Yours, Eternally(2015 Revision)

Chapter Fourteen

While I let Tyler and Kylie to sleep in, I started preparing for the barbeque, molding together hamburgers and marinating steaks. At ten thirty, an engine revved in the driveway. I washed my hands and my cell rang. “Hey,” I smiled as I answered. “You’re here early.”

“Yeah, I know, but I figured you’d need some help. I brought a few things too.”

“Just come around through the deck.” I ended the call and pulled open the sliding doors leading to the deck to let in the beautiful spring breeze, crisp smell of the rain shower lingering in the air.

Matt showed up in the doorway a moment later, pretending to be weighed down by the heavy bag in his arms. “Where do you want this stuff? It’s so heavy!”

I giggled. “On the counter's fine. What did you bring?”

“Beer and fruit salad. I'll just put them in the fridge.” He walked over to it and unpacked the bag, squatting down, which provoked me to steal a glance at the way pants tightened around his butt.

Matt snapped up, and I quickly turned back to the food, trying to play off my guilt. Matt came up behind me to give me a hug and peck on the cheek. I was careful not to make a mess of his blue shirt with my meat-covered hands and kept them away.

Matt pulled away and leaned up on the counter beside me, arms crossed over his broad chest, reminiscent of the night he first kissed me. “What were you looking at?”

“Nothing, I was just watching you put the stuff away. That’s all.” I kept my eyes down, playing with the ground meat in my hands.

“Yeah, okay.”

“No, really, I was making sure you didn’t need my help.”

“I am pretty sure you were staring at my butt. You know how you can just feel someone staring? Well, my butt felt your eyes on it. But, it’s alright, we’re even now.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Come on, you caught me. Just tell me.”

“Oh, so you were, huh? Well, you remember that day at the hospital, when you had the gown on?”

I already knew what he was going to say. “Oh, my God. Really?” I put my hands to my face to cover the “o” my mouth formed into. He nodded his head and was grinning ear to ear as the words came out of my mouth. “I tried so hard to cover up.” My face got hot and must have turned beet red because he started to laugh hysterically, holding his stomach.

“We're even now.” He was tearing up from laughing so hard. “So, did you enjoy your view?”

I playfully nudged him in the left ribs with my elbow since my hands were gross.

“Hey! I’m delicate!” He placed his hand over where my elbow met his side.

I gave him a unyielding look.

“Okay, Okay, no more teasing. I’m done. Why don't you take a break and we'll go outside?”

“We could.” I washed and dried my hands.

“Let's go on that.” Matt pointed to the swing set in the yard, a short distance from the deck. I bought it as a whim when I first moved in to appease my childhood memories. It takes me back to when things were so much simpler, being a kid and not having grown up responsibilities and worries, never knowing pain and loss. Growing up at my grandmother's, we had two swings chained around two gigantic branches that were on both sides of a tree house.