Seeing the smile on Todd’s face when I reappear at the window is priceless and worth falling two stories for, as long as it results in a broken bone and not anything more serious. Todd is totally worth a broken leg, but permanent brain damage, maybe not.
STOP!Just concentrate on the branch. I have seriously gone insane.
Todd’s words bounce through my head, One step at a time. I make it to the branch, which is much easier than I imagined.
“You’ve got it, Ash,” he shout-whispers up to me.
“Now what?” I whisper back to him.
He gestures to the giant base of the tree. “Climb down the trunk.”
Luckily, there are branches all the way down that lead me to the ground. It’s as if some divine force created steps just for me, like it was specifically designed to sneak out of my room. Thank you, scary tree.
“You did it.” Todd wraps his arms around me and lifts me off the ground.
“I know,” I say with a smile I can’t hide as I look up at the tree and relish in what I just accomplished. “Wait, how am I going to get back in?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” I always feel so safe with him. I know he won’t let anything happen to me.
“Thank you for rescuing me.” I press my lips against his with enough force to let him know just how thankful I am. “So where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Cute PJs, by the way.”
I look down to see I’m wearing my Peas on Earth PJ bottoms with peas dancing on top of globes. In the excitement, I totally forgot to change. Damn. I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
He runs his thumbs over my reddening cheeks. “Hey, I love them, and I love when you blush.” He leans down and kisses me with his incredibly soft lips. Then his fingers intertwine with mine as we stealthily run to his car.
I don’t know why I keep looking from side to side as if my parents have been waiting for me outside, but somehow, it makes me feel better. Luckily, we make it to Todd’s car unnoticed.
“Tonight, we are celebrating,” He says with the brightest smile I’ve seen in a long time as we pull into the town pool parking lot.
“Oh, yeah?” I question as I bite my bottom lip. I’m not sure what we are doing here in the middle of the night.
He gives me his crooked smile as he opens his car door. “Yup. Come on.”
I return his smile as he opens the door for me. “Um … I’m pretty sure the pool is closed.”
“Precisely.” He intertwines his fingers with mine, and for the first time, I notice he’s carrying a big duffle bag.
“What’s in the bag?” I try to peek in, but his reflexes are faster than mine. He pulls it away before I even get a glimpse.
The next thing I know, we are standing at the emergency-exit gate, and Todd is punching in a code. Within seconds, he has it open.
“We’re in.” He gives me a sly smile with a quick kiss. There is no hesitation on his part, not for second.
“Does George know we’re here?”
“No, Ash. That’s the point.”
“Are you feeling okay? I’m not sure I’m clear on what the point is we’re trying to make. Is it getting arrested? Is that the point? Because I’m pretty sure there are cameras in there.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if we asked for permission. And there are no cameras where we’re going; I checked.” He glances over and catches the nerves I’m wearing all over my face. “Hey, don’t worry. We’re good.” He steps in close to me and cradles my face with one hand as his other holds the gate open. His face is inches from mine, and then he kisses me deeply. “Now, come on.”
Before I know it, Todd pulls out our blanket from the field and two towels. Then he gently lays the blanket out on the side of the pool.
The sky is filled with bright, sparkling stars, and the pool is illuminated by the underwater lights. It’s as if it’s glowing, surrounded by the darkness of the night. The warm air kisses the night’s sky. It’s the kind of warm that feels like summer is never going to end, even though it’s early October.
The pathway is lit by what looks like old-fashioned gas lanterns, but they are filled with glowing light bulbs instead of fire. The grounds are beautiful at night. Still. Silent. It’s just us. We are truly alone. It takes on a different meaning being here at night, having the entire place to ourselves, with only the stars and pool lights giving us light.
“Too bad I don’t have a bathing suit,” I say matter-of-factly.
“Who needs a bathing suit?” Todd flashes me a mischievous grin as he takes off his jersey then starts to unbutton his shorts, his eyes never leaving mine. He’s standing there in just boxers, and I can’t get enough of each contour of his perfectly defined body.
He steps closer to me. “Need help?” he asks, his look so intent, so focused as he pulls my thin, cotton shirt over my head. I’m suddenly grateful I only changed into my PJ bottoms since I’m still wearing my bra. “Let’s keep going.” He effortless unsnaps my bra.
Oh, well, so much for still having my bra.
With each move, he is gentle, and within the blink of an eye, the only thing covering both of us is the cool water from the pool. I have always loved the water, but this brings my appreciation for feeling it envelope my body to an entirely new level.
I feel his warm chest against mine as the cool water tickles my skin. His kisses are deep and full of intensity. I can’t help kissing him back just as deeply. There is electricity between us. I want him, all of him. I don’t care that we could get caught or that I snuck out of my room. I don’t care about anything, only him.
I twirl my tongue around his, pressing my body farther into his as he runs his hands over my soaked hair, the heat of our bodies enveloped by the cool water. I adore the feeling of strength that surrounds me as his arms wrap around my waist. Then he runs his hands over my arms, noticing my goose bumps.
“Are you cold?” he whispers.
Smiling at him as our gazes connect, my heart stops at the beauty of his eyes reflecting off the color of the water. His long, black eyelashes are even more defined, and his brown hair is almost black because it’s drenched as it hangs in his eyes. I push his hair back so there are no obstacles to keep me from enjoying the view.
“I’m good,” I say as I wrap my legs around him.
Feeling him hold me up in the water makes me want him even more, and I know he feels the same way as he presses into me.
It’s exhilarating to be here with him, but it’s also crazy. This is where we worked, where I swim every afternoon, where we couldn’t even hold hands when we walked through the gates over the summer. Now we are here in this same pool—our pool—and I can’t help all of these thoughts running through my head.
“Hey.” I hear his voice and look up to see the smile in his eyes. “What are you thinking about?”
My lips turn up in a smile. “You and how incredible this is. Thank you for rescuing me. When I saw you outside my window, I never thought this was where we were going. What are we celebrating, anyway?”
His smile deepens; but I feel him ever so slightly pull away. “Penn State called my parents; they want me to kick for them. The scout is coming to the homecoming game.” His eyes shift away. “It’s not definite until you get an official offer, but it looks really good.”
I don’t break my smile, but inside I am breaking. I knew this was coming, but now that it’s here and almost a reality, I hate it.
“That’s so great,” I choke out, knowing he can see through me.
“You’re not excited,” he says as his long fingers run over my hair.
“Well, this means you’re definitely going away.” I look up at him, trying to hide my disappointment behind my smile.
“Come on, Ash. We knew that. I mean, it’s not like there is a local school down the street with a football team, ready to hand out scholarships.”