erik menendez // if you love me..don't let go

chapter five

For some reason I was stressing so much about hanging out with Erik. I could not decide on what to wear or how to do my hair or makeup. He was literally just a friend that I was hanging out with, why was I so nervous? I even skipped lunch so maybe I would look less bloated. But now I was starving and my stomach was making so much noise.

Finally putting my weird feelings aside, I put on a plain red bikini and threw on a large white tee over me that covered my butt. I may or may not have stolen it from Dad's closet.

There was no set time for the plan and I didn't see him the rest of the day at school to ask. So as one does, I went outside to my backyard and soaked up all the sun left. It was still early September, so the sun was still out and glowing every day. I needed to make use of it.

"Hey, Scarlett!" I heard a voice yell out for me. An all too familiar voice.

I looked up to see, obviously, Erik on the other side of our shared white picket fence. His elbows were leaned against the fence as he bent over slightly.

"Oh, hey!" I got up from my little perch on the sun bed and walked over.

"Looks like you're ready to come over." Erik said once I reached him. His eyes quickly grazed over my body from the bottom to the top, heating my cheeks pretty quickly.

"Looks like I am." I chuckled, mostly to myself. "Uh, should I walk around the block? Or.." I trailed off.

"No no. Can you hop over?" Erik asked. I looked at the fence. I wasn't that short. 5'5. Yet the fence was pretty tall compared to me.

"Gosh." I muttered to myself, but loud enough for him to hear.

"May I?" He suggested. I looked up to see his hands reached over the fence, like he was going to embrace me. Excepting my fate, I nodded my head. Before I had time to think, he had a strong embrace on my waist and he lift me up into the air before setting me down on the grass on the other side of the fence. I felt like a baby, not being able to pull myself over the fence. And my hands going on his shoulders brought me back to being a little kid with Dad. His hands lingered a bit on my waist, burning my skin before he eventually let go, leaving me somewhat disappointed. 

I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding in. "Wow, you're strong" I teased him, not realizing I was probably flirting. But from the way he smirked at that and lightly laughed, I think it was okay.

"I think maybe you just weigh nothing." (GUYS PLS DONT GET MAD AT ME FOR THIS, I DONT MEAN THIS IN A "oh im so tiny haha" WAY I MEAN IT IN LIKE A CUTE HES BEING SILLY WAY PLSSSSS) He teased back. He bit his lip though and his cheeks turned red which I thought was the cutest thing. It was like he was nervous. "But I like the fact you think I'm strong." He puffed out his chest as a way of showing his pride, feeling a bit more confident, and at that I rolled my eyes. But I do think he's quite strong. I was finally able to get a good look at him and he was wearing a white muscle tee and blue swimming trunks. Lets just say, that tee did him justice. He was what, only 17? And it looked like he'd been working out his whole life. My mind wandered to what it might feel like to have those biceps wrapped around me, but I quickly shooed that thought away. I was just standing in front of a hunky guy, every girl would think like that if they were in my position.

Soon I realized I probably was staring. But if I was, Erik either didn't seem to notice, or he just was too shy to say something. He seemed like the shy person so I'll resort to that option, although I didn't really like it as much as the first. "Well, where are the others?" I asked, trying to divert the conversation to the main point of why I was here.

***

"Can we get into the pool now?" I asked Erik. We've been sitting on his lawn with him, his brother, and their friends for the past what felt like an hour. Erik claimed that we had to wait for the pool to heat up. "Please?" I now pleaded.