*FREE WITH PAID BONUS CHAPTER*After being dumped by her boyfriend, Elodie Shepherd resigns herself to loving her older brother's best friend from afar, just like she always has, even though he only sees her as his best friend's immature kid sister.
...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We stayed until the sun dipped low behind the horizon, everyone taking turns on the cliffs above and diving into the frigid waters below.
The sky was a purple and orange hued masterpiece and lit up the faces of those around me in a honey-alabaster glow that brought a smile to my lips despite the fevered cord in my blood that had begged me to jump from the cliffs in the first place.
The first time, my body sang with freedom and lightness. The recurring five jumps were more about fun than anything, though.
Fun, and taking my mind off of what was in store for me back home, back at school.
Just as the area cleared out of the families and stray swimmers, Phoebe and Zeke swam out to the center of the quarry and headed one last time for the rushing spray of water to duck behind it and scale the rock wall to jump before we left.
Lan and Dorian remained close beside Matthew and water wrestled while I surfaced the rippling edge of the water and made for the bank, body tired and mind (almost) calmed down.
My short circuit mental health crisis had turned into a day filled with fun and happy memories, which wasn't often the case, but I wasn't one to question the universe when things turned positive or went my way.
I had just strode out of view of everyone to duck behind piece of the mountain that jutted outward when a shadow fell upon me.
His hair was stuck to the side of his face and as he shook it out, I could practically feel the drool dripping down my chin.
The sharp cut of his jawline was highlighted by the rapidly falling sun casting a golden sheen across his deeply tanned skin and just barely there five o'clock shadow.
"Hey," I said weakly, my voice betraying me and the sheer attraction that I felt toward Matthew in that moment, but I just couldn't help myself. He was standing there, shirtless, and I hadn't even allowed my gaze to dip further, down his chest to that chiseled abdomen and then that slight dusting of hair that led to his impeccable-
Yep. And I was officially staring.
"Hey," he replied, voice equally as affected, though his need was shown through the gravel in his voice.
"So...what was all this about, anyway?" he asked, motioning toward the waterfall and the cliffs and the reservoir behind him.
I took it all in, my friends laughing and having a great time, the rush of adrenaline and mind numbing medicine I'd received from jumping, the cool sting of air across my skin that brought up chills along my flesh as the promise of fall and winter bit through the skies. I took it all in, and I smiled.
"I don't know, I think I just needed to get away for a little bit. Life's become too stressful lately, with everything, and I just needed a break."
