Never the Right Time

Chapter 22 Sophia POV

Unfortunately for me summer seemed to be flying by. I had a part time job at a bookstore in town. It was amazing. I sat and looked at books all day and on my off days, I basically lived at the beach. I wasn't looking foreword to going back to the reality of school and even worse, Mark.

I had barely heard from him all summer. He had texted me, telling me that he was taking a ton of summer classes, to get a jump on his degree, so that he could finish sooner and help with the baby. But since then, I hadn't heard from him. I also hadn't fully reached out. I was too far away to actually help him, if for some crazy reason he did need me. I needed the space to get my head clear.

I was so excited for the Fourth of July weekend. It was always a huge event in town and thankfully, my boss, Mr. Cassidy was closing the shop for the entire weekend. I had made plans to go to the bonfire at the beach and see a bunch of my friends from high school. My ex, Joel, had been trying to cosy up to me all summer and I wasn't against the idea of flirting or even "hanging out" with him again. He had put on a decent amount of muscles in the year since I saw him last and I was all for it.

Maybe a fling was all I needed to forget about Mark. I'm just going to keep telling myself that until its true.

The next night, I pulled on my jean cut offs and red tank, I put on some mascara and a little gloss and  slid some sandals on my feet. I  walked myself down to the beach and vowed to forget about all my problems and enjoy the holiday.

Thankfully it was easy to find my friends, who cheered when they saw that I had joined the group. My best friend, Stephanie was already pretty buzzed when she threw herself into my arms.

"I've missed you so much! Tonight is going to be a blast!" She yelled over the music. "Joel's got a cooler full of beer around here somewhere. Go get you one and get on my level!"

I couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Alright drunky I'm on it!"

I only walked around for a second when I felt I pair of arms wrap around me and pull me in the opposite direction.

"Hey babe" a familiar voice purred in my ear.

I turned around and let myself be pulled into his body.

" hey Joel, fancy seeing you here." I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck, "I heard you had the beer."

"Ahh you're looking for the good stuff. You were informed correctly good lady, but only for a small price." He joked

I couldn't help the giggles that irrupted from my mouth. He can get all muscled, but he will always be a nerd at heart.

Playing along, "a price you say? Whatever shall it be?" I said in the best Scarlett O'Hara voice I could muster.

" the fair maiden must give me a kiss!" He said with a little bravado.

I pulled his face down towards me and kissed him hard. He eagerly returned the kiss until we finally broke apart panting,

"The lady can have all the beers and more with a kiss like that." He breathed in my ear.

"Awww so sweet" I said as I patted him on the head and extracted myself from his arms. I easily found the cooler not too far behind him. "You're such a goof" I told him as I cracked open the can.

"Yea, but you wouldn't have me any other way." He laughed.

I laughed as I took a sip. He draped an arm around my shoulders.

"I've missed you babe. Where have you been all summer?" He asked

"The bookstore and the beach. I could ask you the same thing."

"I've been working with my dad all summer. He is basically a slave driver and all I do is pour concrete and sleep."

"Ahh is that why you're all muscles now?" I giggled, "you're missing out, Joel. Ive been living the good life."

"Oh you like my muscles do you?" He said with a little flex of his arm.

I threw my hands in the air, " alright put the guns away!"

He burst out laughing, "if I did, who would protect you from all the shady guys out here?"

" something tells me that you're the only shady character I need to watch out for."

He put his hands to his heart, " you wound me fair lady!"

I put my hand on his face a smacked him softly, "  if you behave, you might get some help with that wound later." I said wiggling my eyebrows at him.

He held up the Boy Scout salute, " on my honor!" And then pulled me over to a seat by the fire.

The rest of the night we all drank and laughed the different stories being told. Joel told us a couple of good drunk stories of him talking his way out of fights. I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that only Joel could get talk himself into and out of the same fight. He hadn't ever ceased to be a ridiculous person and it was part of what was so endearing about him. As the night progressed, we continued to be attached at the hip. He was constantly pulling him into his lap or tickling me. The tipsier he became the bolder he became.

I had stood up and walked to the edge of the group to start collecting my purse and phone. Joel pulled me aside and wrapped his himself around my back. He turned me so we were facing away from everyone and looking at the water. I shivered at his breathe on my neck.  He kissed his way down from my ear to my shoulder. As he did so, he wiggled a hand under the waistband of my shorts and easily found my clit. He lightly grazed it as he whispered in my ear.

"Want to get out of here?"

My breathing was starting to get a little ragged as he continued to play with my most sensitive nerve endings. All I could do was nod. He slid slowly out of my shorts, grabbed my hand and we all but ran back to my house.