The River Speaks

Chapter Forty Four: Swimming

Chapter Forty Four: Swimming

"You know," Aiden says, walking over to me. "Something I wanted to add about our earlier conversation...I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if you weren't my type."
"I know." I say, reaching for him. He sits down next to me in the grass and I take his hand, playing with his fingers. He kisses my cheek and I smile.
"My Mom is going to be thrilled. She worships you." He says, and I smile.
"I feel like your Dad doesn't like me though." I frown.
"My Dad doesn't know you. He doesn't know me either."
I frown.
"Don't you want to know him?"
"Of course I do." He says. "But he's too far away. He came to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving and I don't think he's going to come again. I don't know." He shrugs. "He's...awkward around me."
I kiss his hand.
"You don't deserve that." I say softly.
"I'm good though." He says. "Your family feels more like family than my own does. I'm good with what I have. This-" he gestures between the two of us. "Is enough for me."
"Everyone wants a Dad though. And your sister...I mean, what if she has a baby? Don't you want to be an Uncle?"
He takes a deep breath and nods slowly.
"I've kind of accepted that that's not going to happen. I'd love to be an Uncle, but nobody trusts me enough."
"My siblings would." I say.
"That's true." He says. "Maybe. Unless they start digging for more information."
I scoff at that.
"I still can't believe they did that. How rude. Seriously, I won't forgive them."
"I'm not even mad." He says.
"Aiden, it's okay to be upset about it." I say, looking at him.
He blows out a breath.
"I'm not upset." He says. "I just wish they came to me. I wish they asked."
"Me too baby, me too." I pat his thigh.
He kisses my temple.
"You're the only person who has trusted me while knowing who I am."
"You're not that person anymore." I say. "I feel like I have to tell you that all the time. You do know you're not that person anymore, right?"
"Of course." He says. "But everyone else makes me feel like I am, and then I start to think that I am."
I move so I'm right in front of him and take his face in my hands.
"Truthfully..." I pause. "If you were that person, I would not be wearing this ring." I hold up my left hand.
He smiles a little bit and then hesitates.
"What if one day I start doing that again? Are you going to leave me?"
"You're not going to do it again." I shrug.
"I might. If it's for you. You could convince me to steal the president's car."
I run my fingers through his blonde hair, tilting his head back so his lips are in line with mine.
"I'm not going to do that." I whisper, and then I kiss him. I'm kneeling in front of him, so he reaches out and pulls me into his lap, causing out teeth to smack together.
I pull away, cringing as I rub my tooth, and he starts laughing.
"Sorry baby, I didn't mean to."
I smile and kiss the tip of his nose, and then his lips again.
I was going to just peck him but he's such a good kisser. He's mesmerizing.
He's the one that deepens it this time and our tongues mix and he tilts my head back to give him better access. After a few moments, he starts to kiss his way down my jaw to my neck, placing feather-like kisses all over my skin.
I sigh at the feeling, and then I shriek when he licks up the side of my face.
"Ew! Aiden!" I say, trying to worm away from him. He wraps his arms around my waist, laughing as I try to get his spit off of me. "You're such a boy." I grumble. "I'm going to get you back."
"If you're planning on licking me, I know where you could start-"
I smack his arm.
"Ouch. That really hurt." He says sarcastically.
"Asshole." I grumble. "You completely ruined the mood."
"Oh please, all I have to do is take off my shirt and you'll be all over me again. Or kiss you. Or look at you."
"So?" I say.
"So the mood isn't ruined." He says. He lowers his voice with every word and starts to lean in, and again, I give into him, accepting his kiss.
I wait until we're in a full fledged makeout session to pull away, and then I lick up the side of his face.
He huffs and leans forward to wipe his face on my shoulder, and then he draws back.
"You know, I was really starting to enjoy myself." He says.
"So was I before you did it last time." I respond.
"One more time." He says. "I won't lick you. I promise."
I roll my eyes.
"Nope."
This time I do manage to get away from him.
He lays down in the grass, throws his arm over his eyes, and groans like a strange creature.
I laugh, walking over to the water to put my toes in. I haven't gone swimming since when Aiden and I were on the run from Elliot.
I hear a stick crack behind me, and before I can react, I feel him push me into the water.
I flail around for a moment and then I decide to scare the shit out of him.
I stop moving, floating there to let the current take me.
Probably two seconds pass before I hear a splash. His arms wrap around me and he starts pulling me to shore.
"Lily. Oh fuck fuck, baby I'm sorry."
He pulls me up onto the bank and into his lap. I remain limp noodle, my hand dangling off of his leg and into the water.
"Lily." He whispers. He sounds scared, so I sit up. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?" He takes my face in his hands and he looks really scared.
"Nope, I faked it." I stand up.
"You what?" He stands up too. His hair is sticking to his forehead.
"I faked it." I repeat.
"That's not funny." He says. "You scared me. I thought you got hurt."
I feel bad.
"I'm sorry." I say. "I was messing around."
"Well it wasn't funny." He says stiffly. "You scared the shit out of me."
"I'm sorry Aiden." I say.
"Please don't do it again. Like, ever. Never pretend to be hurt."
"Okay." I say. "I won't."
He sighs and pulls me into a hug, kissing my cheek.
I hug him back and I can feel how fast his heart is racing against my chest.
"I'm really sorry baby." I mumble into his shoulder.
"It's okay."
We're both quiet for a moment, just standing in each other's arms.
"You didn't bring a change of clothes, did you?" I ask.
"No, I didn't."
I pull away from him and look around.
The picnic table is in direct sunlight.
Without any hesitation, I pull my shirt over my head.
"What are you doing?" He asks.
"There's nobody around." I reply. I lay my shirt out on the table and remove my jeans, lying those next to my shirt. I take off my boots and dump the water from them. I set my socks out to dry, and then I undo my bra.
"Lily." Aiden laughs a little.
"Baby, nobody's coming to look for us, okay?"
I set out my bra and remove my panties so I'm stark naked.
He kind of looks around and then shrugs, removing his clothes too.
When we're both naked, I walk to the river bend.
"Have you ever been skinny dipping?" I ask.
"Does the bathtub count?" He smiles.
At that, I jump into the river.

*****

I needed to say something here but I forgot *shrugs*
~Sam