I LIVE THIS, I BREATHE THIS, YOU CRAVE IT

CHAPTER 11: Long Night Pt. 1

Since the boys didn't have any plans for the day after the sleepover, we decided to make some. It was an especially hot day, even for Florida, so we had all decided on a beach day. Rhea and I started preparing the snacks and drinks for the day while the boys went to buy a pair of swim trunks since they didn't bring theirs and they didn't want to each go home to get them. I basked in the domesticity of it all: making little sandwiches with Rhea in our kitchen, getting ready for a beach day with our friends, and the dogs jumping around us in excitement because they knew what was happening. I let myself get lost in the little things. It's been a long time since I've been able to truly ignore the dark thoughts that haunted me. Even if they weren't completely gone (probably never would be as long as I know Michael is still out there), they were tucked away where they couldn't bother me. At least not today.

"You better go get changed, babe. They should be back soon," Rhea yelled from the front porch as she lugged a couple of bags into the truck. I had just been finishing up with the clean-up.

"Okay!" I yelled back as I dried my hands with a dish towel and threw it on the counter.

Once I was upstairs, it didn't take long to find my bikinis. I didn't have a large variety but I was still having trouble figuring out which one I wanted to wear. I had a black bikini with subtle white swirly designs in one hand and in the other, I had a dark green one with gold detailing. I hadn't worn the black one in a while but the green one was my favorite.

"Wear the black one," Rhea suddenly said from the doorway.

"Fuck!" I jumped and turned around with my hand over my beating heart. She knows better. "Goddamn it, Rhea, don't do that," I laughed. "I damn near had a heart attack."

She grinned, clearly amused by my reaction, and began walking over to me and wrapped her arms around me from behind. "Sorry," she said followed by a light kiss on the side of my neck. "The black one."

"You know not everything has to be black and emo," I joked as I threw the green one back in my drawer. She laughed along with me then left me with a peck on my head and started going through her stuff to find her bikini. It took her a fraction of the time it took me to find mine.

And low and behold, she had a plain black bikini in her hand. I shook my head and started undressing.

"Matchy matchy, huh?" I commented as I lifted my sleep shirt over my head.

Just as I started tying the neckstring of the bathing suit, Rhea came up behind me and took over. I silently lifted my hair off my neck to make it easier. "Everyone will know who you belong to," she whispered in my ear.

My knees nearly buckled at her comment and my breathing quickened. I could feel her smile more than see it when she observed my reaction. Sometimes I wanted to hate how much power she had over me, but how could I when she used it so perfectly?

"Hand me the bottoms," she said when she was finished with the top. I grabbed them from the top of the dresser and held them out to her. "Go ahead and take those off."

I turned around to face her and slipped off my sleep shorts as she asked. Kneeling down in front of me, she held the bottoms out for me to slip my legs in. The sight of her on her knees in front of me stirred a different kind of fire inside me and I realized that we hadn't swapped positions in a long time. Lately, this dynamic had been about me and taking the weight off of my shoulders. But sometimes I didn't mind being in control. And sometimes Rhea didn't mind giving it up. I made a mental note to address that later.

Right now, I was more than enjoying the feeling of her hands on me. She took her time sliding the bottoms up my legs, letting her fingers linger on my skin and caressing my hips. I could melt into a puddle right here and now.