June has only one more summer before she marries her high school sweetheart. She intends to make the most of it, but she has no idea what is waiting for her in Dolphin Coast. Socks on the Beach is a tale of steamy love, jaw-dropping heartbreak, and...
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"I've never s-smoked before." He held the joint and lighter awkwardly, palms upturned and gripping each between thumb and pointer finger. I took a hit from my dab pen, coughing to conceal a laugh.
We were outside but close to the back porch, its dim light illuminating the highlights of Nate's shadowy form.
I reached out, grazing my fingertips against his as I regained control of the lighter. His proximity sent a buzz through my body, and I stepped closer. My sandy footprints were inches from his.
Despite my better judgment, I was enjoying having an excuse to be so close. Close enough to feel his breath on my bare shoulder. Tickling.
"I'll light it for you. Just inhale, okay?" I suggested and Nate nodded, tucking the joint in between his glistening lips. The crunchy click of the lighter's wheel set his face aglow and I admired the way that he pulled his first hit, eyes serious but cheeks puffed. It was cute.
With a cupped hand to protect the open flame from the ocean breeze, I watched the gleam of his dewy, relaxing eyes, a lighthouse on the warm summer night.
"Easy, cowboy," I giggled. "I'd stop hitting a-and just hold that one in... Yup... 'kay, now exhale."
After a losing battle against it, Nate's body crumpled at the hip, consumed in a coughing fit. Bursts of violent smoke erupted from his contracting throat.
"If you're coughin', it's workin'!" I coached, a smile dancing on my lips.
"That was... awful!" Nate whined and I laughed, remembering my first time.
"That's what I thought, too. Pearl and I both cried right after, if you can believe it! We swore we'd never do it again."
"Why did you? Do it again... I mean." Nate's curious voice was soft and I melted.
Nate is fucking baked.
"Well," I began through a poorly repressed smile. "I liked how I felt, I guess. Speaking of which, how do you feel?"
His red-ringed, dead-eyed stare would've been creepy if it hadn't been for the lazy grin dancing on his lips. He blinked at me slowly, still holding the air-snuffed joint in between awkward fingers.
"How do I know... if it worked?"
Oh honey...
"It worked. Now c'mon," I replied as I smirked at him, plucking the bud from his fingers and resting it between my lips.
As we walked, the beach transformed into a grey-scale field of disintegrated moon rocks. Liminal.
Earth felt thousands of miles away in that moment. Reality, too.
"What's the deal with the husband?" Nate pried after a few minutes of relative silence.
Ugh.
Luckily, I'd spent some time on my answer to that one and I'd found the one and only Get Out of Jail Free Card.
