Page 58 of Memories By the Shore
I bring my free hand to the back of her head and gently push her to deepen our kiss. She falls into me, lifting herself to straddle my torso.
I dart my tongue inside her mouth and swirl it around before diving into the back of her throat, craving to be further inside her. Avery is my lifeline. We remain connected until I feel her giggles rumble inside my chest.
“Jasper!” She laughs, flipping her hair around. I stare into her beautifully hazel-green eyes, which always seem to have more green in them than brown.
“Take your swimsuit off,” I growl.
She licks her lips, her cheeks turning crimson. “You didn’t sayplease.”
“Please …” I groan, licking her nose. “Take …” I bring my mouth to her neck, sucking hard. “Your swimsuit …”Bite.“Off.”
Maybe we can turn this afternoon around after all.
Chapter Eighteen
Now
Avery
Ispent the entire day pacing back and forth between the living room and the balcony. I thought about walking down to visit Helen, but my thoughts were swirling with heaviness from this town. I can’t imagine having to answer the endless questions I’m sure she’ll have.
A buzzing sound coming from the kitchen table breaks my stream of unconscious internal ramblings for a moment before they’re back once again. I don’t know how Coconut Grove managed to sink its warm, beachy claws in me again or how, after so many years, it still has a profound hold. I’ve tried to make sense of the summer that changed my life, but I haven’t been able to.
The insistent buzz continues for an unclear amount of time before I realize it’s my phone. Absently swiping it off the counter, I also drop it on the floor.Shit.
“Hello,” I answer, frazzled and without checking to see who it is first.
A man’s voice on the other end of the call startles me. “Hi,babe.”
“Hi?” I pause, confused.Wait.“Dave!”
“Yeah, of course,” he hisses with annoyance.
“How are you?” I bend to sit on the couch, barely missing the edge while scrambling to string a full sentence together—one that does include me calling himJasper.
He pauses before answering. “Fine. Are you alright? You seem a little off.”
“I’m fine, just getting settled. That’s all.”
“Have you spoken to your aunt yet?” he asks. I told Dave I needed to come out here to tell Helen about the engagement in person. He knows I lived with her the summer after my parents passed, but that’s the extent of it.
“I did a little.” My legs bounce. “I think I’m going to stay the weekend with her,” I tell him, anticipating this visit down memory lane is a longer road than I expected.
“Oh, so you won’t be back for a few more days?” he clarifies, impatience in his tone.
“No, sorry.”
“I have that Dentists of the Valley Association dinner on Saturday. I was hoping you’d be back for that.”
My heart is heavy having to lie to him, but I need to do this for myself. “I know. I’m really sorry.”
“Why do you need to stay that long with her anyway?”
My eyes lower. “Because she’s my aunt, and she meant a lot to me. I’m sure you understand.”
“You haven’t seen her since I’ve known you,” he quips.Why is he suddenly arguing about me staying away?“Don’t you think I deserve to spend time with my fiancé the first week after Iproposed to her?”
“It’s not about you. I need to do this.” I stand, feeling defensive. “I’m sure you understand.” We’ve only been casual for the last year and a half. It’s not my fault he decided to propose and suddenly wants to claim more stake on me.
