Meet Me By The Dock

Chapter 15

I run my dark stained hands under the freezing water of the hose, the cold biting into my flesh. I attempt to scrub the dirt out from under my nails to no avail. I wipe the sweat from my forehead with my arm.

I turn around and admire my work. All morning I kneeled out here and packed new soil over the old to try and rejuvenate the leaves of my flowers. But of course today was a scalding 94. So my shirt clung to my back and my hair clung to my face.

I beamed with pride as I gently sprayed the freshly laid soil and flowers.

"Woah," came a voice behind me, "Drop the weapon."

I bit my lip to hide my smile and slowly turned around with my hands up.

He pointed at the hose and eyed me suspiciously, "Drop it." He drawled.

I dropped the hose and felt the cold excess water freeze my ankle. I raised my eyebrows, "Dramatic, much?"

"Realistic." He corrected me.

"Mhm." I looked him up and down and felt my cheeks burn.

He wore light blue swim shorts and a wrinkled unbuttoned shirt they match perfectly with his tanned skin.

I didn't realize he was watching me examine him until it was too late. I rolled my eyes to hopefully play it cool when in reality my heart raced in my chest.

I hate that he made that happen.

"What are you doing here?" I ask suspiciously.

"I live here." he says simply. My eyebrows furrow and I'm about to point out that he, in fact, doesn't live here. He lives on the other side of my house. But before I can say anything he swoops down and grabs the hose from where it lays in the grass.

I raise my hands and feign innocence, "Relax, I'm not going to spray you with it," He smiles and rolls his eyes, "I'm not crazy, unlike some." He mutters and gives me a sidelong glance.

"You're really never going to let that go, are you?" I ask, exasperated, "it happened a month ago, at some point you're going to have to move on."

"Hey," He turns on the hose and starts— watering my flowers for me? "That was a very traumatic experience, don't tell me when to get over my trauma."

I try to answer but my brain is stuck on the fact that he's watering my flowers. For me. He's watering my flowers for me.

"Uhh, Lilah?" He asks.

I snap out of it and meet his eyes, "Yeah?"

He chuckles, "So, your friend is gone?" He questions.

"Yup." I answer.

"Sorry about assuming he was your boyfriend." He apologizes flat out. No ums, ands, or buts about it. It's a weird experience receiving an apology from a boy where they aren't using every argument in their power to prove their supposed innocence.

"It's okay?" It comes out as a question so I clear my throat and try again, "It's okay."

He smiles and nods, watching the water carefully. He must have thought he gave them a sufficient amount because he flips off the hose and turns to me. He must see my questioning look because he explains, "I saw you out here all morning and I thought you might want some help."

I tilt my head, "Thanks." I cover my eyes from the sun with one hand and smile, then I catch myself and drop the grin. I try to keep the smiles to a minimum while I'm near him so I don't look anymore like a psycho.

He scans my face with a smile playing at his lip, "I like your smile."

I feel the blood rush into my cheeks and I crack a grin, "Well I like your smile too, but I can't help but feel like this is a ploy because you want something." I slip the compliment in there because I'm not bold enough to say it flat out like he did. I'd probably throw up, or just start sprinting away. Or both.