Page 7

“I will, don't worry. I won't peek.” His thumbs softly swirled over the nubs on my wrists, and my skin ignited in goosebumps, sending sharp hairs up my arms.

Swallowing hard, I kept my eyes sealed shut and took in a few deep breaths to try and calm my nerves.

Stopping, he released my arms, and the ground crunched as he stepped up to my side. “Okay, you can look now.”

Peeling my eyes open, I looked out onto a glistening pond. A giant rock protruded from in the middle, and the water was so clear I could see right to the bottom.

I didn't speak, I couldn't. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

“Pretty sweet, huh?”

“It's amazing, Birch.” Leaning over the edge, I looked down. “How high up are we?”

“It's only fifteen feet, maybe a little more.” Peeling off his shirt, he dropped it to the ground.

The sun hit his chest and I noticed how muscular he had become. It was as if over these past few months his body had gone from boy into full blown man.

His pecs were firm with defined lines. A thin bushel of hair decorated the center of his chest, disappearing and picking up at his naval. I tried not stare, but it was useless.

These feelings I was having for him were growing out of control. My body would get all tingly and hot, my heart would pick up and start to beat faster and faster until I thought it was going to shoot out of my chest.

I fought it, I tried to wrangle the emotions he brought out. But every day it seemed harder and harder to keep my hormones in check.

“You ready?” he asked, giving me a wink.

“Ready for what?”

Birch's lips rolled towards his ears, cheeks puffing with a grin. Taking one long step back, he turned his head out towards the water and jumped. “Wooo!” he yelled, his voice echoing off the tamed glass surface.

I heard him splash into the water before I could get to the edge. Looking down, he was smiling up at me with one closed eye. “Come on! Your turn!”

“I'm not sure about this!” I called down, shaking my head. “Are you sure it's deep enough?”

“Trust me, Cyprus.”

“But what if I land on a rock or something?”

“Stop being a pussy and just jump already! You got this, trust me!” The way he said it made me believe him. Birch was always so confident, so sure of himself and his ideas.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up, shaking my hands by my sides. Stepping back a few feet, I closed my eyes.

I didn't think about how far down the water was, or the rocks I could see just under the surface. I trusted him, I trusted him with everything I had.

And I jumped.

The water was cold, splashing up my nose and making it burn. Kicking my feet, I swam back to the top, taking in a huge gulp of air.

Waving my arms back and forth through the water, I spun in a circle, looking for Birch. But he was gone.

“Birch! Birch!” Twisting my head back and forth, I started to worry that I had landed on him when I jumped in and knocked him out.

Oh God, where is he? Where the hell is he?

“Ahh!” I screamed as he lurched out from under the water, right next me.

“Nice jump, great form.” Laughing, he tipped his head back, dipping his hair into the water to get it out of his eyes.

Splashing water into his face, I snapped. “You just scared the shit out of me!”