About last summer

Paddle-boarding

I opened one eye, annoyed that the sun was shining directly on my face. At some point during the night we'd moved positions and now I was lying in my back, with Abe laying on my chest.

He was kind of heavy, but I low key liked it.

I tried to move carefully and get my phone from the floor, but the sudden movement woke Abe up.

"Sorry, am I hurting you?" He mumbled sleepily.

"No, you're good" I replied, phone in hand, hurriedly texting my best friend Ellie back at home and letting her know what position I was currently in.

Abe fell back a sleep for a few more minutes, then rolled onto his back, so he was looking up into my face.

"How drunk was I last night?" he asked.

"Pretty drunk, I couldn't get you to bed"

"You should have just left me here".

"I'd never do that to you" I replied, absentmindedly playing with his curls.

Then it hit us both. What were we doing? He jumped up as I tried to push him off.

"I'm going to shower" he announced.

"Yeah, me too" and we beelined for the stairs, bumping into each other by the first step.

"You first" he said.

"Thanks" I replied quickly and ran into my room.

A million thoughts ran through my mind. What was that?! Yes, it was all I'd dreamed of since I was 14, but that was a dream. Why was Abe reciprocating?

I showered and returned downstairs to get some breakfast.

Abe was already in the kitchen whipping up omelettes and Jake sat at the breakfast bar.

"What do you want to do today?" Jake asked me, patting the chair next to him.

"Wow you actually want me to hang out with you?" I feigned fainting from shock and sat in the chair.

"You're actually pretty cool, sometimes anyway".

"One omelette, no cheese" Abe presented a plate in front of me but avoided eye contact.

"Thanks Abraham" I said awkwardly, annoyed I'd used his full name.

"Abraham?" Jake said, quizzically. "You two had a fight? I haven't called him Abraham since he lost your baseball and refused to try and find it".

"Slip of the tongue" I lied. "I fancy paddle-boarding today"

"Sounds like a plan" Jake replied, inhaling his omelette.

  "Why would you suggest paddle-boarding, if you can't paddle board?" Jake was getting frustrated as I struggled to get my balance.

"Just give me time!" I snapped back.

"I don't have forever, I'm going further out" Jake turned on his board and headed further out to sea.

"Just come on my board Miccie" Abe paddled back towards me on the shore.

"No it's okay, I've got this" I tried once more and failed to stand up.

Abe got off his board and grabbed my hand. "You don't have to be stubborn all the time you know".

He held his board in place and beckoned for me to climb on. Once I was on and standing, he climbed on behind me and passed me a paddle.

"Let's go" he said, starting to push us out towards Jake.

"I'm gonna fall" I said, feeling wobbly.

"You're not going to fall" he sighed.

"I am!"

"You're not, I've got you" he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I've always got you" he said more quietly.

I could hear my heart beating outside my chest and my skin was covered in goose bumps despite it being 90 degrees.

"See" Abe said, now I was steady. "Now paddle"

He let me go and we paddled out until we reached Jake.

After about 15 minutes, I got bored, and sat down on the board, my feet in the water.

Abe relented and sat down next to me, our legs touching just slightly. I wondered if he noticed.

"That's a sick yacht" he said, pointing to the huge boat in the distance. "I wonder who owns it"

"Probably some French millionaire who only takes his wife to Montecarlo and brings his hoe's down here" I replied.

"Your imagination is something else" he said, laughing.

"Well I am a writer" I said, nudging him softly.

"Are you looking forward to NYU?" He asked.

I nodded excitedly. "I can't wait. You excited to go back to LA?"

He shrugged. "Not really".

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it's 3000 miles from New York".

"Aw you gonna miss your favourite sister, not so sister?" I bit my bottom lip.

"Something like that".

"Yo! Stacey and Sammy are here!" Jake called out. Abe and I looked to the shore and could see them standing there in their bikini's.

I looked down at my halter neck bikini top and shorts combo and suddenly felt overdressed.

"Race you back to shore" Jake shouted, paddling away as quickly as he could.

"We can't lose to him you know" I said to Abe, getting up onto my feet and pulling him up after me.

"Oh I know, we won't hear the end of it".

So we raced and it was head to head until the last 10 metres or so.

Our board just about mounted the sand first.

"YES!" I screamed at the top of my voice, there was nothing more I loved than beating Jake. "We did it Abe!"

I turned to him and initiated the handshake I forced him to learn when I was 13. I was surprised he even remembered it.

It ended with a hug, which I didn't really want to pull away from.

"Hey Abraham" Sammy said from behind us and we quickly stepped apart.

"Hey" Abe replied and made his way over to her. She leaned up to kiss him and I may be mistaken, but he converted it to a kiss on the cheek.