Wait for You (wlw) (Bitter spin-off)

eighteen

Vic's pov

"This place is nice, why is it basically empty?" Mei asked as we left our stuff under a beach umbrella.

"I don't really know, I've sometimes been here with Ellie and we were literally the only ones. I guess it's because there's a bigger swimming pool not far away from here and people prefer that one" I said. 

"Looks like we're alone here today too" she said, looking around. "Which is a good thing"

"Yeah?" I raised a brow.

"Yeah" she nodded, leaning towards me to kiss me and move her hands to my ass. "I couldn't do this if people were watching"

"Maybe you're right" I chuckled, kissing her back.

It'd been almost a month since things between us had started to be more than friends who happened to have slept together a few times. We'd been spending most days together, alone or with our respective friend groups, and by then holding hands and kissing each other every few minutes had become the norm.

She'd still never brought up any label conversation, and I didn't want to be the first one to initiate one because maybe she didn't feel ready for that, but as long as we both were happy with our situation, all was good.

Ellie would have probably told me something like "You're not learning from your mistakes" by not having the conversation, and that was why I hadn't even told her about what was happening between us. I knew it was morally wrong because we'd always tell each other literally everything, but I just wanted to have a little secret for once. Plus, I was somewhat scared that if I told someone about it, I'd jinx it and something that ruined it all would happen. Which I knew was irrational, but I couldn't help it.

What I had with Mei felt different, maybe better, than the initial stages of a relationship or whatever we wanted to call it I'd had with anyone. It was as if I was naturally drawn to her and her vibrant energy, her kindness, her smiles that were able to put anyone in a good mood and her enthusiasm about so many things. But I also felt some sort of connection to her ever since she'd started to show me her more reflective side, when she'd allow herself to be more vulnerable around me and tell me stuff she didn't want other people to know.

I'd come to understand that actual, deep feelings, especially negative ones, were something she wasn't comfortable at all with. And as much as she'd tried to deal with it in the past, the only effective way of doing that during that year was picking up bad habits such as binge drinking.

She told me it'd been getting better over the summer and I was happy to hear that, and I liked to think that I'd played a small part in it. Maybe not, though.

"Can you help me put some sunscreen on my back?" Mei asked, removing her t-shirt.

"Uh, sure" I said. No matter how long had passed, the sight of her body would always make my brain temporarily black out. "I never realized you had so many back muscles"

"Well, I've been having more time to train" she chuckled as I spread the cream on her skin. "Now you have something more to stare along with my biceps"

"What? I don't-"

"You think I don't notice?"

"I...whatever" I embarrassingly mumbled. "Let's just get in the pool" I said as I stripped down to my bikini.

As much as I'd literally gotten naked in front of her multiple times, wearing so little in front of her in the broad daylight suddenly made me a little more self-conscious about my body.

"Yes please, it's so hot out here" she said, placing her hands on my waist as we walked to the poolside. "You look great" she added, briefly kissing the side of my neck. Spending time with Mei never failed to give me a confidence boost.