The Things That Make Us

Chapter 16

Hannah

I wake up to a door slamming and a loud grunt.

  "God damnit, I don't wanna see this." Seb's voice booms through the pool house.

  I open my eyes and sit up a bit, just in time to see my cousin close his eyes and cover them with his hands. I can't help but laugh, even though it's awkward as hell for both of us. I pull up the blanket around my body a bit, realizing I'm naked, and then I nudge Cannon. He's still fast asleep beside me.

  Shit. We obviously didn't mean to fall asleep last night after we had sex.

  "Seriously... this is... oh my god," Seb goes on, spinning around. He's huffing and puffing, facing away from us. "But... I'm a good guy, a good cousin, so please get dressed and get him out of here. My mom's up and I have no doubt she'll be out here in a few -"

  Cannon groans as I poke him again, to wake him. "What?"

    "Dude, I said my mom's awake and is likely going to come out here and make sure you're not in here," Seb tells him loudly.

  Cannon jumps up and falls out of the bed, fully naked. "Shit."

  I giggle and pull up the blanket around my shoulders again. I appreciate him looking out for us. "Thanks, Seb."

  Eyes still closed, Seb nods and waves before leaving the pool house, slamming the door behind him.

  When I lean over to grab my shirt from the floor, Cannon is already getting fully dressed, a panicked look on his face. His hair is a mess but I am able to stop to appreciate his body as he pulls on his shirt.

   "I cannot get caught in here," he tells me, pulling up his shorts a moment later.

   "You better go," I tell him, but I don't want him to go, at all.

   He nods, with his a worried look on his face. His eyebrows are drawn together when he comes around to the other side of the bed, where I am still half laying down. He drops my pants onto the bed and then leans down and kisses me. It's quick and nice and not at all how he kissed me last night.

  "I'm sorry I fell asleep." His voice is serious and he's already backing away.

  "No, it's okay. We both did," I tell him. It's the truth.

  "You're gonna get in trouble if I don't leave now," he goes on.

  I nod. I don't wanna agree, but he's right. "Okay."

  "Beach later?"

  I smile and grab for his hand, so I can kiss him again. "Yeah."

  "Okay. See you in a bit."

  I nod again and feel completely helpless as my stomach clenches tightly because he's moving towards the door.

  And then he's gone.

  I shower and go up to the house before 8am. Erin is looking at me carefully as she plates some pancakes and then she smiles. Somehow, it feels like she knows what I did last night, in the pool house. I mean, I know she doesn't know, but still.

  "How was the fair?" she asks instead.

  "So fun. We had a good time," I answer, stabbing a pancake with a fork.

   Erin turns towards me and looks at me with a look that I haven't seen before. "I took you and Seb to the same fair when you were little. Three, maybe. You sat on the carousel horse... so happy and proud."