Meet Me By The Dock

Chapter 13

"I'll jump if you jump." I offered.

"We go through this every year." He sighs dramatically.

"And every year what do we decide?" I ask.

"I... don't remember." He finishes lamely.

"Exactly, so we are going through this again."

"We should really write it down."

"We really should."

We dragged two chairs off the patio, down to the dock and we're now having our yearly debate over if we were jumping into the water and who was going first.

"What if it's cold?" He asks.

"You'll warm up," I say optimistically. I stand and face him, wearing a dark green bikini,

"Get up."

He drops his head back against his chair, I can't see his eyes because of his sunglasses but I assume they're closed.

"You're being really lame right now, being tied down has changed you." I fold my arms across my chest

He looks at me over the rims of his sunglasses, "Yeah, and it would change you too if you went and talked to Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome over there," He gestures to where Matthew sits under the tree on his side of the yard reading, "Who —by the way— hasn't looked up from that book since he's been out here," He raises his eyebrows pointedly, "Some might say, on purpose." He finishes.

"Maybe it's a really interesting book." I say. I feel my cheeks heat and I hope it just looks like sunburn.

"Honey, he hasn't even turned the page, I think he just doesn't want to stare like a creeper at you in your sexy bathing suit." He stands and rests his sunglasses on the arm of his chair, "Fine, if you want to be delusional then that's on you, but don't come at me for being tied down." He stretches, "Don't knock it till you try it." He says with a wink.

I roll my eyes and push him over the edge, as he's falling he grabs my arm and pulls me under with him.

—-------

"What? No way, no way," I say when he throws down another pair, "You're cheating."

"Nope, I'm just good." He runs out of cards in five minutes and continues, "One of these years you're going to learn not to challenge me to cards, for the sake of your own dignity."

"Oh, I think that's well diminished." I say reaching for a potato chip and popping it into my mouth.

"Your ego?" he offers.

"Okay I'll do it for her." I say.

"Your ego is a her?" He asks, but then seems to think about it, "No, your right mine is a girl too." He grabs a handful of chips and lays back in his chair. He's wearing a peach button up over a crisp white shirt. He has his Aviator's resting on the bridge of his nose. I'm wearing a pink top and plain jean shorts. The sun has passed out of its unbearable heat and into July, which so far seems to be cooler. I stared at him for so long my throat started to get tight, tomorrow was his last day here. This week had flown by.

His leaving has always been so hard, even though we talk on occasion —mostly during the summer— it will never be the same as running to his lanky frame. But this time was different, he was the only one here who knew. He knew everything, so I clung to him like he was my life support. Just the fact that he knew, and accepted it felt so good. The validation for my grief was something I never knew I needed and had never received.

But now he has the first 6 am out of here and I have to say goodbye tonight. I can't think about it too much or I'll break my tears ban. So I distract myself.