Summer Forever

19.

Last Summer

I lay on the bed, my skin hot and slick with sea water and sweat. The sun had been scalding all day, followed by a sun shower, which meant the night was humid. The air stuck to me like a cloth of heat, and no matter how many times I took a cold shower or jumped into the ocean, it only stuck to me hotter.

"We should've gone to your place," I groaned.

Everett lay beside me, inches away. The mattress wasn't big enough for the two of us to lay spread eagle the way we were, but I took measured care to keep my arm a millimetre from his. Even with the distance between us, I could still feel the heat of his body mingling with the humid air and invading my skin.

"I like your room," he replied. "It's got character."

I sighed, fanning my face with a hand, but it only blew hot air onto my sweaty forehead. "Your room's got an aircon. I'd argue that's better than character."

"You're being a big baby. It's not that hot," he replied. He shifted, turning to face me and I tilted my head, meeting his eye. His hair stuck to his face, the sweat on his skin making him glow. I scowled.

"Easy for you to say. You can take your shirt off."

He looked down at his exposed chest before smirking at me. "Hey, be my guest. No one's going to stop you here."

I rolled my eyes. He was teasing me, but I didn't care. I wriggled on the mattress, grabbing the hem of my shirt, and pulling it off my skin, tossing it onto the floor.

When I looked back at Everett, he was staring wide-eyed at my chest.

"Eyes up here, mate." His eyes flashed up to meet mine and I grinned. "Or maybe another punch to the face will remind you?"

"I think I remember it pretty vividly." He rubbed his jaw in memory of our first meeting. He pouted at me. "I forgot that you were wearing a bikini."

I snorted. I knew he'd forgotten, or we wouldn't have teased me so arrogantly. I tugged at the bikini string holding it all together. "I can take that off too if you'd like."

"Oh, I would like."

Laughing, I flopped back onto the bed, decidedly keeping my bikini on. "Of course, you'd like."

"Not my fault you've got amazing—"

"Everett!"

"What? I was going to say eyes. They're just so compelling."

"Of course, they are."

His hand traced up my bare stomach before stopping at my waist in a hug. I groaned, shoving his arm off of me.

"What?" he whined.

"It's hot."

"I want to cuddle."

"It's too hot to cuddle, you big baby."

"It's never too hot." His hand trailed over my skin again and I pushed it away, turning to glare at him. He smiled back. "Well, if it's too hot to cuddle, maybe we can do some other things."

"It's too hot to do anything."

He was silent for a moment. Outside, cicadas sang, a signal of summer's arrival. Beyond the chirping, the washing of waves cut through the night, almost lulling me to sleep. Almost.

"It's a shame you don't have an aircon in here," Everett said.

I frowned at him. "Yeah. We established that."