Comfy Closets - Chapter 50: Chapter 50
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Leah's POV
I took a bite out of the granola bar and slowly chewed as my eyes scanned across the pages laid out in front of me. The food was helping in waking me up, thankfully, because studying during spring break at seven in the morning wasn’t an easy or motivating task to do half asleep.
But I was still so tired. I wanted to push the papers away–no I couldn’t. The test was right after the break and with the next three days booked out for the date – Gia was adamant about this – there was nothing I could do but squeeze every last minute into studying before they arrived. I could bring my notes to this date and study when there’s ti–dang it, no again. Lyssa would take it away the second she saw it.
I sighed tiredly. I still hate this. Whoever said morning studying was better should suck a–
A ding from my phone sounded out in the quiet of the room and I was almost too glad to abandon my work, albeit with quite a lot of guilt.
Lyssathegf – We’re hereeeee
Letting out a breath of relief, I shoved the papers into a messy pile and grabbed my small duffle bag before exiting my room, a thrum of excitement coursing through me at the thought of the fun we’ll be having in this long, extended date.
Bouncing down the stairs, I closed the front door lightly and made my way to Gia’s white BMW idling in front of the house. A Katy Perry song was blasting out of the car – one of her old songs that always brought a hint of nostalgia along with it.
“Hey you,” Lyssa said the moment I opened the back door. She was trying to stifle a yawn but still offered me a soft smile. I felt my insides warm the instant I saw that smile of hers, a sort of reassuring comfort that swept over me without fail every time. I got into the car and softly pecked her lips, grinning slightly.
“Hey to you too.”
“Leah, dude, seat belt! Let’s go!” the redhead sitting in the driver’s seat yelled with both an air of command and enthusiasm as a buzzing energy vibrated off of her. I spotted Charles sitting next to her as he sent me a small smile of greeting, hair more ruffled than usual as his appearance screamed drowsy.
I harrumphed and reluctantly slid away from my girlfriend as I buckled up on the other side. Only then did Gia set off with an excited little squeal. I spotted Lys rolling her eyes amusedly.
“Where are the others?” I asked the driver as she sped along the empty streets of the early morning.
“Oh, they’re waiting at Zach’s house where we’ll meet up and go together.”
“To where…?”
Even now, none of us had a clue of where we’d be spending this date at or what we’d be doing, besides Gia, the mastermind of this whole thing. And Ashton, who apparently only knew because he was driving the other car.
“Not saying,” Gia said simply, pinching her lips together in a thin line.
“Just spill, G,” Alyssa backed me up.
“Mnhmm.”
The brunette beside me huffed and crossed her arms. We were soon at Zach’s house and I could see Ashton’s car parked out front, waiting for us. Gia gave them a wave through the window and let them pull out in front before following. I spotted Riles in the passenger seat and Zach and his boyfriend joining them in the back.
It was only minutes later when we arrived on a highway, heading to who knows where. I shifted in my seat as I looked out the front.
“How long is the ride?”
“Three hours.”
“Three?!” I couldn’t help but splutter.
“It’s worth it, I promise! You’ll see why when we get there.”
Three hours. No wonder why Gia planned for us to set off at seven in the morning. I resigned myself to the long car ride ahead and settled back comfortably into the leather seat with a sigh, looking out the window absentmindedly. A shout from the driver pulled me back in an instant, only to realise that Alyssa had managed to steal the aux from Gia, much to her annoyance.
A wicked smile of triumph painted my girlfriend’s face as she connected it to her own phone and replaced the cut-off pop song that played through the speakers. Instead, soft acoustics and a delicate voice filled the interior and changed the vibe of the car in seconds. I couldn’t help but smirk as I spotted the annoyance that scrunched up the red head’s face.
“No! This is supposed to be a pump-up ride! Not a ‘let’s be mellow and depressed’ one. Give it back!”
Aly looked simultaneously offended and indignant. “Nuh-uh. Too much pop shit for three hours is going to get old. Fast. At least with Bon Iver, we can sleep to this.”
I hummed in slight agreement, longing for a quick nap. I could see Charles sagging in his chair for more comfort already, but sadly for us, Gia was a very determined person.
“This date will be epic, and I can’t have this as the precursor! Play something better – or better yet, give it back!”
The two best friends went back and forth for a while as they argued over the music until I became fed up and snatched Alyssa’s phone from her.
“Hey!” my girlfriend whined and pouted, but didn’t attempt to take it back.
I gave both of the girls a look that shut up their complaining, choosing a song of my own instead. A familiar tune floated out and neither of the girls looked completely satisfied, but the arguing had stopped.
Gia tried to keep up that look of annoyance despite the tapping of her fingers against the steering wheel. “Adele is still depressing, but fine.”
We all settled down and I good-naturedly struck up a conversation with Charles. It was odd, having him here. I hadn’t really spoken to him for about a year until Gia started dating him, and by then we’ve had to get back into the rhythm of how we used to be before the awkwardness of the breakup. It was nice, I guess, talking to him again. Much has changed though and getting to know the funny and smart side of him again has been interesting.
Gia unashamedly sang along with the music for the most part as she drove, and Alyssa joined in every now and then with hints of her self-consciousness, especially with Charles here to listen. I chuckled and smiled as the best friends gestured dramatically while they sang songs from the classics like Queen, to even raps as they flaunted their ‘skill’. It was definitely amusing, especially when they had confidently messed up the lyrics the whole way through.
One and a half-hour in, the atmosphere was more relaxed with less singing as we entered the second half of the ride. I had scooted over to the middle seat to sit beside Lys, comfortably resting my head on her shoulder as she fiddled with her phone.
She’d been scrolling through her socials idly, almost in a bored fashion, until she got fed up. I watched her go back to the home page to find something else to do, then I felt the corners of my lips curl up when I caught the sight of her home screen.
It was set to a picture of us at her soccer finals, the two of us leaning over the railing and kissing each other before the match’s start. The sight of it always made me smile. It was one of my favourite photos of us, another being my own home screen picture. It was a selfie picture taken of the two of us at the pier on the date I took Alyssa on a few weeks ago, smiles on our faces as the sunset’s light shone on us just right. And she was kissing the side of my head with the most genuine look of happiness I’d ever seen on her face. I drifted off in my thoughts, thinking about that day fondly and the words I’d almost said aloud.
I hazily focused back on her screen and frowned at the sight. “What are you playing?”
Alyssa was fully engrossed by her phone, but she let out a distracted hum. “It’s like Pictionary, but online. And better.”
“Oh, I wanna play.”
I got out my own phone and Charles later decided to join us as Alyssa made a new room. The girl beside me sent an invite to Zach, and soon, everyone besides the drivers of the respective cars was competing against each other.
“What the heck is that?”
“You can’t draw, Aly.”
“Hey! I’m trying! This word is hard…”
I stared in confusion at the messy lines and couldn’t decipher anything from it.
“Ay! Zach got it!” Alyssa yelled in delight, gloating.
I sighed as the timer ran out. Seeing the word, I scoffed. “That is not a harp.”
“It is! Zach guessed it.”
“Mhmm.”
When it was Charles’ turn, I subtly peeked around his seat and typed in the answer after only three lines were drawn.
“Hey! Cheater!” Alyssa yelled as I cackled. The other car also wasn’t doing too bad and Riles and I almost had this telepathic connection going on, often being the ones to guess each other’s answers first. Her artistic talent helped a lot here too.
“What the hell? How does Riley make a mouse look so nice?” Charles questioned, a little impressed.
Gia moaned sadly right then. “Why did you choose now to play, when I’m driving? I wanna play!”
The rest of the ride flew by quickly like that as we played several rounds with the other car’s occupants. Gia was almost too glad to announce our arrival.
“We’re here, y’all.”
I looked up from my bright screen and blinked a few times at the sight outside.
Oh, that was why she said to bring swimsuits.
“I should’ve guessed it. I’ve been here before. How did I not figure it out?” Alyssa mumbled to herself.
What lay outside the window was the view of a large lake, clear with only the slightest tint of green, stretching out across a vast length and surrounded by trees. The car rolled to a stop just by a white house standing by the lake, its size boasting of a large interior in the two-story space.
Alyssa opened the door and got out as I followed and the first thing I noted was the bombardment of forestry smells and the underlying scent of the lake in the air. The house faced the water’s glistening surface as the sun’s rays reflected off of it. It was a nice, tranquil place and I was already feeling my body naturally relaxing in its environment.
“Welcome!” Gia exclaimed suddenly, drawing everyone’s eyes to her as she announced grandly. “Let the quadruple date – begin!”
“I automatically corrected that to ‘let the Hunger Games begin’,” Ashton muttered, and I heard Alyssa snort.
The rest of us chuckled and Gia glared at the boy. “Stop that! You’re ruining my moment!” She gave the boy a slap on the shoulder then gestured to the house sitting behind. “It’s Ashton’s parent’s place and we’ll be spending the time around here. Oh! And one more thing…” The girl opened her trunk and presented us with a surprise. “We’ve got BEER!”
Everyone cheered happily at the sight of it, and only Alyssa didn’t match their level of enthusiasm. She eyed the case of beer in Gia’s hand with a slight grimace. “Yay.”
Her best friend rolled her eyes and brought over another case. “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget to get you cider.” At that, Lyssa jumped to hug her and almost caused her to drop the drinks.
People started getting their bags out of the vehicles and filing into the house, Ashton at the front with the keys. I hefted my own duffle and followed behind Dante as a certain brunette came up from behind me with a bag, bottles of cider and a huge smile on her face.
“Okay peeps!” Ashton yelled out over the chatter as he swung open the door. “There are five rooms, but I guess we can just share with our dates. Probs won’t be a problem,” he grinned boyishly.
I snorted quietly and turned to my date, quirking a brow amusedly. She just returned the gesture, but with the addition of biting her lower lip. I noticed, however, that although the rest of us were okay with it, only Gia and Charles seemed uncertain about the arrangement. It was probably because of the newer nature of their relationship. But I couldn’t tell if they’d actually sleep separately – although there wasn’t anything wrong with that, of course.
Entering the house, I looked around with wonder. It wasn’t anything too special, some photos here and there and nice, simplistic furniture in the large space of the den. But it had a sort of rustic vibe, and I liked how it suited the surrounding environment.
After all of us helped bring in the cases of alcohol to refrigerate, pairs of the couples started going up the stairs to claim their rooms. I took Alyssa’s hand – my bag in the other – and led her up to the closest available room, one with a double bed.
“Ahhh,” Lyssa sighed contently as she fell onto the bed and tested its comfiness. I walked over to her with a smirk and landed right beside her, resting my head on the soft sheets and closing my eyes lightly. This was nice.
“I wanna nap.”
“You don’t want to go explore?” Lyssa asked as I felt her shift beside me. When I opened my eyes, I saw she’d turned to face me as an arm propped up her head. Those bright blue orbs were gazing at me as she brushed aside a stray strand across my face. A corner of my lips quirked up slightly as I let my eyes shut.
“No, I do. But let me just close my eyes for a quick… few seconds…”
The next time I opened my lids, I found myself still lying half-way up the bed with Lyssa beside me, only now realising that that wonderful feeling on my head was her hands running softly through my hair.
“How long was I out?” I mumbled out, my eyelids wanting to droop close again at the lovely sensation.
“Only fifteen minutes.”
“Hmm.” I let out, so tempted to slip back into my slumber. But knowing that now wasn’t the time for that, I pinched my thigh slightly and forced my eyes open with a groan. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Alright, come on. I’ll take you around to some of the best places I found last time,” my girlfriend said enthusiastically, and soon, we were walking out of the house and exploring the place.
Some of the others had already been doing that. We walked by them as Lyssa led me to the forests acting as the house’s own backyard. She took my hand as we ventured into the trees and she pointed out things to me as we wandered around – the treehouse Ashton’s parents built for him and his siblings that was now falling apart, a stream with a rock path that Gia tripped on and into the water the last time the trio were here, and countless other little memories she had that were scattered around the place. Lyssa smiled as she recounted them and I listened intently, enjoying the way she shared these memories with me with such fondness.
We ended up at the little wooden dock by the lake not far from the house, walking to the edge of it and staring out at the moving surface. Alyssa had her eyes narrowed as she stared into the water, caution etched into her posture.
“There’s fish in here. The big kind. I saw it last time. Don’t like swimming here.”
I wasn’t scared of stuff like that, but the look on her face was disconcerting. “Wait, really? Why would Gia bring us here to swim then?”
She was still looking into the depths intensely as she replied – the tint of the water and the slight murkiness not allowing us to see right to the bottom. “Well, I guess we technically can, because Gia and Ash don’t think it’s true. They haven’t seen the fish, but I swear it was here last time…”
I raised my brows now, amused. “You’re really, really sure?”
Lyssa looked to me with exasperated disbelief. “You don’t think I’m telling the truth? It was big!”
I nodded anyway and just smirked. “Come on, scaredy pants. Let’s head back inside. I think Gia said something about lunch.”
It was a late lunch, actually, when everyone gathered around to take a sandwich or two from the boxes Gia brought. She certainly was prepared – something I admired – and seemed to have a whole trip planned out for us as she made a few announcements.
“Alright, guys! After this, I’m thinking of ordering pizza later to go with the drinks. Any preferences?”
Some people shouted out the classic pepperoni, others Hawaiian, and there was the rare vegetarian option too. But it wasn’t long ‘til some of the others were changing into their swimsuits and getting ready to dive into the lake just out front. Alyssa, Zach, and Riley, however, opted not to take a dip into the lake’s unknowns.
“Oh, come on, baby,” I laughed at Alyssa as she stood with her arms crossed, refusing to come anywhere near the lake for fear of being pushed in. My girlfriend shook her head adamantly as she stood by Zach, and Riley plopped onto the docks to look at the waters warily.
“What’s your excuse?” I teased as I joined her, wearing a nice one-piece swimsuit that I grabbed out of the bag hastily.
She shrugged as she pursed her lips. “I’ve watched those documentaries, dude. The ones with leeches in lakes and other nasty stuff… Don’t wanna risk it.” I paused, now looking at her with a bit of apprehension.
In the end, I only jumped in once before coming back minutes later, my paranoia rearing its head from just listening to Riley. The others like Ashton and Gia were doing cannonballs off the dock and swimming around on their backs fearlessly. Even Dante joined in doing these crazy flips that made me dizzy looking at it.
The time spent outside didn’t last, though, as pizza soon arrived and called everyone inside without any other prompting. The people who swam changed quickly to gather around the others already eating in the living room. And thank god for the person who brought their speaker to liven up the place. A beat pulsed through the room as we sat and ate, conversing idly.
Then the alcohol was pulled out.
“Never have I ever! Who wants to play ‘never have I ever’?” Gia yelled out invitingly, a beer already in her hand.
Everyone quickly came to form a rough circle as we brought the pizza to sit on the wooden coffee table in the middle. People had either a bottle or can in hand and settled on the couches or the floor. I nursed my own beer as I sat between Riley and Gia. Alyssa sat on the other couch with Zach and Dante while Ashton and Charles took the floor with cushions.
“Okay, you guys know the rules, right?” When Zach and Charles shook their heads, Gia proceeded to explain. “Basically, you drink if you did the ‘never have I ever’, and you put a finger down too. When someone puts all ten down, the game ends. We’ll also make the person chug whatever we want,” she grinned cheekily.
“Alright, me first!” Ashton announced, his smirk hinting that he already had one in mind.
“No! That’s not how it works. We’ll spin something–let’s see, that'll work.” The redhead picked up an empty water bottle and spun it on the table. It twirled and quickly slowed, landing on – herself.
She looked surprised, but her face then scrunched up in concentration. Two light blue orbs lit up with mischief.
“Never have I ever had sex in a car.”
Instantly, Alyssa glared daggers at her as she sent me sideways glances. I felt a heat light up my cheeks as I drank from my can, Alyssa doing the same. Riley spluttered into laughter beside me as the rest of them howled at the sight of our embarrassment. Only Ashton joined in sipping his drink and he wasn’t at all fazed by the statement. My god, Gia was going straight for it.
The game was going clockwise, so the next person happened to be my girlfriend. She smiled a wicked smile, directed at Gia. “Never have I ever had a pregnancy scare.”
Her best friend blanched as her jaw dropped comically. “What the fuck, Aly?!”
The boys were set off by that one and I couldn’t help but grin as the redhead drank from her bottle, Riley also following suit. Ashton looked surprised by the latter, but I’d been there when she was panicking about the condom break after that one time. I’d nearly kicked the boy’s ass for that.
The game went on and I’d had to drink from my can several times, finishing one quickly and opening another for myself. Most of the questions were, as expected, fairly sexually-oriented – as a result, we’ve gotten to know each other very well in other ways – some would say too well. The threesome one was a daring one, but–ha! Surprisingly, no one drank for that.
“Never have I ever kissed someone on the first date?” Zach was the one to say.
I met my girlfriend’s eyes questioningly. “Did that count? That time after ice-skating?” She looked thoughtful for a moment, before she shrugged and took a swig of her cider anyway, arm slung over the back of the couch and around me. Alyssa had moved over to my side after she said she’d wanted to cuddle – drunk Lys was cute like that – and so, some reshuffling had occurred. Gia was kicked off our couch and sent to the other, where she now casually laid her legs over both Zach’s and Dante’s laps.
Charles slurred out his words as he laid sideways on his cushion. “N-Never have I ever–had sex in a forest.”
No one responded to that one until Ashton piped up and gestured out a window. “Well, you'll have the chance to try that in the next few days.”
I let out what could only be described as a bark of laughter as I watched Charles’ face redden. Talk started going around about who’d be the first couple to do it, bets and pointing fingers starting a rambunctious argument. Ashton got the game to continue as he spoke up.
“Guys. Alright, alright, chill. Let me continue. Never have I ever been cheated on.”
An uncomfortable blanket seemed to settle over us as the sounds became a murmur. I felt myself sober up a bit at the question, Alyssa stiffening next to me as we quietly threw back our drinks. Dante was the only other to drink, not saying a word. Ashton seemed to realise then that that wasn’t such a good statement to say, sensing the awkwardness creeping into the room. He cleared his throat and fiddled with his bottle slightly until Riley cut through the silence.
“Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex.”
Just like that, things were back to normal. I looked at my best friend with a look of betrayal, the rest of the gays in the room doing the same thing too, which she found highly amusing. “Drink up, y’all.”
We gave her a mean look, but from the corner of my eye, I saw someone else coolly drinking. “Wait, Gia? Really?”
The redhead grinned and shrugged nonchalantly. “What can I say, I was curious.” As Zach turned to pry more about it, I turned my stare to the girl sitting right beside me, and she looked at me with confusion at first until it dawned on her what I was implying.
“No! I didn’t kiss her.”
I opened up one of her precious ciders and took a sip. “Mhmm…”
Alyssa pulled me closer to her with a pout, but I could see the smile she was trying to cover up underneath. “Babe, come on now…” She buried her face into my neck and chuckled softly against me. “Jealousy does look hot on you though…”
I rolled my eyes and pushed her away as she laughed. Only then did I realise with a start that I had no more fingers left to put down.
“Wait, did I lose?”
________________
Groaning. I heard groaning. Where the heck was that coming fro–oh. Me.
My head felt like it was about to explode. Like literally, there’s some C4 in there that’s just waiting to blow, and the thing is, I–just blow up already.
I peeked my eyes open slightly and closed it instantly, the pain of the light searing into my brain like a laser to the eye. Ugh, I’m back to hating alcohol again.
Slowly, I scooted closer to the warmth and snuggled in, hearing a sigh near my ear. And despite the pounding in my head beating like an incessant drum, I let myself drift off to a place of relief in the haven of slumbering darkness…
“WAKE UP, BITCHES!”
“AHHHHHHH!”
I jerked awake as the figure I was lying on screamed at the person stood cackling at the door.
“Get OUT, dude!”
“We’re going hiking! It’ll be fun, come on girlies. Wake up!”
I growled in irritation as I found sleep trying to escape me. “I’m not going anywhere until it’s at least two in the afternoon.”
“But-”
“Bye.”
The girl harrumphed but closed the door, leaving me to sigh again and turn back to my warm girlfriend grinning at me. “You are awesome, babe.”
I hummed and settled back into her, slinging an arm around her waist and surrendering to the comfort she gave.
But it seemed like two came in no time and we were soon forced out of bed and ordered to change. Gia was kind enough to fetch us the painkillers – a small reprieve – and we ate a quick lunch of burgers with the others before we were off. Everyone besides Gia seemed to be in the same sluggish mood, trudging up the path at a snail’s pace as grumbles and complaints rose into the air.
“You wussies! Up and at ‘em! You can’t even handle a little hangover?!” the girl exclaimed, so alike an army sergeant.
“You drank the least!” Zach complained from behind me, but Gia wasn’t even listening, busy kicking and hitting our asses to hurry us up. I could tell she was really enjoying all of this.
“I don’t know–how much farther–I can go,” I panted as I walked up the slight incline, resting my hands on my hips tiredly. Alyssa, however, seemed to be doing just fine even with the hangover. Her and her athletic body, my god. It certainly was good to look at from my current position though…
“Come on, I think we’re almost there. Gia says we’re past halfway,” she smiled encouragingly as she walked in front.
“Can you carry me?” I asked, lips forming a pout. My girlfriend looked back and seemed about to reject me, but I stopped her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. “Lys, please?”
She looked reluctant to, but as I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, it seemed to be enough to convince her. “Alright, fine.”
I cheered as she turned back around, and with a jump, I was happily being carried piggy-back style with my arms wrapped around her shoulders. Alyssa grunted at first as she adjusted to the added weight but continued walking on just fine, almost at ease, even.
“What’s that I hear?” Ashton said from behind us, a playfulness to his tone. “Can anyone else hear it? Sounds to me like some sort of whip.”
My girlfriend threw a glare over her shoulder at the boy even as I grinned. Throughout our dating history, the others always kept saying that I had Lyssa wrapped around my finger, but honestly, it definitely went the other way too. I couldn’t resist that adorable face even if I tried.
I saw Riley nudge her boyfriend with a sly smirk tugging at her lips. “Ash, carry me too.”
The boy looked lost for words for a moment as he debated whether to refuse his girlfriend or give in and be teased too. He was smart enough to choose the latter, hefting up Riley without a word.
“Ha!” I giggled, giving my best friend a thumbs-up, full of amusement. And by the looks of Gia and Zach’s face, I could guess that they were tempted to do the same with their dates too.
As Alyssa marched on, I rested my chin on her shoulder, sighing contently as I took in her scent of limes, mint, and her clothing softener. It was familiar now, and it had an effect over me whenever I was close, calling me to sink into her and take comfort in her presence.
I was on her back for only five more minutes before Alyssa became too tired and had to put me down, much to my disappointment. We hiked on for a few more and I almost dropped to the ground with relief when Gia stated we’d arrived. I looked up from the path and felt my eyes widen at the sight of our location. I’d expected it, as such, but I could have never imagined seeing the sight before me now.
The water was crystal clear, so much so that you could see right to the bottom despite its depth. A huge rock face towered on both sides of the waterfall, one that was led down in a sloping motion that zigzagged downwards from a great height. The view was imposing and grand, yet the body of water flowing at the bottom called invitingly to us.
Darting my gaze left and right, I met Riley, Zach and Lyssa’s excited faces and knew we were all thinking the same thing.
“Last one’s the loser!” Riley yelled and all at once, everyone started scrambling towards the water with speed. Laughing as Zach tripped over his pants, I peeled off my own shirt and shorts as I ran, revealing the emerald green bikini I wore underneath. I hopped awkwardly as I took off my shoes before splashing into the water with Lys right at my back.
“Ack! Cold!”
Despite the sun beating down on the area, the lake was refreshingly cool as it washed away all the perspiration that had painted our backs. I swam on my back as I faced the others, a grin pulling at my lips, but it slipped the moment I spotted the one girl that could make my knees weak in an instant.
Lys wore a strappy black bikini as she waded into the water waist-deep, revealing her curves and toned body teasingly and making me gulp dumbly at the sight. She was gazing at me too with those glazed blue eyes, but her arms were wrapped self-consciously around her torso. I frowned at that and approached her, taking her hands in mine. “Baby, trust me, you look gorgeous.”
She bit her lip uncertainly but followed me as I pulled her in deeper, pecking her cheek to try and erase the doubt she still held. Honestly, she was way more than just gorgeous – beautiful, hot, alluring, sexy… I told her this and her ears turned an amusingly dark shade of red, but she still quirked up her lips in a shy smile. I found myself wrapping my hands around her waist often and touching her bare skin, the effect I had on her being obvious as her breath caught every time my palms ventured to places more sensitive…
We spent the time swimming and floating around, relaxing in the little, quiet haven we found. Some of the brave ones in our group ventured to the cliff face and climbed up the rocks to find a place to dive, Ashton leading the group at the front. I’ll admit that his body was quite nice to look at and I certainly understood my best friend’s attraction to him, but I couldn’t for the life of me ever think it was comparable to Alyssa’s wonderfully toned figure. And I had her all to myself–man, I’m so lucky.
“Cannonball!”
A big splash came from a few metres from us and I spun around to see Ashton grinning widely from near the rocks. I watched as Dante jumped next, landing on the water’s surface in a belly flop, and I just knew I had to try the jump for myself.
“Let’s go!” I tugged the brunette’s hand eagerly, but the girl didn’t budge.
“Heck no,” she said adamantly, staring at the place where the boys jumped from with horror. I knew she wasn’t fond of these types of activities that involved a lot of thrill and insane adrenaline – rollercoasters being a fine example – but I was determined to get her to do this with me.
“We can do it together! Please, do it with me?”
“That looks really high…”
“It’s not that much, and I’ll be there with you. Come on, Lys. Please?”
Her eyes narrowed as she saw me pout but inevitably sighed in defeat. A small squeal escaped my mouth and I continued to tug her along to the rocks. I pulled myself out of the water slowly, the liquid rapidly dripping down and when I turned back, I noted Lyssa’s darkened eyes.
Gia had already jumped before us, letting out a weird ‘YAAAHOOO’ sound as she went down. Alyssa and I carefully climbed a short way up and stopped at a ledge that jutted out a bit. Breathing deeply, I peeked over and shivered slightly, but the adrenaline coursing through me was enough to stop me from climbing back down. Alyssa, however, was all for that.
“You liar, this is high.”
I heard the stammer in her voice and so took her hand, smiling slightly. “It’s fine. Come on, we’re all in this togeth-”
“No, stop.”
Chuckling, I stood by her side and let out another deep breath. “Okay, on three. One, two, thr-”
I jumped before finishing the word, and Lyssa let out a yelp as she came down with me.
Water obscured my vision as I went underneath. Then it turned blurry and I realised then that the bottom went really deep. When I resurfaced, I gasped and looked around, spotting my girlfriend doing the same thing and also glaring at me. “You said on three!”
I giggled and she splashed me with a wave of water in response. As I was going to retaliate, a big sploosh sound came dangerously close to us.
“Charles! Dude!” I yelled.
The boy resurfaced and looked sheepish as he brushed back his hair. But I focused back on my girlfriend and smirked slightly. “Again?”
She opened her mouth to automatically refuse, then thought about it. “Actually, yeah. That was hella fun.”
As afternoon became early evening, the group decided to leave when we noticed the exhaustion weighing on our bodies. Hiking back down wasn’t nearly as bad and the white house soon came into view. As everyone grumbled and trudged back indoors to change, I went to follow until I realised Alyssa wasn’t doing the same. She’d changed course and was headed towards the little dock by the lakeside. I frowned and ignored the others as they debated about where they should eat dinner in the town nearby.
Following her, I saw her get to the edge of the docks and sit down, looking out across the lake and its glittering reflections as the sun’s orange rays set everything aglow.
She didn’t look back as I walked on the wooden planks, stopping by her side and sitting down myself. I paused, just looking at her and wondered about what was on her mind.
“What’s up?”
She hummed slightly and glanced at me. “No, nothing. I just like this view. Reminds me of the pier, at sunset.”
Looking at the scenery myself, I had to agree. Besides the lack of the prevalent wave noises and the strong, dancing breeze, the atmosphere was quite similar. Peaceful, serene, safe. I could see why the place appealed to Lyssa so much. I watched as she smiled now and swung her legs gently.
“You know, I sat here for a whole day the last time I came here with Gia and Ash. They swam around and I just sat, and watched. It sounds boring, but it was actually really nice.”
I couldn’t help but smile fondly. The setting sun cast a soft orange glow on her and made her tan skin look more ethereal, her deep blue eyes more otherworldly beautiful. And she was content. Just content. That was all she needed to look perfect to me.
Again, that sensation came up, something that was becoming familiar to me as I stared at Lyssa. The words were at the tip of my tongue, and like the times before, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to say them. She was right there, so perfect and kind. So adorable and caring. And gentle. Then she was looking at me with that soft smile on her lips and I just-
“Baby? Why are you looking at me like-”
“I love you.”
My heart stopped in my chest. I said it. Out loud. But I don’t regret it for a second.
I’ve never felt like this with anyone else, and that was scary. But it couldn’t be anything else but love. This warm, fuzzy feeling – heart lightening anytime I saw her – the way I couldn’t stand the thought of not being with her. How can this be anything else? And yes, I was afraid at first. But now? I didn’t want anything else but for her to know.
Her jaw hung as she stared at me, eyes wide in disbelief. Despite not regretting this, I was still so nervous. What was she thinking about? Will she not reciprocate? What should I say if she doesn’t? A million thoughts flashed through my brain with each passing second. What should I say?
“You don’t have-”
“I love you too.” She breathed out, cutting me off with shock still covering her face. Then a wide, genuine smile took over. “Leah, I love you.”
The burning spirit of passion transformed into a substance of pure, utter joy. Elation ran through every inch of my being, nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Without realising, I was cupping her face gently and leaning in, meeting her lips and sighing at the soft touch. A fire burned in us as we moved against each other, consuming the other with eagerness and the other feeling that we could now identify freely.
Her hands wrapped around my hips and pulled me close, drawing us as close to each other as possible. And as we ran out of breath, I pulled back but leaned my forehead against hers, smiling with such genuine happiness that I felt like my heart could literally burst from all the feelings.
“I can’t believe–say it again.”
Lyssa grinned, lips brushing against mine. “I love you, Leah Bennett.”
She moved her lips to peck my cheek, travelling to my jaw, then down my neck. I pulled her back and pecked her lips, brushing my thumb against the skin of her face. “I love you too. So much.”
Her smile softened and she went to kiss my forehead. Then I was content too.
“You beat me to it,” my girl said, laughing slightly. I raised my brows at that. “I was going to say it a few weeks back. But the words never came out.”
“I’m always taking the lead, aren’t I?” I teased humorously. She rolled her eyes but acknowledged it with a smile.
It was then that I heard the sound of someone else walking on the planks of the dock. I pulled away from Lyssa and looked back to see our redheaded friend. My girlfriend was slower to realise, and by the time she did, Gia was already stood right behind us.
“What-”
I moved away just in time to avoid being dragged down as Gia pushed her best friend into the lake with a laugh. The look of surprise on Lyssa’s face was only visible for half a second before she disappeared into the water.
She came up spluttering, glaring heatedly at the bold girl. “DAMN IT, GIA!”
The redhead was laughing so hard that she dropped to her knees, clutching at her stomach as she wheezed. “Oh man–the look on your face! I had to!”
Despite it being cruel, I giggled hard at the sight of my girlfriend as she tried to get out of the lake, hands reaching for the dock.
“Dude help me! Why’d you have to push me–OH MY GOD, THE FISH! THE FISH IS HERE! FUCKING HELP ME!”
I took a bite out of the granola bar and slowly chewed as my eyes scanned across the pages laid out in front of me. The food was helping in waking me up, thankfully, because studying during spring break at seven in the morning wasn’t an easy or motivating task to do half asleep.
But I was still so tired. I wanted to push the papers away–no I couldn’t. The test was right after the break and with the next three days booked out for the date – Gia was adamant about this – there was nothing I could do but squeeze every last minute into studying before they arrived. I could bring my notes to this date and study when there’s ti–dang it, no again. Lyssa would take it away the second she saw it.
I sighed tiredly. I still hate this. Whoever said morning studying was better should suck a–
A ding from my phone sounded out in the quiet of the room and I was almost too glad to abandon my work, albeit with quite a lot of guilt.
Lyssathegf – We’re hereeeee
Letting out a breath of relief, I shoved the papers into a messy pile and grabbed my small duffle bag before exiting my room, a thrum of excitement coursing through me at the thought of the fun we’ll be having in this long, extended date.
Bouncing down the stairs, I closed the front door lightly and made my way to Gia’s white BMW idling in front of the house. A Katy Perry song was blasting out of the car – one of her old songs that always brought a hint of nostalgia along with it.
“Hey you,” Lyssa said the moment I opened the back door. She was trying to stifle a yawn but still offered me a soft smile. I felt my insides warm the instant I saw that smile of hers, a sort of reassuring comfort that swept over me without fail every time. I got into the car and softly pecked her lips, grinning slightly.
“Hey to you too.”
“Leah, dude, seat belt! Let’s go!” the redhead sitting in the driver’s seat yelled with both an air of command and enthusiasm as a buzzing energy vibrated off of her. I spotted Charles sitting next to her as he sent me a small smile of greeting, hair more ruffled than usual as his appearance screamed drowsy.
I harrumphed and reluctantly slid away from my girlfriend as I buckled up on the other side. Only then did Gia set off with an excited little squeal. I spotted Lys rolling her eyes amusedly.
“Where are the others?” I asked the driver as she sped along the empty streets of the early morning.
“Oh, they’re waiting at Zach’s house where we’ll meet up and go together.”
“To where…?”
Even now, none of us had a clue of where we’d be spending this date at or what we’d be doing, besides Gia, the mastermind of this whole thing. And Ashton, who apparently only knew because he was driving the other car.
“Not saying,” Gia said simply, pinching her lips together in a thin line.
“Just spill, G,” Alyssa backed me up.
“Mnhmm.”
The brunette beside me huffed and crossed her arms. We were soon at Zach’s house and I could see Ashton’s car parked out front, waiting for us. Gia gave them a wave through the window and let them pull out in front before following. I spotted Riles in the passenger seat and Zach and his boyfriend joining them in the back.
It was only minutes later when we arrived on a highway, heading to who knows where. I shifted in my seat as I looked out the front.
“How long is the ride?”
“Three hours.”
“Three?!” I couldn’t help but splutter.
“It’s worth it, I promise! You’ll see why when we get there.”
Three hours. No wonder why Gia planned for us to set off at seven in the morning. I resigned myself to the long car ride ahead and settled back comfortably into the leather seat with a sigh, looking out the window absentmindedly. A shout from the driver pulled me back in an instant, only to realise that Alyssa had managed to steal the aux from Gia, much to her annoyance.
A wicked smile of triumph painted my girlfriend’s face as she connected it to her own phone and replaced the cut-off pop song that played through the speakers. Instead, soft acoustics and a delicate voice filled the interior and changed the vibe of the car in seconds. I couldn’t help but smirk as I spotted the annoyance that scrunched up the red head’s face.
“No! This is supposed to be a pump-up ride! Not a ‘let’s be mellow and depressed’ one. Give it back!”
Aly looked simultaneously offended and indignant. “Nuh-uh. Too much pop shit for three hours is going to get old. Fast. At least with Bon Iver, we can sleep to this.”
I hummed in slight agreement, longing for a quick nap. I could see Charles sagging in his chair for more comfort already, but sadly for us, Gia was a very determined person.
“This date will be epic, and I can’t have this as the precursor! Play something better – or better yet, give it back!”
The two best friends went back and forth for a while as they argued over the music until I became fed up and snatched Alyssa’s phone from her.
“Hey!” my girlfriend whined and pouted, but didn’t attempt to take it back.
I gave both of the girls a look that shut up their complaining, choosing a song of my own instead. A familiar tune floated out and neither of the girls looked completely satisfied, but the arguing had stopped.
Gia tried to keep up that look of annoyance despite the tapping of her fingers against the steering wheel. “Adele is still depressing, but fine.”
We all settled down and I good-naturedly struck up a conversation with Charles. It was odd, having him here. I hadn’t really spoken to him for about a year until Gia started dating him, and by then we’ve had to get back into the rhythm of how we used to be before the awkwardness of the breakup. It was nice, I guess, talking to him again. Much has changed though and getting to know the funny and smart side of him again has been interesting.
Gia unashamedly sang along with the music for the most part as she drove, and Alyssa joined in every now and then with hints of her self-consciousness, especially with Charles here to listen. I chuckled and smiled as the best friends gestured dramatically while they sang songs from the classics like Queen, to even raps as they flaunted their ‘skill’. It was definitely amusing, especially when they had confidently messed up the lyrics the whole way through.
One and a half-hour in, the atmosphere was more relaxed with less singing as we entered the second half of the ride. I had scooted over to the middle seat to sit beside Lys, comfortably resting my head on her shoulder as she fiddled with her phone.
She’d been scrolling through her socials idly, almost in a bored fashion, until she got fed up. I watched her go back to the home page to find something else to do, then I felt the corners of my lips curl up when I caught the sight of her home screen.
It was set to a picture of us at her soccer finals, the two of us leaning over the railing and kissing each other before the match’s start. The sight of it always made me smile. It was one of my favourite photos of us, another being my own home screen picture. It was a selfie picture taken of the two of us at the pier on the date I took Alyssa on a few weeks ago, smiles on our faces as the sunset’s light shone on us just right. And she was kissing the side of my head with the most genuine look of happiness I’d ever seen on her face. I drifted off in my thoughts, thinking about that day fondly and the words I’d almost said aloud.
I hazily focused back on her screen and frowned at the sight. “What are you playing?”
Alyssa was fully engrossed by her phone, but she let out a distracted hum. “It’s like Pictionary, but online. And better.”
“Oh, I wanna play.”
I got out my own phone and Charles later decided to join us as Alyssa made a new room. The girl beside me sent an invite to Zach, and soon, everyone besides the drivers of the respective cars was competing against each other.
“What the heck is that?”
“You can’t draw, Aly.”
“Hey! I’m trying! This word is hard…”
I stared in confusion at the messy lines and couldn’t decipher anything from it.
“Ay! Zach got it!” Alyssa yelled in delight, gloating.
I sighed as the timer ran out. Seeing the word, I scoffed. “That is not a harp.”
“It is! Zach guessed it.”
“Mhmm.”
When it was Charles’ turn, I subtly peeked around his seat and typed in the answer after only three lines were drawn.
“Hey! Cheater!” Alyssa yelled as I cackled. The other car also wasn’t doing too bad and Riles and I almost had this telepathic connection going on, often being the ones to guess each other’s answers first. Her artistic talent helped a lot here too.
“What the hell? How does Riley make a mouse look so nice?” Charles questioned, a little impressed.
Gia moaned sadly right then. “Why did you choose now to play, when I’m driving? I wanna play!”
The rest of the ride flew by quickly like that as we played several rounds with the other car’s occupants. Gia was almost too glad to announce our arrival.
“We’re here, y’all.”
I looked up from my bright screen and blinked a few times at the sight outside.
Oh, that was why she said to bring swimsuits.
“I should’ve guessed it. I’ve been here before. How did I not figure it out?” Alyssa mumbled to herself.
What lay outside the window was the view of a large lake, clear with only the slightest tint of green, stretching out across a vast length and surrounded by trees. The car rolled to a stop just by a white house standing by the lake, its size boasting of a large interior in the two-story space.
Alyssa opened the door and got out as I followed and the first thing I noted was the bombardment of forestry smells and the underlying scent of the lake in the air. The house faced the water’s glistening surface as the sun’s rays reflected off of it. It was a nice, tranquil place and I was already feeling my body naturally relaxing in its environment.
“Welcome!” Gia exclaimed suddenly, drawing everyone’s eyes to her as she announced grandly. “Let the quadruple date – begin!”
“I automatically corrected that to ‘let the Hunger Games begin’,” Ashton muttered, and I heard Alyssa snort.
The rest of us chuckled and Gia glared at the boy. “Stop that! You’re ruining my moment!” She gave the boy a slap on the shoulder then gestured to the house sitting behind. “It’s Ashton’s parent’s place and we’ll be spending the time around here. Oh! And one more thing…” The girl opened her trunk and presented us with a surprise. “We’ve got BEER!”
Everyone cheered happily at the sight of it, and only Alyssa didn’t match their level of enthusiasm. She eyed the case of beer in Gia’s hand with a slight grimace. “Yay.”
Her best friend rolled her eyes and brought over another case. “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget to get you cider.” At that, Lyssa jumped to hug her and almost caused her to drop the drinks.
People started getting their bags out of the vehicles and filing into the house, Ashton at the front with the keys. I hefted my own duffle and followed behind Dante as a certain brunette came up from behind me with a bag, bottles of cider and a huge smile on her face.
“Okay peeps!” Ashton yelled out over the chatter as he swung open the door. “There are five rooms, but I guess we can just share with our dates. Probs won’t be a problem,” he grinned boyishly.
I snorted quietly and turned to my date, quirking a brow amusedly. She just returned the gesture, but with the addition of biting her lower lip. I noticed, however, that although the rest of us were okay with it, only Gia and Charles seemed uncertain about the arrangement. It was probably because of the newer nature of their relationship. But I couldn’t tell if they’d actually sleep separately – although there wasn’t anything wrong with that, of course.
Entering the house, I looked around with wonder. It wasn’t anything too special, some photos here and there and nice, simplistic furniture in the large space of the den. But it had a sort of rustic vibe, and I liked how it suited the surrounding environment.
After all of us helped bring in the cases of alcohol to refrigerate, pairs of the couples started going up the stairs to claim their rooms. I took Alyssa’s hand – my bag in the other – and led her up to the closest available room, one with a double bed.
“Ahhh,” Lyssa sighed contently as she fell onto the bed and tested its comfiness. I walked over to her with a smirk and landed right beside her, resting my head on the soft sheets and closing my eyes lightly. This was nice.
“I wanna nap.”
“You don’t want to go explore?” Lyssa asked as I felt her shift beside me. When I opened my eyes, I saw she’d turned to face me as an arm propped up her head. Those bright blue orbs were gazing at me as she brushed aside a stray strand across my face. A corner of my lips quirked up slightly as I let my eyes shut.
“No, I do. But let me just close my eyes for a quick… few seconds…”
The next time I opened my lids, I found myself still lying half-way up the bed with Lyssa beside me, only now realising that that wonderful feeling on my head was her hands running softly through my hair.
“How long was I out?” I mumbled out, my eyelids wanting to droop close again at the lovely sensation.
“Only fifteen minutes.”
“Hmm.” I let out, so tempted to slip back into my slumber. But knowing that now wasn’t the time for that, I pinched my thigh slightly and forced my eyes open with a groan. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Alright, come on. I’ll take you around to some of the best places I found last time,” my girlfriend said enthusiastically, and soon, we were walking out of the house and exploring the place.
Some of the others had already been doing that. We walked by them as Lyssa led me to the forests acting as the house’s own backyard. She took my hand as we ventured into the trees and she pointed out things to me as we wandered around – the treehouse Ashton’s parents built for him and his siblings that was now falling apart, a stream with a rock path that Gia tripped on and into the water the last time the trio were here, and countless other little memories she had that were scattered around the place. Lyssa smiled as she recounted them and I listened intently, enjoying the way she shared these memories with me with such fondness.
We ended up at the little wooden dock by the lake not far from the house, walking to the edge of it and staring out at the moving surface. Alyssa had her eyes narrowed as she stared into the water, caution etched into her posture.
“There’s fish in here. The big kind. I saw it last time. Don’t like swimming here.”
I wasn’t scared of stuff like that, but the look on her face was disconcerting. “Wait, really? Why would Gia bring us here to swim then?”
She was still looking into the depths intensely as she replied – the tint of the water and the slight murkiness not allowing us to see right to the bottom. “Well, I guess we technically can, because Gia and Ash don’t think it’s true. They haven’t seen the fish, but I swear it was here last time…”
I raised my brows now, amused. “You’re really, really sure?”
Lyssa looked to me with exasperated disbelief. “You don’t think I’m telling the truth? It was big!”
I nodded anyway and just smirked. “Come on, scaredy pants. Let’s head back inside. I think Gia said something about lunch.”
It was a late lunch, actually, when everyone gathered around to take a sandwich or two from the boxes Gia brought. She certainly was prepared – something I admired – and seemed to have a whole trip planned out for us as she made a few announcements.
“Alright, guys! After this, I’m thinking of ordering pizza later to go with the drinks. Any preferences?”
Some people shouted out the classic pepperoni, others Hawaiian, and there was the rare vegetarian option too. But it wasn’t long ‘til some of the others were changing into their swimsuits and getting ready to dive into the lake just out front. Alyssa, Zach, and Riley, however, opted not to take a dip into the lake’s unknowns.
“Oh, come on, baby,” I laughed at Alyssa as she stood with her arms crossed, refusing to come anywhere near the lake for fear of being pushed in. My girlfriend shook her head adamantly as she stood by Zach, and Riley plopped onto the docks to look at the waters warily.
“What’s your excuse?” I teased as I joined her, wearing a nice one-piece swimsuit that I grabbed out of the bag hastily.
She shrugged as she pursed her lips. “I’ve watched those documentaries, dude. The ones with leeches in lakes and other nasty stuff… Don’t wanna risk it.” I paused, now looking at her with a bit of apprehension.
In the end, I only jumped in once before coming back minutes later, my paranoia rearing its head from just listening to Riley. The others like Ashton and Gia were doing cannonballs off the dock and swimming around on their backs fearlessly. Even Dante joined in doing these crazy flips that made me dizzy looking at it.
The time spent outside didn’t last, though, as pizza soon arrived and called everyone inside without any other prompting. The people who swam changed quickly to gather around the others already eating in the living room. And thank god for the person who brought their speaker to liven up the place. A beat pulsed through the room as we sat and ate, conversing idly.
Then the alcohol was pulled out.
“Never have I ever! Who wants to play ‘never have I ever’?” Gia yelled out invitingly, a beer already in her hand.
Everyone quickly came to form a rough circle as we brought the pizza to sit on the wooden coffee table in the middle. People had either a bottle or can in hand and settled on the couches or the floor. I nursed my own beer as I sat between Riley and Gia. Alyssa sat on the other couch with Zach and Dante while Ashton and Charles took the floor with cushions.
“Okay, you guys know the rules, right?” When Zach and Charles shook their heads, Gia proceeded to explain. “Basically, you drink if you did the ‘never have I ever’, and you put a finger down too. When someone puts all ten down, the game ends. We’ll also make the person chug whatever we want,” she grinned cheekily.
“Alright, me first!” Ashton announced, his smirk hinting that he already had one in mind.
“No! That’s not how it works. We’ll spin something–let’s see, that'll work.” The redhead picked up an empty water bottle and spun it on the table. It twirled and quickly slowed, landing on – herself.
She looked surprised, but her face then scrunched up in concentration. Two light blue orbs lit up with mischief.
“Never have I ever had sex in a car.”
Instantly, Alyssa glared daggers at her as she sent me sideways glances. I felt a heat light up my cheeks as I drank from my can, Alyssa doing the same. Riley spluttered into laughter beside me as the rest of them howled at the sight of our embarrassment. Only Ashton joined in sipping his drink and he wasn’t at all fazed by the statement. My god, Gia was going straight for it.
The game was going clockwise, so the next person happened to be my girlfriend. She smiled a wicked smile, directed at Gia. “Never have I ever had a pregnancy scare.”
Her best friend blanched as her jaw dropped comically. “What the fuck, Aly?!”
The boys were set off by that one and I couldn’t help but grin as the redhead drank from her bottle, Riley also following suit. Ashton looked surprised by the latter, but I’d been there when she was panicking about the condom break after that one time. I’d nearly kicked the boy’s ass for that.
The game went on and I’d had to drink from my can several times, finishing one quickly and opening another for myself. Most of the questions were, as expected, fairly sexually-oriented – as a result, we’ve gotten to know each other very well in other ways – some would say too well. The threesome one was a daring one, but–ha! Surprisingly, no one drank for that.
“Never have I ever kissed someone on the first date?” Zach was the one to say.
I met my girlfriend’s eyes questioningly. “Did that count? That time after ice-skating?” She looked thoughtful for a moment, before she shrugged and took a swig of her cider anyway, arm slung over the back of the couch and around me. Alyssa had moved over to my side after she said she’d wanted to cuddle – drunk Lys was cute like that – and so, some reshuffling had occurred. Gia was kicked off our couch and sent to the other, where she now casually laid her legs over both Zach’s and Dante’s laps.
Charles slurred out his words as he laid sideways on his cushion. “N-Never have I ever–had sex in a forest.”
No one responded to that one until Ashton piped up and gestured out a window. “Well, you'll have the chance to try that in the next few days.”
I let out what could only be described as a bark of laughter as I watched Charles’ face redden. Talk started going around about who’d be the first couple to do it, bets and pointing fingers starting a rambunctious argument. Ashton got the game to continue as he spoke up.
“Guys. Alright, alright, chill. Let me continue. Never have I ever been cheated on.”
An uncomfortable blanket seemed to settle over us as the sounds became a murmur. I felt myself sober up a bit at the question, Alyssa stiffening next to me as we quietly threw back our drinks. Dante was the only other to drink, not saying a word. Ashton seemed to realise then that that wasn’t such a good statement to say, sensing the awkwardness creeping into the room. He cleared his throat and fiddled with his bottle slightly until Riley cut through the silence.
“Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex.”
Just like that, things were back to normal. I looked at my best friend with a look of betrayal, the rest of the gays in the room doing the same thing too, which she found highly amusing. “Drink up, y’all.”
We gave her a mean look, but from the corner of my eye, I saw someone else coolly drinking. “Wait, Gia? Really?”
The redhead grinned and shrugged nonchalantly. “What can I say, I was curious.” As Zach turned to pry more about it, I turned my stare to the girl sitting right beside me, and she looked at me with confusion at first until it dawned on her what I was implying.
“No! I didn’t kiss her.”
I opened up one of her precious ciders and took a sip. “Mhmm…”
Alyssa pulled me closer to her with a pout, but I could see the smile she was trying to cover up underneath. “Babe, come on now…” She buried her face into my neck and chuckled softly against me. “Jealousy does look hot on you though…”
I rolled my eyes and pushed her away as she laughed. Only then did I realise with a start that I had no more fingers left to put down.
“Wait, did I lose?”
________________
Groaning. I heard groaning. Where the heck was that coming fro–oh. Me.
My head felt like it was about to explode. Like literally, there’s some C4 in there that’s just waiting to blow, and the thing is, I–just blow up already.
I peeked my eyes open slightly and closed it instantly, the pain of the light searing into my brain like a laser to the eye. Ugh, I’m back to hating alcohol again.
Slowly, I scooted closer to the warmth and snuggled in, hearing a sigh near my ear. And despite the pounding in my head beating like an incessant drum, I let myself drift off to a place of relief in the haven of slumbering darkness…
“WAKE UP, BITCHES!”
“AHHHHHHH!”
I jerked awake as the figure I was lying on screamed at the person stood cackling at the door.
“Get OUT, dude!”
“We’re going hiking! It’ll be fun, come on girlies. Wake up!”
I growled in irritation as I found sleep trying to escape me. “I’m not going anywhere until it’s at least two in the afternoon.”
“But-”
“Bye.”
The girl harrumphed but closed the door, leaving me to sigh again and turn back to my warm girlfriend grinning at me. “You are awesome, babe.”
I hummed and settled back into her, slinging an arm around her waist and surrendering to the comfort she gave.
But it seemed like two came in no time and we were soon forced out of bed and ordered to change. Gia was kind enough to fetch us the painkillers – a small reprieve – and we ate a quick lunch of burgers with the others before we were off. Everyone besides Gia seemed to be in the same sluggish mood, trudging up the path at a snail’s pace as grumbles and complaints rose into the air.
“You wussies! Up and at ‘em! You can’t even handle a little hangover?!” the girl exclaimed, so alike an army sergeant.
“You drank the least!” Zach complained from behind me, but Gia wasn’t even listening, busy kicking and hitting our asses to hurry us up. I could tell she was really enjoying all of this.
“I don’t know–how much farther–I can go,” I panted as I walked up the slight incline, resting my hands on my hips tiredly. Alyssa, however, seemed to be doing just fine even with the hangover. Her and her athletic body, my god. It certainly was good to look at from my current position though…
“Come on, I think we’re almost there. Gia says we’re past halfway,” she smiled encouragingly as she walked in front.
“Can you carry me?” I asked, lips forming a pout. My girlfriend looked back and seemed about to reject me, but I stopped her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. “Lys, please?”
She looked reluctant to, but as I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, it seemed to be enough to convince her. “Alright, fine.”
I cheered as she turned back around, and with a jump, I was happily being carried piggy-back style with my arms wrapped around her shoulders. Alyssa grunted at first as she adjusted to the added weight but continued walking on just fine, almost at ease, even.
“What’s that I hear?” Ashton said from behind us, a playfulness to his tone. “Can anyone else hear it? Sounds to me like some sort of whip.”
My girlfriend threw a glare over her shoulder at the boy even as I grinned. Throughout our dating history, the others always kept saying that I had Lyssa wrapped around my finger, but honestly, it definitely went the other way too. I couldn’t resist that adorable face even if I tried.
I saw Riley nudge her boyfriend with a sly smirk tugging at her lips. “Ash, carry me too.”
The boy looked lost for words for a moment as he debated whether to refuse his girlfriend or give in and be teased too. He was smart enough to choose the latter, hefting up Riley without a word.
“Ha!” I giggled, giving my best friend a thumbs-up, full of amusement. And by the looks of Gia and Zach’s face, I could guess that they were tempted to do the same with their dates too.
As Alyssa marched on, I rested my chin on her shoulder, sighing contently as I took in her scent of limes, mint, and her clothing softener. It was familiar now, and it had an effect over me whenever I was close, calling me to sink into her and take comfort in her presence.
I was on her back for only five more minutes before Alyssa became too tired and had to put me down, much to my disappointment. We hiked on for a few more and I almost dropped to the ground with relief when Gia stated we’d arrived. I looked up from the path and felt my eyes widen at the sight of our location. I’d expected it, as such, but I could have never imagined seeing the sight before me now.
The water was crystal clear, so much so that you could see right to the bottom despite its depth. A huge rock face towered on both sides of the waterfall, one that was led down in a sloping motion that zigzagged downwards from a great height. The view was imposing and grand, yet the body of water flowing at the bottom called invitingly to us.
Darting my gaze left and right, I met Riley, Zach and Lyssa’s excited faces and knew we were all thinking the same thing.
“Last one’s the loser!” Riley yelled and all at once, everyone started scrambling towards the water with speed. Laughing as Zach tripped over his pants, I peeled off my own shirt and shorts as I ran, revealing the emerald green bikini I wore underneath. I hopped awkwardly as I took off my shoes before splashing into the water with Lys right at my back.
“Ack! Cold!”
Despite the sun beating down on the area, the lake was refreshingly cool as it washed away all the perspiration that had painted our backs. I swam on my back as I faced the others, a grin pulling at my lips, but it slipped the moment I spotted the one girl that could make my knees weak in an instant.
Lys wore a strappy black bikini as she waded into the water waist-deep, revealing her curves and toned body teasingly and making me gulp dumbly at the sight. She was gazing at me too with those glazed blue eyes, but her arms were wrapped self-consciously around her torso. I frowned at that and approached her, taking her hands in mine. “Baby, trust me, you look gorgeous.”
She bit her lip uncertainly but followed me as I pulled her in deeper, pecking her cheek to try and erase the doubt she still held. Honestly, she was way more than just gorgeous – beautiful, hot, alluring, sexy… I told her this and her ears turned an amusingly dark shade of red, but she still quirked up her lips in a shy smile. I found myself wrapping my hands around her waist often and touching her bare skin, the effect I had on her being obvious as her breath caught every time my palms ventured to places more sensitive…
We spent the time swimming and floating around, relaxing in the little, quiet haven we found. Some of the brave ones in our group ventured to the cliff face and climbed up the rocks to find a place to dive, Ashton leading the group at the front. I’ll admit that his body was quite nice to look at and I certainly understood my best friend’s attraction to him, but I couldn’t for the life of me ever think it was comparable to Alyssa’s wonderfully toned figure. And I had her all to myself–man, I’m so lucky.
“Cannonball!”
A big splash came from a few metres from us and I spun around to see Ashton grinning widely from near the rocks. I watched as Dante jumped next, landing on the water’s surface in a belly flop, and I just knew I had to try the jump for myself.
“Let’s go!” I tugged the brunette’s hand eagerly, but the girl didn’t budge.
“Heck no,” she said adamantly, staring at the place where the boys jumped from with horror. I knew she wasn’t fond of these types of activities that involved a lot of thrill and insane adrenaline – rollercoasters being a fine example – but I was determined to get her to do this with me.
“We can do it together! Please, do it with me?”
“That looks really high…”
“It’s not that much, and I’ll be there with you. Come on, Lys. Please?”
Her eyes narrowed as she saw me pout but inevitably sighed in defeat. A small squeal escaped my mouth and I continued to tug her along to the rocks. I pulled myself out of the water slowly, the liquid rapidly dripping down and when I turned back, I noted Lyssa’s darkened eyes.
Gia had already jumped before us, letting out a weird ‘YAAAHOOO’ sound as she went down. Alyssa and I carefully climbed a short way up and stopped at a ledge that jutted out a bit. Breathing deeply, I peeked over and shivered slightly, but the adrenaline coursing through me was enough to stop me from climbing back down. Alyssa, however, was all for that.
“You liar, this is high.”
I heard the stammer in her voice and so took her hand, smiling slightly. “It’s fine. Come on, we’re all in this togeth-”
“No, stop.”
Chuckling, I stood by her side and let out another deep breath. “Okay, on three. One, two, thr-”
I jumped before finishing the word, and Lyssa let out a yelp as she came down with me.
Water obscured my vision as I went underneath. Then it turned blurry and I realised then that the bottom went really deep. When I resurfaced, I gasped and looked around, spotting my girlfriend doing the same thing and also glaring at me. “You said on three!”
I giggled and she splashed me with a wave of water in response. As I was going to retaliate, a big sploosh sound came dangerously close to us.
“Charles! Dude!” I yelled.
The boy resurfaced and looked sheepish as he brushed back his hair. But I focused back on my girlfriend and smirked slightly. “Again?”
She opened her mouth to automatically refuse, then thought about it. “Actually, yeah. That was hella fun.”
As afternoon became early evening, the group decided to leave when we noticed the exhaustion weighing on our bodies. Hiking back down wasn’t nearly as bad and the white house soon came into view. As everyone grumbled and trudged back indoors to change, I went to follow until I realised Alyssa wasn’t doing the same. She’d changed course and was headed towards the little dock by the lakeside. I frowned and ignored the others as they debated about where they should eat dinner in the town nearby.
Following her, I saw her get to the edge of the docks and sit down, looking out across the lake and its glittering reflections as the sun’s orange rays set everything aglow.
She didn’t look back as I walked on the wooden planks, stopping by her side and sitting down myself. I paused, just looking at her and wondered about what was on her mind.
“What’s up?”
She hummed slightly and glanced at me. “No, nothing. I just like this view. Reminds me of the pier, at sunset.”
Looking at the scenery myself, I had to agree. Besides the lack of the prevalent wave noises and the strong, dancing breeze, the atmosphere was quite similar. Peaceful, serene, safe. I could see why the place appealed to Lyssa so much. I watched as she smiled now and swung her legs gently.
“You know, I sat here for a whole day the last time I came here with Gia and Ash. They swam around and I just sat, and watched. It sounds boring, but it was actually really nice.”
I couldn’t help but smile fondly. The setting sun cast a soft orange glow on her and made her tan skin look more ethereal, her deep blue eyes more otherworldly beautiful. And she was content. Just content. That was all she needed to look perfect to me.
Again, that sensation came up, something that was becoming familiar to me as I stared at Lyssa. The words were at the tip of my tongue, and like the times before, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to say them. She was right there, so perfect and kind. So adorable and caring. And gentle. Then she was looking at me with that soft smile on her lips and I just-
“Baby? Why are you looking at me like-”
“I love you.”
My heart stopped in my chest. I said it. Out loud. But I don’t regret it for a second.
I’ve never felt like this with anyone else, and that was scary. But it couldn’t be anything else but love. This warm, fuzzy feeling – heart lightening anytime I saw her – the way I couldn’t stand the thought of not being with her. How can this be anything else? And yes, I was afraid at first. But now? I didn’t want anything else but for her to know.
Her jaw hung as she stared at me, eyes wide in disbelief. Despite not regretting this, I was still so nervous. What was she thinking about? Will she not reciprocate? What should I say if she doesn’t? A million thoughts flashed through my brain with each passing second. What should I say?
“You don’t have-”
“I love you too.” She breathed out, cutting me off with shock still covering her face. Then a wide, genuine smile took over. “Leah, I love you.”
The burning spirit of passion transformed into a substance of pure, utter joy. Elation ran through every inch of my being, nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Without realising, I was cupping her face gently and leaning in, meeting her lips and sighing at the soft touch. A fire burned in us as we moved against each other, consuming the other with eagerness and the other feeling that we could now identify freely.
Her hands wrapped around my hips and pulled me close, drawing us as close to each other as possible. And as we ran out of breath, I pulled back but leaned my forehead against hers, smiling with such genuine happiness that I felt like my heart could literally burst from all the feelings.
“I can’t believe–say it again.”
Lyssa grinned, lips brushing against mine. “I love you, Leah Bennett.”
She moved her lips to peck my cheek, travelling to my jaw, then down my neck. I pulled her back and pecked her lips, brushing my thumb against the skin of her face. “I love you too. So much.”
Her smile softened and she went to kiss my forehead. Then I was content too.
“You beat me to it,” my girl said, laughing slightly. I raised my brows at that. “I was going to say it a few weeks back. But the words never came out.”
“I’m always taking the lead, aren’t I?” I teased humorously. She rolled her eyes but acknowledged it with a smile.
It was then that I heard the sound of someone else walking on the planks of the dock. I pulled away from Lyssa and looked back to see our redheaded friend. My girlfriend was slower to realise, and by the time she did, Gia was already stood right behind us.
“What-”
I moved away just in time to avoid being dragged down as Gia pushed her best friend into the lake with a laugh. The look of surprise on Lyssa’s face was only visible for half a second before she disappeared into the water.
She came up spluttering, glaring heatedly at the bold girl. “DAMN IT, GIA!”
The redhead was laughing so hard that she dropped to her knees, clutching at her stomach as she wheezed. “Oh man–the look on your face! I had to!”
Despite it being cruel, I giggled hard at the sight of my girlfriend as she tried to get out of the lake, hands reaching for the dock.
“Dude help me! Why’d you have to push me–OH MY GOD, THE FISH! THE FISH IS HERE! FUCKING HELP ME!”
End of Comfy Closets Chapter 50. Continue reading Chapter 51 or return to Comfy Closets book page.