. And she hoped he’d be her last.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. He rubbed light circles on her shoulder.
“I’m just so happy,” she said. “I love it here. I love being with you.”
“Me too.”
She sighed and rotated her watch to check the time. “Oh shit.” She sat up. “I was supposed to meet my parents at five.”
They’d completely lost track of time, and Will still had a plane to fly. Will packed up the picnic they didn’t get to eat and said he’d clean the blankets and lights up later. They stalked back to where their clothes were and hurriedly dressed. She hated to rush them, to rush this moment.
At his bike, she pulled on her shoes and refastened her helmet. She hopped on behind him, kissing his neck, before they sped back down the mountain. As they neared town, a little of the magic faded. She wanted to hold on to it just a little bit longer, hoard the memory all for herself.
Will parked the bike and they both dismounted.
She shook out her hair, still damp. “Do you want to walk with me to meet my parents before you have to go? Or do you need to find your sister?”
“I’ll walk with you.” He gripped both sides of her face and kissed her deeply. Even their kisses felt different. She felt different.
He slid his hand in hers. Together, they walked back to the mouth of the parade.
3
Desi
DESI tapped her foot in time to the music and sipped her second glass of white wine.
Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She glanced up at Peter, whose neck was beet red from the heat and alcohol. When’s the last time they’d enjoyed themselves like this?
Just the other day, she’d been agonizing over their distance, and today, there was a sliver of life pulsing between them. She took a shaky breath. The sun was fierce, even this late in the afternoon. She adjusted her wide-brimmed hat and checked the time. She was shocked to see it was already fifteen minutes past five. Jules should have been back.
She shook Peter’s arm, who was chatting with Stan, the guy who ran the cheese shop. He laughed and turned to her, completely unencumbered. She choked on her own worry; why worry him too? Peter looked so at ease, so happy. She didn’t want to ruin his mood when he was having such a good time. Jules was responsible. If she was late, there was probably a good reason. Like Will. She laughed to herself.
She remembered how all-consuming it was to fall in love. It was like everything else paled in comparison, but Desi didn’t want Jules to lose sight of what was really important. She turned her attention back to Peter. Instead of saying anything, she surprised herself by leaning in and kissing his cheek. It smelled of aftershave and the sun.
To her relief, he didn’t pull away. He turned to stare at her. His eyes trailed down to her lips, and then he went back to talking.
She longed for the way they used to be. She chugged the last of her wine. Like so many other people she knew, they’d become just another disgruntled married couple who’d grown apart and succumbed to a sea of parental and financial obligations.
She crumpled the plastic cup in her fist, tossed it in the trash, and continued to search the crowd for Jules.
She checked her phone out of obsessive habit, even though she had zero reception. A man in the crowd bumped into her from behind. He murmured his apologies and kept moving. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his back. Broad shoulders under a plaid shirt. The same dark hair. He even walked with a bit of the same swagger.
Carter?
She fanned her blouse and attempted to gulp air. Suddenly, she wanted to get out of here, to climb back up the mountain and hide from all these people. She searched for the man again, but he’d vanished. She tugged on Peter’s arm, this time more insistent.
He shot her an annoyed look, and the momentary alliance between them dissolved. He didn’t like being interrupted. She pointed to her watch. “Jules is late.” His annoyance evaporated, but his eyes turned razor sharp. He stood straight, cutting off his conversation with Stan midsentence. He stepped into the street and tented his hand above his eyes, searching. She knew Jules’s name was on his lips. He wouldn’t dare shout his teenage daughter’s name in front of all these people, but she understood the urge. The urge was always there if you lived in the city. But even here, with Jules on the precipice of adulthood, Peter was still so protective.
Desi hunted for water from one of the vendors. A bead of sweat trickled between her breasts, and she blotted it with her shirt.
Peter stepped closer. “She’s never late.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “She probably just lost track of time.”
He bolted into the crowd anyway, the back of her strong, capable husband slicing through red, white, and blue bodies like a switchblade.
Desi walked to Pal’s and bought a bottle of water. On the way back, she spotted Will and Jules making their way to the snack stand. She laughed as they approached.
“Go for a swim?”
Jules glanced at Will, and something flashed between them. “Will took me to the waterfall.” She stared at her sandals. “It’s beautiful, Mom. You should see it.”
She assessed the two of them, their wet hair and rumpled clothes. Before she could come to any obvious conclusions, Peter approached and clapped a hand on Will’s shoulder.
“You ready to fly?” Peter asked.
She didn’t know how he did that—how he went from strict and concerned to calm and casual. It made it so that she could rarely figure out what he was actually thinking.
“I am. Anyone want to join?” Will squeezed Jules’s waist, and Desi glimpsed the panic behind her daughter’s eyes. Will knew her fear of planes, of course, but maybe not how deep.
“I’d love to go,” Peter interjected. “You don’t mind, do you, Jules?”
Jules appeared relieved. “Is that okay with you?” She glanced at Will.
“I’d be honored, sir.” He shook Peter’s hand. “Let’s do it.”
They said goodbye. Desi cocked her head and watched Will and Peter walk away, chatting like they were old friends.
“That was awfully nice of your father,” Desi said.
“I guess I’m going to have to get over the whole hating to fly thing, huh?” Jules gnawed at one of her cuticles, a leftover habit from childhood.
Desi wrapped an arm around her. “Probably.”
Jules adjusted her shorts and Desi glanced down. A small trickle of blood ran down her leg.
“Oh, honey. Did you start your period? You’re bleeding.” Desi rustled in her purse for a tampon. She was always prepared. She also pulled out a cardigan, which Jules promptly tied around her waist. “I know I have one in here somewhere.”
“Mom, I didn’t start my period.”
Desi blinked at her. “So why are you bleeding?”
Her hair had dried loose and wavy around her shoulders and Desi resisted the urge to brush a few errant strands off her face. Jules opened her mouth to speak, but the crowd pushed in and they bustled forward until they found an edge of curb to claim.
“Answer me, please.”
She shrugged. “Will and I had sex.” Jules lifted her chin and stared her mother squarely in the eye.
“Like, today? Just now?” She was instantly shuttled back to her first time, which had been fast and nothing to write home about.
Jules adjusted the cardigan and lowered her voice. “Yes.”
Desi nodded. She didn’t want to overreact and cause Jules to clam up, but she didn’t want to underact or seem like she didn’t care either. She racked her brain for when they’d had the sex talk. Jules was such a studious person, she’d never really asked a lot of questions. If she ever wanted to figure something out, she did.
“Were you safe at least?” Desi watched Will and Peter disappear. If Peter knew what Will had just done with their daughter …
