Page 23 of Jumping In

“I just wanted to thank you for actually coming tonight. It meant a lot to me.”

He smiles and nods. “No problem.” Mac slides his backpack off his shoulder and unzips it. “I actually have something for you.” He reaches in to pull out a book. It looks worn, the spine cracked, and the pages bent a bit. “I’m still reading the one you gave me yesterday, but I read this one a while back and jotted down my thoughts. Have you read it?” he asks.

I look at the cover and smile softly. “Yeah, I have. It’s one of my favorites, actually.” He smiles and hands it to me. I take it greedily, eager to see what he thought of it. “Thank you.” I bounce on the balls of my feet with excitement and lose my balance, falling into him. I hear his bag hit the ground, sendingdust up into the air and then feel his arms around me, catching me.

“Whoa, you okay?” He rights me with his hands on my waist, his fingers gripping my T-shirt. I nod, leaning into him more and inhale his scent clinging to his shirt. Feeling a little awkward, but not wanting to let go, I wrap my arm around his waist and hug him.

“I’m good. Thank you for the book.” I lean away and smile up at him.

His eyes twinkle under the moonlight when he smiles back at me. “Thanks for the invite, MJ.”

He releases my shirt, and I take a step back from him, letting him pick up his bag and get into his car. “Drive safe!” I call over the rumble of his engine. I want to ask him to text me when he gets home, but I feel like that might be too much, too soon. As if on cue, my phone pings. I know it’s likely Blake or Austin letting me know they made it home. They know by now I expect it.

Slowly backing toward my parents’ house, I watch Mac head down the street toward his house. My head is full of all kinds of thoughts replaying with him in the creek, the conversation at dinner, and then the hug at his car. I’m likely going to have a tough time sleeping tonight.

Once I’m clean and settled in bed, I pull out the new book and my phone to find I have a new text.

MAC:Made it home

My heart pounds in my chest, and the butterflies are beating against my rib cage. Thoughts swirl through my head,replaying moments from when we were younger to now. All the stolen glances, the lingering touches, the playfulness . . . tonight felt like I was teleported back in time to before I lost my best friend. Sighing, I tap out a reply and then place my phone on the charger. Pulling the book close to my chest I close my eyes and try to think back on that summer when everything changed.

Chapter 10

Mac

Idrive home from MJ’s on cloud nine. When she told me to drive safely, my heart squeezed a bit. I know she still cares about me. As a friend at least, but maybe if the way her eyes darted to me all night is any sign, maybe more than friends too.

Between the stolen glances she thought she was getting away with and the little “drive safe” when I left, I didn’t want the night to end. I had to text her when I got home, knowing she would be worried if I didn’t. I didn’t expect her to respond though, and now I’m staring at my phone, trying to figure out what to say.

MJ:Thank you!!! How did you know?

ME:Just had a feeling you’d be worried ??

A wink face? What the fuck? Oh well, it’s done and sent now.

MJ:I was.. Thank you… again

I should really let her get some sleep, but I can’t seem to leave her alone now that we’re actually talking again.

ME:Np. What are you doing still up?

My phone pings with a notification and I see there’s an attachment. When I open the photo, I see she has her tan legs propped up in her bed and the book I gave her tonight is in her lap.

ME:Ah, I see. Well, I won’t bother you, enjoy!

That came off a little more dismissive than I meant it, so I follow up with another text.

ME:Goodnight gorgeous

I scrub my hand down my face and groan. I’m in such deep shit.

I get out of my car, heading into the shop and upstairs. I usually spend most nights in the shop’s loft, especially since work has been so busy. Since Dad got sick, I try to not disturb his rest, and coming home at odd hours of the night usually does just that. Plus, staying at the loft gives me a false sense of independence. Dad used to do the same when I was a kid, not wanting to wake me or Jake up, especially on school nights.

I’ve cleaned up the space and made it my own, with Dad’s blessing, of course. The sheets and comforter on the bed are blue, no longer the awful red and green plaid my dad used to have. The only thing the loft is missing is a kitchen, but I make the space work for me. I rarely cook anything while I’m working anyway and if I really need something other than the snacksor drinks I keep stocked in the refrigerator downstairs, I can always pop over to my parents’ house behind the shop.

The shower’s hot water is a welcome reprieve from the chilly creek I was just swimming in. I lather up my shampoo and wash my hair with thoughts of the evening running through my mind. If I’m being honest, MJ consumes my thoughts more often than not, especially lately. She looked so good in her red bikini today. It’s not lost on me that the color she chose is the same as the one she wore when we were sixteen.

I haven’t seen her all that often since I started working at the shop full time, but I’ve seen enough posts on social media to know she rarely wears red bathing suits. She should, though, because damn, she looked good. Her cute ass filled out the bottoms perfectly and her tits. I groan as my cock hardens.

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