Cruel Summer

5. Devils Roll the Dice

I walk downstairs making my way to the kitchen to eat something. I see a plate with pancakes that are still warm, so I put one in a separate plate for me. I open the fridge to look for the syrup but I can't find none. As I close the door I feel a hand on my waist pulling me back until I bump into someone's chest.

 " This dress brings back some memories." I hear Shawn's voice close to my ear as his hand moves to the hem of my dress. I can feel his chest is sweaty against my back, but somehow I don't find that disgusting at all. " It looks even better on you this summer." He says in a whisper and I know he's referring to the fact that my body changed a lot in this last year.

 " Whatever you two are doing, please do it in private. Aaliyah could walk on you just like I did right now." We hear Karen's voice as she enters the kitchen.

 Shawn pulls his hand away from me as I rest my back in the counter. He opens the fridge, gets a water bottle and walks out smiling at me. I feel my cheeks burning as I try to breathe properly, feeling Karen's gaze on me.

 " Is there any syrup for the pancakes?" I ask trying to change the subject.

 " In the cabinet." She says still analyzing me. I take a look at where she just pointed and I sure find it. " Do you like Shawn?"

 I almost drop the bottle when I hear the question and then turn around to tell her a lie, but I see in her eyes she won't buy it. She's always been like a mom to me, I remember I told her about my first kiss before even telling my own mother. Maybe I should tell her the true, at least part of it.

 " Yes." I say looking down to the ground.

 She walks to me and puts a lock of my hair behind my ear with a smile on her face.

 " I've always said to your mom, since you two were little babies, that you two would look beautiful together." She says laughing a little. " She would say I was crazy, but turned out I was right all along." I smile looking up at her as she plays with my long hair. " You're such a sweet girl, you deserve someone that will treat you right. I love my son but I'm not blind, I know he jumps from one girl to the other in seconds. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the two of you together, but I don't want you to get hurt."

 " I know what I'm dealing with, if I'm being honest I kind of like the way things are right now." I say as we both sit down and I start eating.

 " So you like the bad boys. Like mother like daughter." She says laughing.

 " What? My mom?" I ask in disbelief.

 " Your dad was worse than Shawn, but your mom just couldn't stay away. Actually, I do remember her telling me something very similar to what you just told me back in college."

 " I'm so shocked with all this information. That doesn't sound like my parents at all."

 " I guess we change when we have kids." She says as Aaliyah enters the kitchen yawning. " Good morning, sweetheart. Sit down, I just made pancakes." She tells Aaliyah as they hug.

 " Where is my mom?" I ask curiously.

 " She went to the supermarket." She says putting a plate with a pancake in front of Aaliyah.

 I finish my own pancake and get up to wash what I used, and then I head back to the pool. As I pass through the glass door I see Shawn in the pool shower, the water running down his perfect body does things to me that I don't even dare saying out loud. He turns the shower off and jumps in the pool, spilling water on me. I look down to see my dress is completely soaked and see through right now. As he comes back to the surface I see him swimming to where I am and analyzing my body.

 " If you want I could help you take that off." He says in a teasing tone of voice. I look around to see if anyone is watching, but Karen and Aaliyah seem to be watching a movie inside.

 " I think I'll take the offer." I say seductively sitting on the edge of the pool in front of him.

 I look into his eyes daring him to come take my dress off but he seems a little surprised by my attitude, so I put my hands on his shoulders and jump in the pool. He catches me just in time, leaving his hands under my thighs.

 " Aren't you going to take it off?" I whisper against his ear. " You're the only one that can do so, I can't wear it anymore without thinking about that particular night."

 " I'm glad I made such a strong impression." He says sliding his hands under the dress and pulling them up my body. I lift my arms up to help him and when I'm only in my black bikini he throws the item out of the pool.

 We're so close right now that I think he's finally about to give in and kiss me, but then we hear someone opening the back door of the house. We separate a little, but not too much since he still has his hand on my waist. My brother walks out giving us good morning and reaching for a towel in one of the chairs, but then goes back inside leaving us alone once again. I rest my back on the end of the pool as Shawn's hand is still my waist and I feel him caressing my skin with his thumb.

 " Zayn told me you're going to Yale." I say trying to distract myself from his touch. " Your dad must be pretty pissed that you chose Yale over Stanford."

 " Yes, he is." He says laughing a little. " I honestly wouldn't mind going to Stanford but the look on his face when I told him I was going to Yale was priceless."

 I laugh with him and place my hand over his, running it up his arm as I bite my bottom lip to provoke him. I feel his grip on my waist get tighter, letting me know he's being totally affected by my actions.

 " What about you? Any universities in mind?" He asks trying now to distract himself.

 " I would love to go to NYU." I say with my hand on his bicep.

 " Of course. You've always loved New York." He says smiling at me. " I can totally picture you there."

 He comes closer placing his other hand on my cheek. We look into each other's eyes and I can see something different in the way he's looking at me. It's not the same lustful and full of desire look that he used to give me last summer, this one is almost tender and full of admiration. He closes the space between us connecting our lips in the most sweet and gentle kiss. I don't think he has ever kissed me like this before, it was always so rushed and desperate, while this is so soft, almost like we're melting into each other.