Page 96 of The Other Side of Paradise

“Psh. When you make such cute noises every time I do? Keep dreaming, babe.”

She snorted, shaking her head, but she blushed heatedly at the term of endearment. I’d just said it to see how it felt, and yeah, it felt good. I didn’t know what to do with all of this. I was open to the idea that maybe I liked having sex with a girl—that maybe I just liked having sex with anybody who made me feel important—but this kind of thing, this awful gnawing ache in my gut at the thought that I’d leave after today and never see her again? That wasn’t just about sex.

I mean, the sex was great, but it didn’t make me feel like all of that.

“I’m always dreaming,” she said. “Got my head in the clouds and all that. How was the workshop?”

“It was a lot of fun. Sherry was super sweet and a good teacher and she loved my painting. We got to talking all about my design program and everything and how the skills translated and how they didn’t translate into acrylics… I’m really glad I went.”

She smiled softly. “Sherry’s a sweetheart,” she said. “I’m not surprised she liked you.”

“Also, painting made me think of yesterday, so I got kind of turned on.”

She cleared her throat, looking away, bright red now. “Uh… uh-huh. I mean, I’m notsadabout that.”

“I mean, you got so turned on when you finally got to those overpaints last night that you were, like, squirming, begging—”

“Stella, we’re in public,” she mumbled, a hand over her mouth. I laughed, and I finished off my drink, tipping the cup back into my mouth.

“So I’ll wait until we’re in private to fuck you again. Buttalkingabout it is legal.”

“I’m not looking to have other people overhear me… talking about… forget it,” she groaned, standing up taller. “There’s something I needed to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s—”

I ducked down to the sand, scooped up a cupful of water, and I dashed it at Allison as I stood. She shrieked, jumping back and breaking out into nervous laughter as I burst out laughing.

“Stella!”

“Go on, keep talking,” I said, and I stooped to get another cupful.

“Itrustedyou!” She dropped to the ground with me and grabbed for the cup, and I squealed, trying to slosh it over her but getting deflected, the water spilling over both of us. I flinched at the splash, and Allison got the cup out of myhand, pushing me off my feet, and I thumped onto my butt in the shallow water, laughing and trying to push her away as she pushed me down and scooped up another cupful of water, dashing it over my front. She went for another one, but I batted the cup away, out of her hand, and she fumbled and fell forward, into me, and I caught her, pushed down onto my back on the sand as she came down on top of me, eyes sparkling as we both laughed breathlessly.

“You’re a monster,” she said.

“I’m an innocent victim. Look, I’m shoved down on the ground after you were attacking me viciously with cold water.”

“A monster,” she repeated, laughing, and she bent down and pecked me on the lips before she pulled back, not quite looking at me, her laugh turning awkward. “Sorry. I, um…”

I wanted her to keep doing it. Wanted to lie here in the golden sunlight and kiss her until morning. Of course, that was impossible, and not just because there wouldn’t be any golden sunlight for the majority of that time.

Seriously, even if I wanted to date a woman, I was leaving tomorrow. What was I doing?

I smiled at her. “Anything else you want to do while you’re on top of me, pinning me down, both of us just wearing these tiny little outfits?”

“Uh. Yes. I won’t specify what,” she said, looking out over the water.

“I know. You like it when I’m the one to specify.” A bigger wave rolled in, splashing the side of my face, and we sat up, standing and wiping wet sand off our knees as we picked up the cup and started the walk back towards my beach towel and bag. Allison spoke softly once we’d started.

“So… er. I don’t know how to say this, but your dad came to the resort to talk to me.”

I whipped on her with an incredulous look. “My dad did? Shit, what did he say? Was he yelling at you? I can go drop-kick him into the sun.”

“I don’t think that’s physically possible. I do appreciate the offer, though. No, he wasn’t yelling, he was… er. Putting his feelings out there? It was kinda weird.”

I stared at her. “Mydadwas? I didn’t know he had any.”