Invisible String

Chapter 4

We didn't go back to the city, though. about halfway back, there was a little patch of trees with a secluded river, off of the path. It was a stream from the mountains, but very wide, and deep enough to swim in. I slowed down, and he followed. "Want to go for a swim?" it was still really hot, and the biking had made it feel even hotter. I didn't have a swimsuit, but I'd even go in my dress, it would dry quickly, I was sure. He grinned and parked his bike. I giggled in a girlish way that embarrassed me, but I was feeling such a rush of happiness, from the endorphins of hiking and biking, and being surrounded in such beauty, I just looked like a beautiful, smiling fool. 

I took off my sandals, and without further hesitation, jumped into the creek. The water hit me hard, cold, and nice on the skin, and my head surfaced over the water, and I gasped for air, and pulled my hair behind my shoulders, flattening it, as I tread water, and turned over to see he was watching me with a look of a mixture of amazement and amusement, laughing to himself. The skirt of my dress had risen, but it wasn't clear enough to see. I found land beneath me, on a rock, and fixing my dress, and wringing out my hair a bit, I gestured at him to follow. He pulled off his shirt and I blushed as he, too, jumped straight into the water. He resurfaced and shook his hair out, his curls drenched. He wiped his mouth and turned to me, and I concealed my look of utter devotion and my pink face that had nothing to do with the heat of the twilight. We swam about for a bit, enjoying the feeling of the water on our suntanned skin, the sparkling water from the setting sun, the sky pinks and oranges and blues, the sound of the cicadas chirping as the night approached. It was silent, but their singing, and the sound of soft water moving along our bodies as we swam, in bliss. I looked down and saw my dress was a bit more see-through now that it was drenched in water, but not too much so that he noticed, but I certainly didn't mind if he could. I sat down on a rock, against the side of the creek, and let my skin and dress absorb some of the last rays of sunlight, streaming through the trees surrounding us, and from the clearing in the sky above. He came and sat by me, as well. I wrung my hair out, some more, and looked out at the creek, not wanting it to be noticeable that I noticed every water droplet on his eyelashes, the little tan that had begun to adorn his form, and the freckles splashed across his nose, that I could only see because hed sat so close to me. Had he meant to sit so close to me? We sat in silence for a few minutes, just basking. "What are you thinking about?" he asked me. I smiled. "I'm not sure." he gave me a sceptical smirk, and nudged my shoulder playfully. "cmon." I laughed, and he did too. "Well, I'm thinking about how happy I feel right now." I paused and felt a little embarrassed, but it was true. He looked less teasing, more solemn now, but somehow even more pleased. He wasn't smiling, exactly, He squinted his eyes, like he was thinking of something of a lot of meaning. he turned towards me, and then, as if he was about to say something, he took a breath in, bit his lip, then looked as though he changed his mind. Then, out of nowhere, he pushed me into the water. I gasped, and the shock of the water was much more powerful, from a combination of the fact that it was less hot out, and I wasn't expecting my plunge into the creek. The current was so slow that it was practically unnoticeable. I resurfaced, and was laughing, in a manner of being shocked, and tried to look stern with him. I grabbed his ankle and he fell forward right onto me in the water, and I splashed him the moment he resurfaced. "Hey, what was that for?" He grinned. and with that, he pulled me in by the waist, and kissed me, right there, in the creek within the trees. I couldn't think, at all, and it was a moment that would linger in my thoughts for the rest of my life, I knew right then. I didn't try or do anything, I just let myself feel everything, and my thoughts seemed to be peacefully in a calm state. It was as though all my senses were heightened, but also blurred, and I couldn't say how long that moment lasted. It could've been days, or seconds, I had no clue. All I knew was his lips held everything I wanted, all I had longed for. all id ever wanted, was right here, now.

We broke apart and I was so red from emotion and a sudden hint of shyness, and he saw this in my eyes, I stared into his for a moment, and then burst out laughing, and buried my face into the indent between his collarbones. I felt his chest move as he laughed at my reaction. and looked back up at him. "what?" he said, looking almost embarrassed. I laughed even harder, and looked up at the sky, then kissed him again, harder this time, and I felt him respond in the same way. This time, he looked a bit more relieved, when I looked at him again, and he kissed my neck to show it, but it tickled and I broke apart from him, and swam away, teasing him, now. he followed me, and I didn't look back, but felt his eyes on my back, as I slowly walked out of the water, wringing my dress as I did. I turned around and he did a few more laps before following me out of the water. he sat beside me, and said, "You know...nevermind, and he lied down on the grass, and watched the sky, and I laid right down next to him, thinking. I turned to him and said, "so you're leaving tomorrow." he nodded, still looking at the sky.  I laid back down and thought. It was a mixture of awe of what had happened, and joy, too. I was too happy to even consider what may happen after he left. would this be it, a friendship with a few kisses? would we meet again in Italy? not likely. Would he even remember me? the sinking feeling of doubts. I wonder how many girls have had this same feeling, this same moment with him, laying on the grass as the sunset, full of hope and happiness. I wonder if I meant anything to him. But, I reminded myself, with a sudden feeling of triumphant elation, I was one of them, be that as it may. He found me appealing, he had kissed me, and this was something id hold onto, despite what may happen. I glanced at him, and he caught my eye. He kissed me again, but I pulled away, still wanting the upper hand in whatever these new romantic feelings between us were. whatever relationship we had now, I wanted to leave him thinking. It was narcissistic, and a bit childish. But it consoled some of my worries. I chided myself for having these worries. there are so many things I could be worried about, and this was of the most minuscule of problems. I should be grateful. I smiled. I was. I slowly pulled myself up, and he grabbed my wrist lightly, then let it brush against my arm, as he let go, seeing id stood up. I looked down at him, and he propped himself up on his arms. "Must we go?" I nodded. "We must." he kissed my fingers, and I looked up in wonder of how the world could treat me in such a kind way, in this moment. then he pulled himself up, no thanks to me and my tiny arm strength. as he took my neck and pulled me in again with another one of those kisses, I tried not to totally melt, and be in control. I moved my lips a few inches apart, still nose to nose, with my eyes closed. "Mmm. We shouldn't." I said. kiss me again. lets never let this stop. let's run away and just be in love for eternity and you can kiss me all day long if you like, and we can have babies and a life full of this feeling. "why shouldn't we?" he asked. "because." I couldn't really think. "yes, Emma?" I liked the way he said my name. "because of summer." Now he looked at me, confused. "what?" I chuckled and hoped I didn't sound stupid. "You know, I don't really trust myself in the summer, everything's too perfect, and you're not helping. and I'm not apathetic, everything has a lot of meaning to me."  He looked down and smiled. "I know what you mean. but I hate apathy. it's underrated." he kissed me again, and I pulled away, for the third time now. "Emma." he said, and this time I couldn't help but fall, and we stayed there, for quite some time, against a tree, and I let myself feel again, and he seemed to relieve me of all my thinking. I took his hand and led him to the bikes, this time, we really did need to leave. before we took off, I noticed I was still dripping wet, my dress hadn't dried, and it would be quite difficult to bike in. He noticed this too, and chuckled, tossing me his tee-shirt he had still not put on. "put this on, ill turn around, don't worry." I smiled to myself and watched as he turned around to face the creek, and I unzipped myself and took off my dress, and pulled on his shirt, a plain white tee shirt. I was sure I looked stupid, with my wet hair and in a tee-shirt and nothing else. "Okay." he turned around and looked me up and down, grinning. "This was your idea, I said protesting at the look on his face, and I felt a little bit embarrassed. He shook his head and said nothing, just got on the bike. I tied my dress on my handlebar, and we biked together, out of the trees and back onto the road through the fields, the stars and moon as our only form of light.