by Preston, LM
She sniffed. “It’s stupid. But my dad, he doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. He’s got a new wife who doesn’t like me. Never will like me. So even though I call him at his office to leave messages with his secretary, he’s never called back. I can’t even talk to my mother about him. Every time I mention his name, she starts in on how much she hates him. Then, uh, she starts in on me and how I’ll never amount to anything because I’m just like him.” Jewel sighed. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, I want you to talk to me. I get that your dad left, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Maybe it just means he’s stupid. Most guy are, you know.” He smiled at her, “Besides, your love will probably last longer than hers.”
Jewel’s eyelids dipped bashfully. “You’re right. Tell me about your mom and dad.”
“They were the best. My father was an artist too. He worked mostly with clay and rock. His work was amazing.” Colin snaked and arm around her neck and pulled her close. He could smell her, and he closed his eyes to savor it. “If I can create art like him, it would be like I could still make him proud. Let him know that in my heart, he’s never forgotten.”
“That’s beautiful. What about your mom?” She snuggled closer.
“Beautiful, like you. It’s like when she walked in a room everyone around wanted to be next to her. Even kids, my dad used to tease her and call her a pied piper.” Colin chuckled.
“Really, did she work with kids or something?”
“No she was in pharmaceutical sales and traveled a lot. Since my father could work from anywhere he usually was home with me. He and I would cook dinner for her when she got home from work.” Those memories made his heart swell with joy and ache with longing.
“So you know how to cook?”
Colin laughed. “No, it was always horrible but she ate it anyway and smiled about how good it tasted. Usually, she threw something in the crockpot when she had enough my dad’s culinary creations.”
“Colin, they sound wonderful. It used to be like that with my mom and dad…until he left,” she rubbed her eye, “I don’t know what it is about you, but you seem to make me cry a lot.”
“You’re beautiful even when you cry.” Colin leaned over and kissed her. “And I want,” he cleared his throat, “Jewel, will you be my girlfriend?”
“I…uh, Colin I don’t want to mess this up. I really like you, more than any boy I’ve been with. But I…” Jewel swallowed and turned away. “I’m sorry, Colin, but I can’t.” She shook her head, “I shouldn’t.”
Colin slid up closed to her and put his arm around her waist. “It’s alright. Being with you any way you want is good.”
Jewel intertwined her hand with his, then allowed Colin to wrap his arms around her as she played with his fingers, then kissed his hand before falling asleep.
Colin kicked himself mentally a hundred times at pushing her too hard, all because he was afraid that when he came clean about everything, Jewel wouldn’t be able to stand seeing him again.
Jewel stared at the waves instead of picking shells out of the sand with Megs like she was supposed to be. It had been the best summer ever with Colin. Just two weeks until it ended. All she kept daydreaming about was the night Colin came to her room. It was magical. He’d made her feel more in that one night than she had since her father left. Colin’s friendship had bought her out of daze. Colin made her finally trust herself to actually feel something for someone else—for him. When her father abandoned the family, she was too afraid to express herself, her problems, thoughts or dreams, to anyone in fear that they would also leave her. Jewel realized that now. Her heart still ached for her dad and her mom’s affection. Not having a brother or a sister to go through this with was even harder. However, having Colin listen to her pour out her heart every night had been amazing. He gave her good advice, encouragement and even flirted.
Jewel tucked a few of the unblemished shells in the pocket of her shorts and rubbed her arms just thinking about how good it felt to have Colin lay next to her, covering her in his warmth. Pushing him away when he asked her to be his girlfriend was the worst possible thing she could’ve done. Jewel wanted to tell him ‘yes’ but in the past she’d agreed too quickly and usually by the next day she itched to break up with them.
Jewel enjoyed being with Colin, whether they were talking or just sitting and watching the waves crash. Nothing mattered when she was with him only that she was near him. She only wanted to be sure he wasn’t going to throw words of love at her, then make a quick push to have sex. The fact that Colin still spent so much time with her, even after she rejected him gave her a bit of hope that she hadn’t hurt his feeling too bad.
Megs tossed a shell, just missing Jewel’s ear. “Stop daydreaming and scoop up shells. We’re not going to be able to make the necklaces before we go home next Friday if we don’t get them now.”
Jewel spun around. “I am picking shells,” she smiled, “but daydreaming in between.”
“Yeah, about Colin,” Amy laughed and tickled Jewel just under her tube top, “and kissing him.” Amy bumped Jewel with her hip.
Jewel elbowed Amy. “You’ve been kissing Chad a lot lately.”
Amy nodded. “Yeah, because he’s a really good kisser, and chocolate…mm…mm I love my chocolate.”
“At least someone is kissing.” Megs pouted. “All I get is a nod hello from Jake. I don’t understand him, first he’s all over me, then I tell him I want more and he goes cold fish on me. I didn’t ask to be his girlfriend when summer was over, I just wanted him to be my summer boyfriend.”
Jewel put her arm around Megs. “I see him looking at you when he doesn’t think you’re paying attention to him. Especially, when you flirt at his friends. So I think maybe he’s playing hard to get.”
Megs smiled. “He is? Well I don’t flirt with them on purpose, I want to entertain myself. I really would like to spend time with Jake though. But now that summer’s over, our paths won’t cross again.”
“No? Why not? He’s friends with Colin and I hope to still be with Colin when we go back to school. And…you are my cousin. Or…a chaperone to keep me out of trouble.” Jewel winked at her.
Megs shook her head. “Nope. I won’t talk to Jake when we get back home and all the competition rolls in. I mean he’s a jock. Those guys don’t even look my way during the school year. I’m not a hottie. I’m more of an intellectual who stays in the library. Besides, I don’t show off this awesome body in the cold winters.”
“You never know.” Amy smiled. “Chad asked me to be his girlfriend. He wants to date exclusively when we get back home.”
Jewel and Megs squealed and jumped up and down before hugging Amy. Jewel refused to feel jealous, because the reason Colin wasn’t her boyfriend was because of her own stupid choices. Now seeing that Amy and Chad were willing to take their relationship further, Jewel knew now that she wanted that with Colin.
Megs tossed a broken shell into the sea. “At least one of us is leaving with a boyfriend.” She turned towards Jewel. “Maybe you should ask Colin to be your boyfriend.”
Jewel put her hand to her chest. “Me? Ask a boy? Oh, I don’t know Megs.”
Could she? Should she? Jewel gulped, she was willing to take the risk to keep Colin in her life, especially after she hurt him by turning him down.
“Why not? He really likes you. I’m shocked he hasn’t asked you by now. Most guys usually ask the first day of meeting you. I mean first, Colin’s on your payback list, then you can’t stop thinking about him, and now you and him are together all the time.” She hugged Jewel. “This time, with him, you look so happy.”
“I am. I can’t wait to see him in the morning or to hear his voice at night. Going home is going to suck if we’re not together.” Jewel crossed her arms.
“Well, don’t turn around, but he’s here now,” Megs grinned at her.
Jewel ignored Megs teasing and ran to meet Colin who was jogging towards them. He opened his arms wide and
she jumped into them, wrapping her legs around his waist.
Colin kissed her, holding her close to him. “I’ve missed you babe.” His hands sank in her unruly waves.
“Missed you too.” She slid down into the sand and the shells fell out of her pocket.
“What are you girls doing?” Colin helped her pick up some shells. He fingered a few of them before placing them in his palm.
“Collecting shells to make necklaces. It’s supposed to be a souvenir from our trip.” Jewel glanced around and noticed that Megs and Amy had left her to collect more shells further down the beach.
“Let me help. If you give the shells to me, I’ll make you a necklace.” He smiled at her, hugging her again, then kissing her neck.
Jewel giggled. It was always so hard to keep a straight face when he kissed that spot. “Oh, that’ll be great. I’m not that good at making jewelry or anything artsy, but Megs seems to think it’s not that hard.” Jewel handed him the shells she’d collected, which seemed small in his large hands. “I tried to get shells with interesting colors and no cracks.”
“Hmmm, you picked some good ones. We can mix them with some of the rocks.” Colin sat and grasped her hand to pull her on his lap. “But first, I really need to kiss you.”
Jewel’s heart swelled. She tilted her chin up and touched her lips to his. I’m in love with you. Closing her eyes, she repeated it to herself, trying to work up the courage to tell him.
Colin ended the kiss. “Guess we better get to work, huh?”
“Sure. But Colin…I want to tell you something.” Jewel frowned.
“Don’t tell me you’re angry with me.” Colin used his thumb to smooth out her crinkled eyebrow.
“No. But it’s serious,” she swallowed, “it’s about us.”
“There’s an us?” He smiled, giving her a teasing poke to her stomach, then flattening his palm over her belly-button ring.
“I want there to be,” she whispered. “I think of you all the time. I’m happy with you, more than I’ve been in a long time. I didn’t mean to hurt you when you asked me to be your girlfriend. I wanted to say yes, but,” she shook her head, “all the other boys, they moved too fast. I didn’t want to do that with you. I wanted to be sure, because…because, breaking up with you would hurt me so much.”
“Shhhh.” He put a finger to her lips. “It would hurt me too.”
“That’s why I didn’t say yes to you then. But what I’m trying to say is,” Jewel stuttered, the fear that Colin would reject her like she’d rejected him had her heart racing in her chest, but looking at him and the way he gazed back at her, gave her the courage. “W-Would you like to be my boyfriend?”
Colin blinked several times, his eyes watering a little, then he composed himself. “Are you sure you want to do that? If you want things to stay the way they are, I don’t mind. I’ll take any part of you that you’re willing to give.” He kissed her.
She sighed, deepening the kiss. “I’m ready,” she whispered in between small kisses.
Colin held her face between his hands, his eyes met hers, revealing hunger and desire within. “Then, Jewel Dupree, would you like to be my girlfriend?”
“Yes.” She kissed him. “And yes,” she kissed him deeper, “yes.”
“I lo—” Colin stopped himself.
“Me too,” Jewel answered between kisses, then pulled away, wondering if what he said was what her heart wanted him to say, or if her mind was playing tricks on her. “What’d you say?”
Colin cleared his throat, studying her face a moment, and seemed to make up his mind about something. “I’m in real deep like with you.”
Jewel’s heart ached, because she didn’t just like Colin, she knew without any doubt that she was in love with him. “Kiss me again,” Jewel whispered, closing her eyes to hide her tears.
Colin was playing with the necklaces he made for them. He slouched back on the oversized chair and glanced at the text from Jewel.
He’d matched the necklaces in their design, even cut the shells, decorating them in such a way that when the necklaces were placed together, the shells were whole. One for his Jewel and one for him. He frowned. He should be happy, but he felt so guilty he couldn’t even finish cleaning up the place for her. They were leaving for home in the morning. He knew then things would change. But the last two weeks—they only made him hunger for more, much more.
His cousin was a spoiled snot. At home, his aunt and uncle barely tolerated his presence, and he was working as hard as possible to be out of their house when he graduated this coming school year. But he wanted Jewel to be a part of it. He knew it sounded lame, but he just wanted what his parents had. They’d been together since high school and he saw the love they had for each other. He wanted that, he wanted someone who would be his center, his friend. For a while he’d thought that was Summer, but he didn’t feel as complete with her as he did with Jewel.
Colin only hoped Jewel felt for him as deeply as he for her, and that she could find it in her heart to forgive him for not being completely honest with her. There was a knock on the door; he took a deep breath and went to open it.
Jewel was smiling up at him. “Hi!” She wrapped her arms around his waist.
Colin leaned down and kissed her, lifting her in his arms and carrying her into the living room, his lips never leaving hers.
Jewel ended the kiss. “Are you packed?” Sounding breathless, she slid out of his hands to sit on the couch.
Colin sat next to her and pulled her onto his lap, gazing at her, with his eyelids slightly closed. Kissing Jewel again, Colin admitted he didn’t want them to talk, because when they did he had to come clean about all the things on his mind. Colin owed her that, but the last few weeks had been the best he could remember in a long time.
Jewel laid her head on his shoulder and kissed him softly on his neck. “I don’t want to go home. I wish this summer would never end.”
“Me too.” And Colin meant it. He didn’t ever want to go back to reality where he had to risk Jewel leaving him.
“Colin?” She trailed her finger down his neck to the V in his shirt. “I love you,” she whispered.
Colin swallowed, he was in shock. She’d uttered the words so lightly he almost didn’t hear her. “I’m in love with you too.”
“Really?” She appeared doubtful. “You mean it? You’re not saying it just because I said it first?”
“I’ve been in love with you since I carried you to your room after Jake hit you with the ball. I never told you because I didn’t want to rush things. And I didn’t want you to hurt me. Uh, and I was afraid to admit it to myself.” Colin grasped the necklace he’d left on the table. “I made these for us.”
She smiled and snuggled deeper in his lap. “Their more beautiful than anything I’ve seen before. How’d you get the colors?” Jewel lifted the bottom of the necklace up. “The shells are beautiful and the beads—are they made from the rocks we found?”
“Yeah, I sanded them down real smooth.” His heart beat rapidly in his chest and felt like it swelled at her praise. “I also added some rocks I got in the morning before you met me to run.”
“This is…I don’t know what to say except that I love them.” Jewel kissed him, her eyes teary.
“Jewel.” Colin exhaled, he had to get this out of the way or things would be worst once they were home. “Remember when I told you a few weeks back that we needed to talk?”
She frowned. “Oh, when I came over to the movie party.” Jewel’s eyes got stormy. “And you were kissing Taylor.”
Colin scratched at the nape of his neck, feeling uncomfortable about the past digression. “Yeah. I wanted to be honest with you about something I found out. Something that was happening at school.” His arms wrapped around her, almost as though he was holding onto her for dear life.
Sighing, Jewel ran her finger down the necklace. “I don’t want to talk about going home, or about school.”
Neither did Colin, so he gazed into her e
yes and said, “Jewel Dupree, will you take this necklace, be my girlfriend and promise you’ll never take it off? Trust me to take care of your heart and to love you always?”
Her face lit up with a smile. “I do,” and she took the necklace meant for him, “Colin Davies, will you take this necklace as a token of my love for you and trust that you will take my love and heart, keeping it safe in your hands?” Jewel clasped the necklace around his neck, and leaned in to kiss him.
Colin stopped her, his hands at her waist, as guilt drummed through his blood. “I can’t. Not until I tell you this.” He yanked a hand through his hair. “Tank, and all the jocks at the school have a bet going. They have been doing it for years,” he swallowed, “the bet is to see who’s the first guy to have sex with the newest cheerleader on the team. You’ve been the only one none of them have been able to break. So all the guys on all the teams have been putting big money in the pot to see who will win. And when they lose, everyone on the team gets to haze them.” It was why he found out his cousin Tank was so upset when Jewel broke up with him, since he was going to be beat up or pranked by his team members by losing the bet.
Jewel’s smile drooped, her eyes watered, and tears flowed. Yet she was silent as her bottom lip trembled. She attempted to get off his lap.
Colin held her there while she pushed against him and within moments Jewel started slapping his hands away, but he still held her. “I’m sorry. So sorry, babe.”
Jewel took several staggered breaths. Tears fell unchecked from her eyes. “I’m not your babe. I’m nothing to you.” She sniffed. “So, you’re playing with me too? You knew this and didn’t tell me? First, you act like you can’t stand to look at me, then you act as if I’m some freaky slut who moved through all the guys at school.” Her hand lifted and she smacked him. “You waited till I told you I was in love with you and asked you to be m-my boyfriend.” Tears continued to fall. “Let-go-of me now! I feel so stupid. You won huh, you broke the Ice Queen.”
Colin’s blood drummed rapidly through his veins. He released Jewel, his heart ripping in two, eyes watering. “Jewel, I wanted to tell you, but I wanted to be with you more.” His voice cracked.
