I Shouldn’t Love Him (Book 2) – Chapter 68

Manning

Lake was exactly as I left it. Foot on the seat. . The way she sat, the leg of her shorts gaped. I wondered if she took them from Tiffany. I couldn’t see anything I shouldn’t, but it made me feel like shit.

I stuck the whiskey in the back and the key in the ignition. Lake turned on the radio. Janet Jackson lasted all the way to the end of the parking lot before I turned the station on to rock.

she hadn’t shaved that high was because she never wore anything that short.

it to be fast and vice versa.

had only ever been sixteen to me. I couldn’t get out o

t alone with her would end before it began. Quick

tell the counselors that I had car problems or something. I did not care.

it to a side road. It turned into a narrow alley, but with some maneuvering we arrived at a residential street.

c.

Floyd.”

ws, impressed. “I thought you didn’t know them.

me.

neighborhood was dark, not a street light on any corner. Every few houses or so had a light on, but that was it. It was a beautiful place. Fancy, two-story houses. Bright white garages, custom mailboxes, and manicured green lawns. I wondered what it would be like to live here and be home. I felt a little bad about picking up this growler so late, so I slowed down and turned off the headlights. My vision acclimated quickly, and it made it even more peaceful.

window all the way down now. She stuck her head and part of her torso outside. Her long blonde hair was flying around her and she had to push it out of her face. “You can see all the stars here too,” she said. “I’m looking for the Summer Triangle.”

t it made my heart race a little, thinking of her body as I thought of her mind – something belonging to a young adult rather than a teenage girl. We drove in that direction for a while, miles below the speed limit. I told her we were going slow because I liked driving without the headlights on, but the truth was I wanted a few more minutes with her. No sneaking around. No checking over my shoulder. Well, just her and me, not doing anything wrong, just being.

ly, the resident

uspected there was nothing I could really say to comfort her.

y.

houlder. “How are you?”

He looked l

must have been.

y I had a sixteen-year-old daughter and two pints in a truck that didn’t belong to me?

ut she stopped me, spreading her fingers on the top of my hand. His was whiter than mine and probably half the size.

than mine and probably half the size.

back?” she asked.

. I needed to remove my hand. It wasn’t like she could hold me against my will. “We’ve been gone long enough,” I s

eneral, you shouldn’t be here right now.

.

No one even knows I’m gone.” She unbuckl

”

h what must have been a sudden burst of strength, she opened her door an

Come on. Co

o see. Maybe stick my toes in.

e before jumping. “Lake “The trees were thick around the highway and my voice echoed through the woods. I couldn’t see the shit. I strode down a soft dirt hill, which opened up to a vast body of black water . The moon was just a sliver rippling across the lake. When I saw her near the shore, I let out a breath I had been holding. She took off her s

n white panties and a t-shirt,

. I had warned her about the water. “I’m not kidding. You don’t know what’s in it.

verything moved with her as she slid deeper. When the waterline touched her hips,

n a necessary barrier between us.

self-control, but I didn’t want to test it by taking off my pants. It wouldn’t be good to come back to camp in wet jeans either.

heet—her wet hair stuck to my forearms and knees when I pulled her from the water onto my lap.

his shirt with his shorts, I walked straight in. The cold water bit, but it couldn’t move away from my reach.

a small smile on her lips. “Show it to me again.” Summer triangle.

ave to.”

tration. “Why can’t you just stop being an adult for a minute?”

ause I’m the adult.” One of us has to be

breath coming short. “Lake?” I raised my voice. “Stop that.”

me I saw her and a few minutes later, completely lifeless. The image had haunted me for so long, always waiting in the back of my mind, even d

he was. She had been in less than ten seconds and could have swum anywhere. “Lake,” I shouted, angry. I pushed my hands underneath, grabbing anything. Something slippery brushed my leg. “Good God. Lake”

t from me, laughing, the faint moon transforming

?” ” I asked. Rage vibrated every bone in my body. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?”

or not, I couldn’t protect her from everything. Especially not that. But to explain why, I’d have to take it to a memory I’ve never shared if I could help it. I’d already had to tell the police and the jury enough times to break any man.

experience shone through in his every move. One touch, and she would dissolve into a quivering mess. Wouldn’t it be better if that first contact came from someone who cares? Who would love it? I knew what I was doing, when to be gentle and when not to, and I would do it at his pace.

did I come across others when I watched it? As captivated as I felt? Love ? Smitten? I didn’t want to look at her that way. Someone might notice. People suddenly became more perceptive about these things – a grown man carefully observing a young girl. Especially one like Lake, who was about to turn

ere. I turned around, shielding my eyes, even though it was too late for that. I couldn’t watch. It wa

f the water.

g to leave me here?” she asked.

Never

lf to turn on the heating or the music.

e passenger side door.

her window still partly rolled down. “I’m soaked.”

ssed her a towel. It was dirty but better than being soaked. Once she had dried off a bit, she got into the taxi.

was shaking with shivers. “I’m sorry,” she said.

ut In Out The t-shirt clung to her breasts, highlighting them, the only two wet spots.

 I wanted the same. “I’m not crazy,” I said. “I worry. I worry so much, Lak

d. “I’ve been swimming in the ocean since I could walk.”

if at least the heater would turn on; he did it, with the radio. I turned down the volume and sat back in my seat. “My sister drowned while I was thirty meters away.” The words were foreign. Saying it out loud was as hard as I thought it would be.