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Twenty-Nine

With Billy's help, it didn't take long for Allison to learn the basics of swimming. By the time the sun had set and the moon had risen in the sky, she was able to tread water, keeping herself afloat alongside everyone else. Occasionally her arms and legs would grow tired and she would move closer to the shore, where her feet could touch the bottom. 

Billy had remained vigilant the entire time, making sure that Allison was never struggling. As darkness fell and it became harder for him to see, he kept himself within arms reach of her, just in case anything happened.  Eventually, everyone began to return to the bonfire one by one, leaving only a few people in the water, Allison and Billy included.

They locked eyes, as they shared the uncomfortable realization, that they were the only ones in the lake not making out with someone else. Allison glanced around at the couples and then back at Billy, giving him a nervous smile, before taking a deep breath and allowing herself to disappear underneath the water.

The silence below the surface, filled Allison with a sense of peace as she opened her eyes and looked up towards the sky. The stillness of the water made it easy for her to see the moon, but the view soon became blurred as a hand reached down, grabbing her arm and lifting her into the cold night air.

"Billy? What was that for?", Allison gasped, trying to look at Billy as she struggled to brush the wet hair out of her eyes.

"I was...I thought you were...you're fine?", Billy stammered, releasing his hold on her.

"Of course, I'm fine! Wait. You thought I was in trouble?", she asked, the corners of her mouth rising slightly.

"You've never swam before and you're drunk, what the hell was I supposed to think?", he hissed, taking a step back from her. Allison shook her head and moved towards him, reaching up to caress his cheek.

"It's okay, I think it's sweet that you care.", she cooed, bridging the gap between them. He responded by placing his hands on either side of her waist and pulling her closer until her wet body was pressed firmly against his. As he held her close, Allison could tell by the look of his face that he was deep in thought.

"Listen. About earlier in the car-", after several moments of quiet contemplation, Billy began to speak, avoiding eye contact as he did.

"It's okay!", Allison insisted abruptly, cutting him off.

"No, it's not okay!", he snapped, startling Allison. "I don't wanna be the guy who loses his shit and then acts like nothing happened, because if I become that guy then I'm just like my dad.", he lowered his voice, afraid that those nearby would witness his vulnerable side.

"Billy, you're nothing like your father. You had every right to be upset, I should have believed you when you said that you hadn't been back here since Halloween, but I doubted you, and that's not fair. I just want to know why."

"I don't know...because this is where we spent our first night together and bringing someone else here just felt wrong.", he shrugged.

"But having sex with another girl somewhere else didn't feel wrong?", she shot back, watching a pained expression flash across Billy's face.

"It did! I hated every fucking second of it, is that what you wanna hear? I thought that a meaningless hookup would distract me, but it just made me feel worse, and that shit never happened before I-", Billy cut himself of mid-rant, afraid of what he would admit to if he didn't get his emotions under control.

"Before what?", Allison softly pried, lifting her hand out of the water and placing it on the left side of his chest.

"Before I met you.", he confessed, watching her eyes widen in surprise. Billy's pulse began to quicken, until Allison could feel it thudding against her palm, prompting her own heart to pound loudly in her ears. 

They stared at each other's lips, their breath becoming heavy as they inched their faces closer together. Allison let out an airy gasp as Billy's hand found the side of her throat, the cold metal of his rings digging into her skin. He licked his lips hungrily and her eyes immediately fluttered shut, giving him complete control.

Billy tilted her chin upwards, admiring her under the moonlight. The tip of her nose was pink from the cold, while droplets of water glistened on her hair and eyelashes. Once the sight of her had been seared into his mind, he moved in slowly, until they were breathing the same air. As he let the tension between them grow, Allison furrowed her brow impatiently.

As Billy let out an amused chuckle, Allison desperately slammed her mouth against his, silencing him. It felt like every hair on her body was standing on end as he kissed her back, matching her intensity. Every lingering touch and stolen glance between the pair had led to this moment, making the kiss all that more pivotal to their relationship, as it marked a point of no return.

Allison was unable to think a single coherent thought as Billy filled her senses, the taste of his lips a combination of beer, cinnamon gum, and very faint cigarette smoke, while the smell of his cologne mixed with her floral shampoo, surrounding them. How she wished this had been her first kiss, unlike the sloppy mess that Billy had rescued her from months before.

Billy had been with many girls in his life, each one with far more experience than Allison, but somehow she made them all seem irrelevant. Her soft, wet lips parted slightly, allowing him to deepen the kiss, while his hands traveled down the sides of her body, landing on her hips. He lifted her up with minimal effort and Allison wrapped her legs around his waist, the buoyancy of the water helping to keep her in place. 

Everything around them faded away, as they got to know one another, unlike ever before. While their mouths danced in perfect rhythm, their hands explored each other's bodies, fondling, tracing, squeezing. Allison had seemed to enjoy everything Billy had done so far, and he decided to take a chance, gently biting her bottom lip.

"Woah!" Allison gasped in disbelief, trying to give her lungs the oxygen that they were so badly craving.

"Too much?", Billy asked, breathing heavily as his eyes scanned over her face, trying to understand what she was thinking.

"No.", she whispered, shaking her head. "Not enough...", she admitted hungrily, surprising both Billy and herself.  

"Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, why don't we continue this once we're both warm and dry?", he suggested with a grin, glancing back towards the shore.

"But-", Allison began to protest, not wanting the moment to end, but found herself interrupted by Billy's index finger being pressed firmly against her lips.

"It'll be worth the wait. I promise.", he crooned, lowering her down onto her feet, kissing her gently on the forehead, and then taking her hand to lead her out of the water.