“Go away.”
“No way.” I hear him shuffling around. He’s finally made the noise stop, but he’s still up and excited about something. What, I have no idea. And right now, I’m not interested in anything but going back to sleep.
Winter is slow in the landscaping business. We generally just do snow removal for private citizens, like cleaning off their porches and stuff, but mostly it’s a fairly seasonal occupation. So we don’t have to wake up for work this morning.
“Oakley, come back to bed.”
The mattress dips as he plops his body on it, making it bounce, and he reminds me of a kid at Christmas, trying his best to wake me up. But it’s not Christmas, and we’re nineteen. “Can’t do that. Get up. Come on.”
“No,” I moan and groan, determined to stay in bed.
He climbs off the bed, and I hear him walking out of the room. Thinking I’ve won, I pull the covers up a little more and screw my eyes shut tight, settling back into the warmth of the bedding.
No such luck though. A few minutes later the light flips on, and Oakley bounces in. I groan and open my eyes, blinking when I see him in a coat and boots, a stocking cap pulled on over his head and a mug in his hands.
“Get. Up. We’re going to miss it.”
“Miss what?” I grumble and decide he’s clearly not going to give up on this. I look at my phone and see it’s just past two in the morning. “Oakley, have you finally lost your damn mind? It’s so early. Or late. I don’t even know.”
He just chuckles and puts the mug on the dresser before walking over to me, pulling me up and cupping my face in his warm hands. “You’re so fucking cranky in the morning,” he says fondly, pressing a kiss to my nose.
“It’s barely morning,” I grumble but climb off the bed and take the long-sleeved shirt he hands me, pulling it on as well as a pair of jeans.
He hands me socks, boots, and a coat next, which I tug on. When I’m all bundled up, he hands me the mug, with what I now realize is hot chocolate, and grabs a flannel blanket from the couch. Then we head out to the backyard.
“You’re insane, you know that?”
He just grins and tugs me toward the porch swing in his backyard, tugging me down next to him and wrapping the heavy blanket around us. “You’ll thank me soon.”
“I highly doubt that. What are we doing out here in the middle of December at two in the morning?”
He just smiles confidently and nods his head to the dark sky. I follow suit, and then I see it, beautiful lights in the otherwise black sky.
“A meteor shower?”
He nods happily, his eyes locked on the sky. “Yeah. This particular one won’t happen for another thirty-three years. So, you’re welcome.”
I can’t even be irritated by his whole know-it-all act right now because it really is beautiful, lighting up the sky. I remember the alarm and smile as I watch the sky. “You had this planned?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me about that when we went to bed?”
He pulls me a little closer to him, wrapping his arm around me, but we’re both still looking up at the sky. “I wanted to surprise you. And I figured you’d grump at me, so I decided a surprise was the way to go.”
He knows me way too well. “Good call.”
I feel him smiling. “Isn’t it cool?”
It really is. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed one live before. I’ve seen them mentioned on the news several times—I mean, not a lot happens in Kansas. We get pretty excited about stuff like this, but I never thought about setting an alarm to watch one.
“It is. Thank you.”
He kisses my temple, and I can’t help but feel how right this is right now. Sitting next to him in the backyard, watching a damn meteor shower. “How do you make the simplest things so damn cool?”
He doesn’t answer me for a while, and his voice is quiet when he does. “I don’t know. You’ve met my parents. That’s kind of always been their thing, you know? They can make anything fun. My dad used to do this—set an alarm for a meteor shower, and we’d go outside and lay on the trampoline in the backyard with blankets and hot chocolate. It was fun.”
I smile, unable not to because I get that. The Eastons are a really amazing family. I remember his mom showing up to every single party in school. Every event. Always with a smile on her face, but it wasn’t like she was there out of obligation or because she was supposed to be. She was having fun, and when Mr. Easton could attend, he did, and they had fun together.
“I like that you had that.”
He turns to look at me, his lips brushing over mine slightly with a smile. “Me too. I may not want to settle down right now, and all that, but I’ve always wanted what they have. Fun. Everything is simple and fun with them.”
I smile, understanding Oakley a hell of a lot more now. I used to think he didn’t take life seriously, but now I think maybe I’ve taken it way too seriously. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
“Thank you for not thinking it’s boring.”
“Why would I think that?” I look up at the sky, watching it light up with white streaks in the darkness.
He sounds slightly vulnerable as he looks up also. “I know you want such great big things. A big-city life, and sitting out here on a porch swing with me is probably so dim in comparison, but I’m happy you’re here now.”
A year ago, I probably would have scoffed and looked down my nose at something like this. But now, I know it’ll be one of the greatest memories of my life. Probably something I’ll hang onto forever.
“It’s not dim. It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
He tugs me closer to him and doesn’t say another word as we stare at the sky, cuddled in the blanket. The simplest, most natural thing in the world.
And he made it incredibly beautiful.
TWENTY-SIX
OAKLEY
It’s Christmas, and Travis didn’t put up a fight at all about going with me to my parents’ today for dinner. My mom was thrilled he came with me. I think the woman may be in love with him. She kept telling him to come back with me next time I come back.
Travis seemed pretty smitten too.
And while it was great, there was always that thought deep in the back of my mind that he might not be here much longer.
I’m sure he’s saved a pretty decent amount of money, working at the landscaping company. He’ll probably start paying for college soon. Maybe even move to a college town and find a job there. My heart aches, thinking about it.
I know it’s just sex between us. I know that, but it’s also friendship and one I’ve grown pretty damn attached to.
Still, I’m trying not to ruin the mood because as soon as we got back to my place after getting back from Kensley, we tore into each other. Stripped down naked, and I sunk into his body like I have so many times before. It never gets old. It’s never boring or monotonous like I thought it would be.
It’s just as exciting as the first time, every single time.
We’re sweaty and naked, with him in my arms, his eyes slowly drifting shut, but I can’t have that. Not just yet.