“Mom, I already told you a million times: I’m going to be ok. You can go on your vacation, I’m safe.”
“But…” her big blue eyes stared at me with desperation.
“No buts, go! Give me a call once you get there!” I pushed her towards her car while she complained.
After 5 more minutes of talking and convincing, she finally left. I accompanied her by gaze until she turned on the corner. Smiling to myself, I ran back to the house. Finally, it’s all mine. For 2 weeks. Who knows what will happen?
Through all of her work, she got the break she needed so bad. Of course, she denied when I told her she would go crazy if she didn’t stop for a few days, but I managed to convince her. She was going to our beach house, and I had to stay because of school.
I locked the door behind me, running upstairs and preparing myself a bubble bath. As I sipped on my can of soda, there was a loud knock on the front door. Shit. Who just drops by unannounced, and exactly while I’m taking a bath?
I put a towel around my body and ran downstairs, asking who was there. The husky tone I’d learned to like ever since the reunion made me smile, and I opened the door.
“What you doing here, Bradley?”
He analysed me from H to T, smirking then.
“Up here, jackass.” I snorted and he laughed.
“I’m sorry. I kinda forgot why I’m here…”
“Stop it, seriously. Come on in, mom is already gone and I don’t like to keep the door open for too long. Especially in the “condition” I am.”
He got in and I closed the door again.
“So, remember why you’re here?”
“I was going to invite you for the party I’m having later.”
“Where?”
“My house.”
“Where’s aunt Megan? And what about Caroline?”
“They’re out. I have absolutely no idea where the hell did they go, but in the note it said they’ll only be back by tomorrow evening. I guess there’s nothing wrong in enjoying this amount of time properly.” he winked with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
“Dirty little boy. I can’t believe you’re my cousin. We have quite nothing in common.”
“That’s why we’re cousins, not siblings.” he laughed slightly, and I showed my tongue to him in a quite childish moment.
“What time is the party?”
“It’ll probably start at 8, dunno for sure. Drop by any time you want, Hell.”
“Why do you insist on calling me Hell?”
“Cause your name is Heloise. And cause you’re a real temptation.” he winked once again, leaving then.
“Jerk.” I mumbled to myself, going back to my bath.
*
It was 8:30 and I knocked on Brad’s door lightly. I could hear the noise of conversation and music in the back yard, and it became even louder once the door was open.
“You came!” Brad smiled, grabbing my hand and kissing it.
“Hello, Bradley.” I pulled my hand back and he stuck out his lip, pouting. I laughed. “Sorry, babes. Can I come in?”
“Sure, everyone’s in the back yard.”
“Yeah, I heard them. Are you sure your mom and your sister aren’t coming back tonight yet?”
“A hundred percent. Mom called me like 5 minutes before everyone arrived, confirming that they’d spend the night away.”
“Did you ask where they went?”
“Oops, forgot again.”
“Dear God, Simpson, is there any brain left under the curls?”
“I don’t think so.” he laughed, dragging me. “Let’s dance!”
“I’m kinda not in the mood, Brad.”
“If you want I can put you exactly in the right mood, baby.” he winked seductively, and I burst out laughing.
“You? Put me… in the mood?” I laughed even harder pronouncing the words, and Brad glared at me.
“Are you saying you doubt my skills?” he stepped closer and closer.
“Brad, remember? Cousins… Don’t look at me like that.” the words came out of my mouth, but I did absolutely nothing to change how our bodies were against one another.
“Didn’t you ever hear how God made cousins so that we wouldn’t hook up with siblings?” his cold breath hit the hot skin of my cheeks, and I let out a slight laugh.
“I’ve heard…”
“But don’t worry, I won’t do anything against your will.” he said, smiling and leaving me there, frozen against the wall.
“Son of a bitch.” I muttered, running my hands through my hair. I needed a drink.
Once I got to the bar that was set up by the pool, I decided against alcohol, asking for a simple Coke. I grabbed it and sat down in the opposite side of the pool, as far away from people as possible, with my feet in the water, and stayed there through the whole time.
“What’s up with you today?” Brad asked, handing me another Coke and sitting by my side.
“I don’t know…” I shrugged.
“Missing mommy, huh?” he said with a girlish voice.
“Stop it!” I laughed, hitting his arm.
“Why? It’s funny.”
“It’s not.”
“Then why are you laughing?”
“Because you are an idiot, I’m laughing at you.” I raised my brows, sarcastically.
“Oh, I’m an idiot? You’re the one missing your mommy and I’m the idiot?” his face was getting closer and closer, and I was unconsciously leaning in too.
“Exactly.”
We both stopped, our faces close enough that we could feel each other’s breaths. His breath was lightly smelling like a martini, and I loved it. It was making me dizzy, but I loved it.
Before I could think of doing anything to stop, Brad’s lips were pressed against mine. It didn’t go any further than that touch, but it was enough to make me want more.
We pulled apart, our gazes stuck in one another. In that moment, there was no one around, it was just me and him, as cliché as that sounds.
“This is wrong, Simpson.” I looked down at my hands, feeling a lump in my throat.
“If it was wrong, it wouldn’t make me want more.” his normally monotonous tone was now full of… feeling, I must say? “C’mon, Heloise, look at me.”
I forced myself into looking in to his bright brown orbs.
“Now, say that you don’t want more too.”
I was speechless. There wasn’t a single cell in my body that was willing to say that I didn’t want, because I wanted. It was weird? Yes. Forbidden? Of course. Wrong? Certainly.
But it couldn’t be that wrong if both of us wanted more. As I sat there without saying a single word, Brad took it as what I meant, pressing his lips against mine once more, but now his tongue caressed my lower lip, begging for entrance, which I vigorously allowed. The moment when our tongues touched one another, I felt my heart speeding up, filled with a warm feeling I had never felt before.
That feeling, that warmth, made me suddenly know that it wasn’t wrong, in any way, not stopping whatever the hell was happening right there and then.
