Page 28 of Stony Point Summer
Maris is breathing deeply, her chest rising with each inhale. Her skin is wet; her head, tipped. Though she closely watches him, they say nothing more. Jason glances away with a slow grin, shakes his head, then looks back at her. More water drips from Maris’ face, her hair.
“Jason,” she finally whispers, still holding him close. “I’m with Shane.”
“Not right now, you aren’t.”
Maris, she slightly loosens her hold around Jason’s neck. But her fingers stay linked there; they toy with his damp hair. She shakes her head, too. Just once, as if trying to make sense of this unexpected moment.
It’s enough for Jason to look past her shoulder to the departing gang on the beach. After another quiet second, he says in her ear as he brushes his scruffy face against hers, “Don’t see Shane anywhere around, either.”
“Because he’sworking.” Maris tips her wet forehead to Jason’s. “On Noah’sboat. Lobstering. He could be right out there,” she says, “on the Sound.”
“Andyou’rehere.” Jason shifts her then, dipping a little lower so the water rushes up their chests, to their shoulders—right as more lightning flashes above.
“I am.” Her legs are still looped around his hips, and beneath the water, his hands press against her backside, holding her close. When he raises her up a bit, Maris smiles. She loosens her grip, too, so that her hands embrace his wet shoulders while the water swirls beneath them.
“So it’s just us,” Jason says.
“Mmh,” Maris only murmurs, her smile wicked, her touch soft.
“Don’t move, okay?”
“What?”
“Don’t move.” As he says it, Jason turns in the water so that her back is fully to their friends leaving the beach. Leaving and paying them no attention. So with one hand, Jason carefully brushes a drop of water from Maris’ cheek. His fingers slip along her skin, down her neck, to her shoulder.
“Jason,” she whispers again, briefly closing her eyes. But after glancing over her shoulder at the others, she turns back to him. And raises her wrapped legs a little higher on his hips. Her hands stay linked behind his neck, too. The way he’s holding her afloat, she’s actually looking slightly down at him. She dips her head then—brushing her lips on his.
A brighter flash of sheet lightning rolling across the clouds does nothing to stop her. Only when a sharp rumble of thunder follows does Maris look up at the sky.
But only until Jason lowers her, settles her feet back on the sandbar and glides his hands up her bare sides beneath the water. They’re out deep enough that a slight undertow has them sway to keep their footing. Jason looks briefly past her, where his brother, Neil, and all their friends are walking onto the boardwalk now. They’re all far enough off for Jason to dare to bring his hands up to Maris’ neck and cradle her face.
Still, he doesn’t kiss her back. It’s as though he’s giving her the pause to leave.
To turn away.
To say Shane’ll be waiting for her.
To say this is wrong.
She doesn’t.
Seconds pass. Long, still seconds when darker storm clouds push in, bringing a slow roll of thunder. Jason, standing waist-deep with Maris in the water, drops his hands down her bare sides to her hips again. As he does, he leans in and kisses first her wet cheek, then her mouth.
Maris kisses him too, uncertainly. Lightly. She stands there, slightly pulling back. Her arms are at her sides, her kiss hesitant.
But only for a moment.
Only until her smile comes and she gradually deepens that kiss—little by little.
She loops her arms low around Jason’s waist, all while standing alone with him there off the coast of Stony Point. The beach is practically deserted now as families and kids scramble back to their cottages. She and Jason have the water all to themselves.
The deep dark sea is theirs for one long kiss, then one more.
Right as the salt water laps at their bodies, the tide pulling and tugging at them.
Right as random raindrops start falling.
Right as a storm is rolling in.
