Summer and May

Chapter Twenty-Nine: May

"Tell me you're having a good time tonight, Birthday Girl." Brooks said, spinning me once on the dance floor.

"I'm having a great time." I smiled, keeping an eye on Summer.

He tightened his grip around me. "Now try telling that to your face."

I peered up at him, realizing I had my concerned face on. Recovering with a chuckle, I tried focusing only on him. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Summer."

"No need to apologize. But it's your birthday, so you better be enjoying it." He smiled widely, spinning me once more, then leading me towards the lakefront. He held my hand the entire time. His hands were so much bigger than mine.

We sat there quietly for a minute, enjoying the moon reflecting off the water. Brooks and I had a lot of fun together at his lake house last weekend. We always enjoyed each other's company, and because we knew each other so well, we silently agreed to take all of this uncharted territory slow. I appreciated that he wasn't pushing it, and was making tonight about... me. It felt nice.

"Well, as fun as last weekend was... I vote to not go swimming again." I giggled, staring out at the water.

Brooks beamed, tilting his head towards me. "Deal. But, if we ended up kissing like that again... I don't think I'd be mad."

I met his expression, mirroring the smirk on his face. "Was that an invitation?"

We were fully facing one another now, separated by just inches. The corner of his lips turned up when our eyes met. "You did promise me a sober kiss." he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Are you sober?" I nodded. "On your birthday?" I nod again. His shoulders sagged when he realized why. "Is it because you're watching over Summer?"

I gazed towards the party, thankful Summer was having fun, appearing to joke around with Alec and the others. "A little bit. It also may be because I've been bored to death with you." I teased, pinching his shirt.

He hummed out a laugh, leaning closer. "Let me fix that, then." My heart jumped slightly when he came closer, hovering just before my lips. I was a mix of nerves, and that unexplainable feeling you get when you're about to kiss someone for the first time. He made sure to lock eyes with me before he kissed me, softly at first. Our lips lingered together, and my nerves vanished with each second.

I didn't imagine it would feel good to kiss Brooks. I figured it would be awkward, silly, or too friendly. But his lips offered a comfort that I didn't expect. Sparks didn't fly, time didn't stop, but I had no problem welcoming more of myself to him. He picked me up just slightly, landing me on my feet softly. Pressing his forehead to mine, he laughed once.

"Did that make your night any better?"

I grin. "Yes."

"Good. That means you're going on a date with me this weekend."

"Oh?" I squint at him, feigning suspicion. 

He nodded with certainty. "It'll be low pressure and fun. I'll pick you up at seven. Now let's go back, I think your party is dying down."

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Summer didn't let me clean anything up, but she did request the night to herself. It was a first; Summer preferring to be alone. She hugged me, thanked me for my honesty, but it felt half-hearted. I wasn't able to tell if her sadness was because of what I said, or because of Jeremy. Either way, I hoped for the best.

Dad was asleep when I got home at two a.m., the leftovers from my birthday cake packaged up on the table. I headed to the bathroom to freshen up before bed, catching myself in the mirror as I removed my makeup. I was eighteen.