Only Ever Best Friends

✮ 15 ✮

"Four hours ago you promised your mom that you wouldn't touch me," I reminded him.

"Sorry mom," he apologized, looking to the sky, "but... you know what's even worse?"

"What's that?" I ask.

"I think... I might have to do it again," he said, smirking.

"You can't kiss me if you can't catch me!"
I yelled, starting down the beach, running. He chased me until he caught me.
We laughed as he put his arms around my waist and hugged me from behind, and for a short moment, part of me wondered if maybe--no. No.

No.

I wriggled out of his grasp and looked at my phone: 5:00.

"Hey, I'm hungry." I said.

"Same dude, you up for an early dinner?"

"Yup... you think we got enough samples for Davis?" I asked, looking around for the bags.

"I... dropped them when I... when we- I—I'll go get them," he said awkwardly when he realized what it was I was looking for.
As he went to gather the sample bags off the ground, I ran back to the tree where we left our shoes and put mine back on.

• • •

We went out for an early dinner at a little restaurant in town and he and I ordered really healthy and made a point to sit across from each other in the booth to try to make up for breaking our mothers' 'no-touching' rule and for everything else. As if that made up for anything whatsoever.

"Gray,"

"Huh?"

"Can we just... forget about what happened on the beach earlier?"

He choked a little on his salad but tried to play it off by clearing his throat.

"Yeah yeah of course."

"I mean... maybe 'forget' is the wrong word... I- it was a moment of weakness for the both of us, and it was great, don't get me wrong but I just... I think it'd be best if we didn't-"

"Do it again," he interrupts.

"Yeah..."

"Got it. Can we change the subject?"

"Yeah: I miss summer," I said, "and I miss hanging out with you," I added.

"We really didn't see each other too much this summer, did we?"

I shook my head.

"When we get home, I propose an old Disney movie marathon, just like in fifth grade," he said.

"I'm so down, dude."

"Remember The Parent Trap?"

"Ah young Lindsay Lohan!" He chuckled.

"Iconic."

We continued talking and reminiscing and laughing about stupid shit for about another 40 minutes. It was amazing finally getting to catch up with him after so many months.
We both finished eating and I checked my phone:
7:09.
The weekend is already half over. Wild.

"I don't have my..." I said patting my pockets.

"I got it," he said, pulling out his wallet.

Once he paid for the food, we exited the restaurant and started walking back to the motel. It was really quiet.