𝔖𝔞𝔩𝔱𝔟𝔲𝔯𝔫

𝔑𝔦𝔫𝔢

Venetia, Farleigh, Felix and Oliver had come in smelling like sunscreen and thistles. Elspeth and I had watched them from the upper balcony walking back up to the house, Oliver with his trunks back on and Felix and Farleigh with towels around them. Venetia held a robe close to her.

"Hurry in and get ready! Dinner will be served in forty minutes!" Elspeth called down. They all paused. Farleigh put his hand in front of his face, blocking his eyes from the sun.

"Would you like a hug, Maddy?" He called up to me. I shook my head and smiled.

"Not until you all shower!"

"I can't imagine how disgusting their skin must be. Drowning in sweat and cream and dirt."

Elspeth was mumbling to herself, but I was too busy watching Venetia and Felix make eye contact to listen. Suddenly, they started running for the house; for me.

I ran past Elspeth, hearing her gasp.

"Farleigh, look what you started!" She yelled.

I could hear Felix and Venetia laughing as I ran down the halls. I was just about to make it to a guest bedroom and shut the door when I felt arms around me. My head threw back laughing as Felix picked me up off of my feet. Venetia's hair flew in my face as she hugged me tight, both of their wet skin against mine.

"I can't believe you two." I said. Venetia started jumping up and down.

"Maybe this'll convince you to join us next time!" She said. I shook my head.

"Hardly doubt it." I mumbled.

Venetia patted me on my shoulders. She looked at me, then at Felix, then at me again.

"I'll see you two at dinner." She said.

When she left the room, Felix turned to stand in front of me. He put his hands on my face. I couldn't help but smile.

"Forgive me." He said.

If I was being honest, I wasn't mad at all. Felix could hug me naked with just a towel no matter how long he was sitting outside or how much he was sweating.

I put my hands on his wrists.

"I'm covered in sunscreen and sweat. I'm gonna have to re-shower."

I felt his head dipping down.

"Well, lucky for you..."

He kissed me soft.

"I have to shower as well."

I looked up at him, first thinking the boy was joking. But even behind his silly little smirk, I saw his eyes were very serious.

"You want to shower together before you have sex with me?" I clarified. Felix shrugged.

"We can go fuck right now if you want to."

I shook my head at his bluntness and scoffed.

Normally, I'd be all over Felix right now. But there was something about the way his sweat was still lingering on my skin from when he hugged me a few moments prior that was telling me no. I wasn't even sure if I was comfortable being completely naked in front of Felix like that yet. That was the whole reason I never sunbathe with them.

What if he saw something he didn't like? What if get ahead of myself I do something that turned him off? I was usually confident in my skin and had no problem with things like this with other guys.

But Felix wasn't any other guy.

"I think I'll shower on my own, Felix."

I kissed him again.

"Just this once." I whispered.

He threw his head back and closed his eyes. At first I thought he was going to be mad. But he brought his head back up, smiled, and kissed me on the forehead.

"I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

I nodded my head and watched as Felix left the room.

I felt like a kid again who had her first boyfriend. Not that he was my boyfriend, I didn't know what we were.

But it was something.