Brianne. How ya doing?”
“Just fine.” She leaned into his supporting hands at her waist.
His palms slid over the smooth, tanned flesh under her crop top while she regained her balance. He didn’t want to let go.
She squinted at him drunkenly. “Does the ground seem crooked to you?”
“Maybe a little. Want to take a walk and see if it straightens out?”
“Yeah.” She turned toward the steps that led down to the beach and wandered sideways.
He slipped an arm around her waist to guide her down the stairs. It’s what Josh would want him to do, take care of his wasted girlfriend and make sure she got home safe. He wasn’t doing anything wrong.
When they reached the beach, she lifted her feet and placed them with exaggerated care in the sand. “Hard to walk in sand,” she muttered.
He agreed. Sand shifted and made it hard to keep your balance even if you were just a little drunk like he was. He held her close to his side as they left the circle of light and noise and approached the dark edge of the water where only the breaking waves disturbed the silence.
“Have you talked to Josh since he left?” Brianne sounded as if the fresh breeze had sobered her.
Eric shrugged. “No. Guess he’s having a good time.” He’d never admit he was a little hurt Josh hadn’t so much as texted since he’d left
“It’s been almost two weeks. What the hell did he do, lose his phone? It’s almost impossible not to stay in touch unless you’re actively avoiding someone. I guess he is having a good time,” she sneered.
They walked the water’s edge where the sand was packed hard and it was easier to keep their footing, but though she was no longer struggling, Brianne didn’t move away from his supporting arm around her waist.
“You miss him?” Cold water lapped over Eric’s bare feet. He’d left his flip flops at the foot of the stairs. It was easier to walk through the sand without them.
“Not as much as I thought I would.” She pushed her hand through her hair and held it to keep the breeze from whipping strands across her face. Her rib cage lifted with the movement. His cock began to stiffen from his awareness of her body.
He let go of her at last and bent to pick up a stone to chuck at the ocean.
“Guess I’m not surprised.” Brianne dug a trench in the wet sand with her toe. “In a way Josh has already been gone for a while. I knew it was coming. High school’s over, you know?”
Eric threw his stone across the water, but it didn’t skip. It sank heavily. “Yeah.”
“Couples want to believe they’ll stay together when they go to college, but long-distance never works. Josh’ll meet some socially aware chick in one of his classes and I’ll be nostalgia, the shopping Barbie he used to date. We’ve already kind of agreed when we leave in fall, we’ll end it clean, so I guess we’re starting early.”
She dug a small white shell from the sand, brushed the sand away, and turned the shell over and over in her hand. “Do you ever feel like everything is changing and you can’t hold onto it, and everyone you care about is going away and leaving you behind? You know that feeling?”
“Slightly. I’m a townie, remember?” He bounced another stone on his palm, judging if it was flat enough to skip.
Brianne looked him. “Feeling sorry for yourself again?”
He scowled. “Fuck off.”
Brianne shrugged. “You know, nothing’s really keeping you here. You could move away, too. You could’ve applied someplace, tried for some scholarships or a student loan. Nothing’s holding you back but yourself.” She put the white shell in the pocket of her tiny, frayed cut-off shorts.
“Thanks for the analysis.” Stuck up bitch had no idea what it was like to be on your own simply trying to survive in the world. She’d never had to apply for financial aid of any kind. He threw the stone at a sharp angle across the water. It plopped under the waves without a bounce.
“I’m not trying to
“Just fine.” She leaned into his supporting hands at her waist.
His palms slid over the smooth, tanned flesh under her crop top while she regained her balance. He didn’t want to let go.
She squinted at him drunkenly. “Does the ground seem crooked to you?”
“Maybe a little. Want to take a walk and see if it straightens out?”
“Yeah.” She turned toward the steps that led down to the beach and wandered sideways.
He slipped an arm around her waist to guide her down the stairs. It’s what Josh would want him to do, take care of his wasted girlfriend and make sure she got home safe. He wasn’t doing anything wrong.
When they reached the beach, she lifted her feet and placed them with exaggerated care in the sand. “Hard to walk in sand,” she muttered.
He agreed. Sand shifted and made it hard to keep your balance even if you were just a little drunk like he was. He held her close to his side as they left the circle of light and noise and approached the dark edge of the water where only the breaking waves disturbed the silence.
“Have you talked to Josh since he left?” Brianne sounded as if the fresh breeze had sobered her.
Eric shrugged. “No. Guess he’s having a good time.” He’d never admit he was a little hurt Josh hadn’t so much as texted since he’d left
“It’s been almost two weeks. What the hell did he do, lose his phone? It’s almost impossible not to stay in touch unless you’re actively avoiding someone. I guess he is having a good time,” she sneered.
They walked the water’s edge where the sand was packed hard and it was easier to keep their footing, but though she was no longer struggling, Brianne didn’t move away from his supporting arm around her waist.
“You miss him?” Cold water lapped over Eric’s bare feet. He’d left his flip flops at the foot of the stairs. It was easier to walk through the sand without them.
“Not as much as I thought I would.” She pushed her hand through her hair and held it to keep the breeze from whipping strands across her face. Her rib cage lifted with the movement. His cock began to stiffen from his awareness of her body.
He let go of her at last and bent to pick up a stone to chuck at the ocean.
“Guess I’m not surprised.” Brianne dug a trench in the wet sand with her toe. “In a way Josh has already been gone for a while. I knew it was coming. High school’s over, you know?”
Eric threw his stone across the water, but it didn’t skip. It sank heavily. “Yeah.”
“Couples want to believe they’ll stay together when they go to college, but long-distance never works. Josh’ll meet some socially aware chick in one of his classes and I’ll be nostalgia, the shopping Barbie he used to date. We’ve already kind of agreed when we leave in fall, we’ll end it clean, so I guess we’re starting early.”
She dug a small white shell from the sand, brushed the sand away, and turned the shell over and over in her hand. “Do you ever feel like everything is changing and you can’t hold onto it, and everyone you care about is going away and leaving you behind? You know that feeling?”
“Slightly. I’m a townie, remember?” He bounced another stone on his palm, judging if it was flat enough to skip.
Brianne looked him. “Feeling sorry for yourself again?”
He scowled. “Fuck off.”
Brianne shrugged. “You know, nothing’s really keeping you here. You could move away, too. You could’ve applied someplace, tried for some scholarships or a student loan. Nothing’s holding you back but yourself.” She put the white shell in the pocket of her tiny, frayed cut-off shorts.
“Thanks for the analysis.” Stuck up bitch had no idea what it was like to be on your own simply trying to survive in the world. She’d never had to apply for financial aid of any kind. He threw the stone at a sharp angle across the water. It plopped under the waves without a bounce.
“I’m not trying to
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