Lavender

Chapter Four

Waking up the next day is much easier than the previous morning, and I start the day off in my usual way- running. Routine helps my stress levels immensely.

Classes fly by and before I know it, Theo is putting his freshly washed truck into park in my driveway. Sunshine sends rays of colors off the black paint.

Dropping everything off on my dining room table, we grab the Polaroid cameras that we rented from the library at school and bring them to the beach behind my house. The ocean is calm today, so you can see through the blue-green water straight to the sandy bottom.

We snap shots of pretty colored seashells, waves cresting and creating a spray of white foam, our feet covered in the sand we ran through, seaweed discarded on the shore by the angry waves from the day before, squawking seagulls flying through the open sky waiting for someone to drop a piece of food, the long wooden pier jutting out into the ocean, and each other smiling while we stand mid-calf in the water.

Both out of breath from running around for some "candid" pictures, I plop down in the sand next to where he's sitting with his toes in the water.

"I'm glad the pictures worked out. They actually look pretty cool!" He says flipping through his stack.

"I think so too! But it made me hungry for sure. Do you like Chinese? We can get it delivered and watch a movie on demand or something!" I suggest, hoping he will stay.

"Sounds good to me." He stands up and holds his hand out to help me up.

He hoists me up easily, and follows me back inside.

"I'm just going to go change into something not covered in sand and water really quick." I say and run upstairs to quickly tame my windblown hair and slip into a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a floral printed silk tank top.

Theo is on the back patio shaking off his shirt when I come back downstairs. His muscles flex and ripple while he tries to get all the sand off.

"I may have a big t-shirt that will fit you," I say, poking my head out the door.

"That would be nice. My shirt is soaked." He smiles and I guide him upstairs to my bedroom.

I just want to get the guy a nice clean shirt, I swear!

Making himself comfortable, he leans back on my bed with his arms propping up his head and looks around my simply decorated room, while I grab the shirt from my packed closet. He takes it from me and pulls it over his head.

I'm sad to see his beautiful abs and pecs go back into hiding underneath the shirt. What was I thinking, suggesting such a thing as wearing a shirt?

We move back down stairs to pick out a movie and settle on some action comedy before our food from Golden Buddha is delivered.

I sit on the couch, a few inches away from him, trying hard not to notice the comforting heat radiating off of his body, and instead, focusing on the film.

Halfway through my sesame chicken and rice I am so full I could puke. Theo sets his empty cartons aside and leans back on the couch, resting his hand on his stomach. I feel really tired, so I lean back and mimic his actions.

I don't realize it, but sometime later, my head falls onto his shoulder, and then I see nothing.

"Matthews." A soft voice wakes me.

Something shifts beneath me, and I feel my self slipping further into the couch.

I open my eyes and see that my head is in Theo's lap, my legs are curled up beside me.