BLISS

by A. R. Breck

  Nope, doesn't hurt at all.

  "Sure, why not?" I grin at him, excitement building inside of me at the thought of spending the day with Aric. Butterflies start a low flap in the pit of my stomach.

  "Why not? Shit, I really gotta start working on my game." He rolls his eyes and runs his hand through his hair.

  I giggle at him, feeling girlish and swoony.

  Before I embarrass myself, I stand up. "I'm going to head to bed."

  "Already?" He looks at the time. "It's still early."

  "I know, but I've had a really long day..."

  He frowns at me as if he just realizes why I'm really here. "Fuck.” He whispers to himself. “Hey, Mercy... I'm really sorry about your parents. Losing both... I can't even imagine how you must be feeling right now."

  "Yeah." I feel that certain feeling in my chest start to build. "I'm, uh, I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you in the morning." I give him a small wave and walk up the stairs as fast as my legs can take me.

  When I finally close my door, I choke out a sob and let my tears fall freely. I don't mind staying here, and both Dave and Aric seem really nice. I just...

  I just really miss my mom and dad.

  3

  Mercy

  "Mercy, let's go!" Aric shouts from the hallway, only waiting a second before pounding on my door like a madman.

  "Damn, I'm coming!" I search for the right sandals and let out a little fist pump when I find them. These past few days have been crazy busy. Aric makes it his goal to show me a little bit more about my new town. We spend the days exploring and then spend the evening with Dave having a family dinner.

  Both of them say they don't know how they have been surviving without me. They haven't had a hearty meal in too long to remember.

  I brush off their compliments like it's nothing, but I can't help but feel relieved. I could have ended up in a shitty foster care with foster parents that didn't feed me, or a foster father who liked to secretly watch me, or foster sisters who liked to steal from me. I could have had any of that.

  Instead, I found two goofy guys who honestly needed some female companionship to live a normal life. I've apparently been designated as that person, and as much as I would give to have my parents back, my dad couldn't have chosen a better person to place me with.

  Are they just trying to make me feel better? That’s a definite possibility. But I’ll take it.

  I’ll totally take it.

  "What the hell is taking you so long? We’re just going to the damn beach! I'm leaving in one minute, with or without you." I roll my eyes when I hear him walk away and pound down the stairs.

  This week, he has shown me to the local mall, some hiking trail, and yesterday we went to the school where I'll be going next year. Well, where we will be going.

  I didn't like that day too much, and I think it showed when he brought me home early.

  Today, we're going to the beach about twenty minutes away. Aric says it's the best one around and the views of the St. Croix river are great. Dave has a boat and some jet skis he said he could get ready for us to take out next week, but he didn't have enough time to get them ready for today.

  That's fine with me, because I could use a day of lying in the sand and doing absolutely nothing.

  Grabbing my floppy hat and my sunglasses, I take one last glance around my room and rush down the stairs in my flip flops, listening to the slap, slap sound loudly with every stair I take.

  "Took you long enough." He says through the passenger side window, his aviators giving him a more serious vibe then he usually has.

  "Sorry, couldn't find my sandals." I blush, getting in and trying not to inhale his woodsy scent. It’s been making me dizzy lately. Sometimes, Aric is too much of a man.

  He’s basically the perfect package. I sit and think at night how someone like him isn’t dating anyone.

  "Yeah, I've seen your pile of shoes in the closet. Maybe you should get rid of a few pairs.” I see his eyebrows raise behind his aviators, and I wave him off with a toss of my hand.

  "Absolutely not. I use almost all of them... almost."

  He smirks at me and my stomach flops. Turning on the car, he cranks up the radio and reverses out of his driveway, and when he peels down the street, it makes me grip onto the oh shit handle and send a glare his way.

  He looks delicious today in his tank and swim trunks. They sit a little higher on his thighs then his regular shorts do, showing off his insanely muscular thighs for a high school student. You can tell he works out and is in sports. His arms are defined and tan, flexing with each move me makes with the steering wheel. The dark hair decorating his body is enough to know he's no longer a boy, but not enough to make him look like a beast. The perfect amount, and with the windows down his entire scent just swirls across the car and into my nose.

  "You wanna keep staring or just go ahead and take a bite out of me?" He says over the sounds of life flying past our open window. He reaches over and turns down the radio.

  I snap my eyes up to him and see he's lifted his glasses and is looking directly at me. "I was not!" My neck and ears grow hot at being caught. Shit, even my voice is a bad liar.

  "Promise I taste good." He waggles his eyebrows at me, thankfully breaking the sudden sexual tension in the car.

  I laugh at him, "Shut up, Aric."

  Just when I think I've been let off the hook, he gives me one more remark before turning back up the music. "I bet you taste even better."

  I'm glad he turned up the music, because my gasping breath sounded loud to even my own ears.

  ~

  "Wow, this is beautiful!" I say, holding onto my floppy hat on top of my head so it doesn't blow away with the wind. We stand up in elevation as we look over the expanse of water in front of us. The beach is long and wide and shines so bright as it sits up against the blue water that matches the twin blue sky. Boats go by with groups of people on them and it looks so perfect.

  This is perfect.

  "Told you." He carries a cooler, a couple towels, two chairs, and my beach bag, refusing to let me carry anything.

  We reach some steep cement stairs leading to the sandy beach, and I hold onto the rail as I slowly walk down them.

  "Be careful, these are always really—shit, Mercy!" He grabs onto my biceps, pulling me up against his chest before I bust my shit. "Are you okay?" He asks, looking me over for injuries.

  "I-I'm fine." I breathe against him. My ankle slipped on a particularly awkward step. Thankfully, Aric caught me before I went tumbling. That would have surely ended in a trip to the emergency room.

  When I glance up, I realize how close he actually pulled me to him. If I were to lean forward just an inch, my mouth would be able to connect with his neck. I can smell him so clearly here. His hair blows in the wind and tickles my cheek, but I can barely feel it in this moment.

  All I can feel is my heart beating like a staccato drum in my chest and hear the sound of Aric breathing in my ear.

  "Lets..." I sigh, not even sure what I want to say. "I'm okay. Ready?" I put on a friendly smile when I'm feeling anything but friendly. It feels... intimate.

  Am I allowed to feel something with Aric? Or is he off limits? David never said anything to me, but it doesn't feel one hundred percent right. He also could have said something to Aric, but from the look in his eyes right now, any words Dave would have said to him mean absolutely nothing right now.

  "Mercy..." He groans, trying to make a grab for my wrist.

  I'm too quick, slipping out of his hold and thankfully making it down the rest of the stairs without falling. "Come on, Aric. I don't feel like fucking standing on the stairs all day!" I shout, running towards an empty spot in the sand where we can hangout for the day.

  Glancing back at Aric, I see him standing in the same spot, looking at me as if I'm some new creature that's never been discovered. Slightly bewildered, a little in awe, and a whole lot of curiosity.

  Maybe a touch of lust simmers in his eyes
, too.

  I turn away from him when I see that look in his eyes, turning towards the water and enjoying seeing the many different types of people. There are families, but also younger kids our age and some older adults, too. Some of the beaches I've been to are like this, while others are full of teenagers that leave shards of beer bottles in the sand.

  I'm glad he chose a place like this one.

  When Aric reaches me, he takes his time setting up our little area the best he can. When my towel is laid out, I slip out of my dress and sit down on my towel and reach for my sunscreen.

  I start on my legs and my stomach, and once I get to my shoulders a shadow falls over me. "Let me." Aric says from above me in a low voice.

  "Oh, I'm okay." My hormones are apparently on overdrive today. The last thing I need is for Aric to be rubbing his massive hands all over my body.

  He grabs it out of my hands in the blink of an eye. "I said let me, not do you want me to. There's a difference, Mercy."

  I'm shocked by his tone. Commanding and so unlike his usually playful self. I give up on arguing about it, since he's obviously made up his mind.

  I'll hold my breath and hope he can get it over quick.

  I hear a splurt, followed by his inhale of breath right before I feel the coolness of sunscreen hit the top of my shoulder blades.

  I flinch.

  "Sorry, I know it's cold." His voice is lower than usual, more of a rasp that shoots through me like lightning.

  I let out a little grunt but am unable to say anything else.

  I'm too focused on how his large hands hit every dip and curve in my back.

  Every day we have been together, he's been kind. Friendly. Maybe a little flirtatious but never overtly so. Today feels different, today feels... alive.

  Each time he passes one of the straps of my swimsuit, his finger dips underneath, his hand expanding across my entire back and I feel like he's trying to reach my entire being.

  When he gets to my lower back, he uses both hands and encircles my waist. He retracts back, and I can feel one of his finger’s dances along the edge of my swimsuit bottoms.

  Suddenly, he pulls back and stands up, facing the water and giving me his back.

  I'm shocked at his sudden departure. "Do you... uh, do you want me to do you?" I really don't want to, but I'm not sure what else to say. I’m too worked up right now.

  He looks at me over his shoulder and gives me a smile that looks more like a cringe, "I'm good. I'm going to go take a dip. You coming?" He rips off his shirt and starts running towards the water.

  Too stunned by him ripping his shirt off, I don't respond. Only sit opened mouth at his back muscles as he jogs away from me, ending with a slight dive into the water.

  ~

  Drip, drip.

  I squint my eyes open and shade the sun from the eyes with my hand.

  Above me stands Aric.

  "Are you going to be a lazy ass all day or are you going to come get in the water? I saw some of my friends here, they're wondering if we want to play chicken with them. They need one more couple."

  I wasn't planning to get in the water. I even started dozing off before he came and start dripping all over me. And now I would feel bad if I left him hanging in front of his friends.

  "Sure." I smile, but it’s full of nerves. Sitting up, I try not to stare at his bulging eight pack that glimmers in the sun.

  "Come on." He grabs onto my hand and starts pulling me down the beach. I swallow my lump in my throat that’s half nerves and half butterflies.

  Aric waves to a group of people sitting on chairs near the water.

  Shit. I should have said no.

  So awkward. I try to cover myself up a bit. I wish I would have put my coverup over me before walking over here, but I guess that would've defeated the purpose because I would have had to take it off right away to get in the water.

  "Shane, Luke, Declan, Aubree, Sidney, and Riley." He points to each person as he says their name. "This is Mercy." I notice the guys from the other night in the basement with Aric, but I've never seen the girls before.

  I give them a little wave, "Hi." Oof. Awkward.

  "You ever played chicken before?" The guy with the similar build to Aric says. Declan. Looks like a jock. Probably on the football team.

  All of the guys look like that, actually. And the girls? Of course, rocking bodies and the tiniest bikinis ever. They look nice enough, though. At least, none of them are giving me nasty looks.

  I consider that a win.

  "Yeah, it’s been a while, though." I say, snapping my eyes back to Declan.

  "Cool. Should be no problem then." He says, and we all walk towards the water.

  This being my first time getting in, I don't realize how cold it is until I take a few steps into the water. "Shit, it's cold!" I squeal.

  The only one that heard me is Aric, and he turns around with a laugh. "It's not that cold, you baby."

  "Hell yes, it is." I chatter my teeth together. It’s absolutely freezing.

  He shakes his head but says nothing else, and soon we're with the rest of the group in chest deep water.

  "You guys ready?" Shane looks over at us with his tiny manbun at the base of his head. I think he's with Aubree, since she's been hanging on him since we got in the water. At least, I think that's Aubree.

  "Ready?" Aric's body surrounds me, and without giving me a second to react, he goes under water and between my thighs, making me yelp out in surprise. I grab onto his wet hair and hold onto them like handlebars as he stands up and brings me high in the air.

  I didn't realize what this game would imply. Like, I knew, but I didn't really think it through.

  Aric's head is right between my thighs. Thighs that I'm glad are wet from the water right now, because I think they're wet from something else, too.

  His paws of hands grab high up on my thigh, trying to secure me to him as best he can.

  Looking around, I see everyone else into position. I don't have time to think about this hunk of a man between my legs right now.

  It's time to play chicken.

  "Go!" One of the guys yells, and us four girls use all of our strength in trying to get each other into the water. When it finally gets down to me and Riley, I feel like a badass until she blindsides me. One second I think she’s going down and the next I'm suddenly under the water.

  Large hands grip me around my waist and haul me up and out of the water. Cheers from Aric's friends and Riley lets out a laugh as Declan walks her over to me. "Good game. You’ll do fine here." She shakes my hand and I give hers a good shake.

  Was this some sort of initiation or something? What the hell?

  "Not as good as you, apparently." I laugh and shake my head.

  "Ready to head back?" Aric asks suddenly.

  I look over at him and nod my head, too consumed by his hands still wrapped around my waist like a vine.

  "Guys, we're going to head out! My dad likes to do this family dinner shit now..." He rolls his eyes and they all say goodbye to us before going back to chatting with each other.

  "Are you going to let go of me now?" I ask, out of breath. My heart races so fast it makes me breathless.

  "Not just yet." He squeezes my waist as we walk towards the shallow water. When it gets to a depth that is inappropriate for him to be gripping me like this, he releases me and we silently walk back to our spot, packing up our stuff and making our way back to his car.

  When we get to his car, I feel like I have to say something, anything to break this unbearable tension building. "I had a fun time today. Your friends are nice, too."

  He looks at me with a smile, "Yeah, they're pretty cool. They liked you, too."

  "Really? I honestly couldn't tell..." I've never really been in this situation before. I've been around the same people my entire life, having the same group of friends and everything. I've never had to put myself out there to make new friends so I'm not sure how to act.

  "Yeah, you're a pre
tty cool girl, Mercy." He winks and me and my heart flips.

  What's happening to us?

  The real question is, do I want it too?

  ~

  "Good, you’re home. The food just got finished." Dave says, draining the noodles over the sink.

  "Oh, it does smell good." I drop my bag on the floor next to the island and go take a peek. When he turns around, I let out a laugh at the apron he's wearing.

  Kiss the Cook is written in large letters across his new apron. He said that he just had to buy a couple of them when he started cooking more.

  "They were calling to me." He said at the time.

  "What the hell are you wearing?" Aric frowns from behind me. I startle, turning around and noticing how close he is behind me.

  "Don't you like it? I might have to quit my job and become a full time chef." He laughs as he gets some plates out.

  "God, please don't." Aric groans.

  Dave shoos us away. "Hurry up, get changed. I’m about to eat without you."

  That gets us moving. I only had a few snacks today that Aric brought in the cooler, but other than that I've barely had anything to eat all day.

  On our way up the stairs, we keep passing glances to each other that make both of us grin. As he's about to turn into his room, he pulls me by the wrist and stops me. "Mercy."

  "Yeah?" I ask, heart speeding up each and every time he rasps my name. It’s like he says it just to say it. No other reason needed.

  "I should have said something earlier, but…” He licks his lips, and my eyes zoom in on the movement. “You were fucking breathtaking in that swimsuit today.” He shakes his head in denial, walking into his room and closing the door behind him.

  I stand there, speechless and flattered by his words.

  Whatever is happening to us, it's moving into a different territory. Different then friends or foster siblings.

  Something completely unchartered.

  Nothing I could have ever prepared for.

  4

  Mercy

  After slipping off my wet swimsuit and slipping on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt, I head downstairs.