Thirty Five

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I turned from my mirror to look at him confused by his question.

"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You're not going outside dressed like that," he said.
"Excuse me?"
"Your dress is too short,"
"What?"
He shook his head, "Your dress, its way too short, change,"

I stared at him, waiting for him to burst out laughing and claim he was joking. He didn't.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion," I folded my arms in front of me.
I saw him glance at my chest briefly, then at my legs, and then back at my face, "Yeah, you're not wearing that,"
"You don't dictate my wardrobe, Vince,"
"I'm your boyfriend,"
"Not my mother. And I'm an adult. It's hot, my dress is very appropriate for the weather,"
"Not appropriate for the company we're having,"
"We're going to the beach. I'm going to be wearing even less clothing there, and unless you happened to rent out a private beach, I'm going to be around lots of company,"
"Kristina, please, just....you're showing way too much skin. You look like..."
"Like what?"

He wisely shut his mouth then.

"Yeah, don't finish that sentence," I said and walked passed him after grabbing my bag.

In the car, I put on my sunglasses and pointedly ignored him when he joined me, and Maddie, who by the way, was wearing a much shorter dress than I. My dress was strapless and flared and covered all the important parts. I could bend over and still be completely modest. I was at risk if maybe the winds got strong, but what were the chances of that?

Vince didn't speak the whole one hour drive. I could tell he was angry but so was I. Becoming my boyfriend did not mean he got to boss me around. I spent the drive talking to Maddie and playing candy crush on my phone.

Talia and Liz had preceded us by a few minutes with Matt and Tyler in his car. Lots of other people were coming too, Jonah, Damien, a girl named Gillian, who was friends with Liz, another girl, Miranda and Sam who was also on the soccer team.

When we got there, I rushed to get out of the car, to escape my boyfriend and his sour mood, but of course, he beat me to it, with his longer strides. I'd just closed the door and he was suddenly next to me and then kissed me without warning, causing some of other guys who saw us, to whistle and laugh.

"Don't be mad at me, I'm sorry. But I don't need half the football team leering at you all day," he whispered as he released me.
I laughed, "People stare at you all the time, I deal with it, I trust you,"
"Fair deal, just... be careful,"
"Why? I have you watching over me,"

He was equal parts amused and angry that day. Mostly because I spent all day prancing around in a bikini while playing volleyball with my friends. He watched me the entire time, even while he joined the guys in a game of soccer or when he decided, to get even in my opinion, to go swimming.

I hadn't noticed him go in, but I definitely noticed him come out. He was dressed in swimming trunks and nothing else leaving those toned arms and chest in plain sight for every girl within a mile's radius. And of course, my eyes glued to him like a magnet. Some girl with a surf board intercepted him on his way towards the group who were setting up lunch, smiling and twirling her hair. I think I'm a reasonable person but when she touched his shoulder and kept speaking to him, well I had to do something. So I jogged over to them.

As I got within earshot, I found her giggling and then she touched him, again. I think I could have tolerated the first one, or felt better if he'd had more clothes on, but that wasn't the case. I plastered a smile onto my face and appeared beside him as she was saying something about Charles Thornton.

"Babe, there you are," I said wrapping my arms around one of his.

He stared at me, and I could see the amusement in his eyes at the sound of my voice that sounded fake even to my own ears. I watched the smile slip from the blond standing in front of us.

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