My heart rate spiked at his words. It was all I needed to hear. I crushed my lips to his. I also planned on loving Gavin a long, long time.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Gavin
It had been one hell of a summer. I’d sorted through some personal matters, grown as an individual, and most importantly, met the love of my life. With classes starting tomorrow, it was time to take the school by storm. Personally, I couldn’t wait to start my senior year and experience all the bullshit that came with being the “kings and queens” of school. This year would be different than last. I’d have Carly on my arm. And I was ready to make new friends and try out for the basketball team. However, I didn’t want to get ahead of myself—there were still a few precious hours of summer break left, and I planned on making the most of them.
Obviously, anything I planned on doing involved Carly and what better way to end the summer than to head back to Carrington Lake. Carrington Lake would always be our place. We’d built a special bond there and I wanted to continue the trend of creating all the memories we could, not to mention, we hadn’t been back since our romantic picnic earlier in the summer.
With the intent of moving forward, I decided I needed to make a splash—no more borrowing Mommy’s car. I’d saved up enough to purchase a car that ran—it wasn’t a BMW, but it got the job done—which would only benefit mine and Carly’s relationship. What made things even better was the fact that whenever I looked over at Carly in the passenger seat, I knew I was the luckiest man in the world. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on. I know that sounds sappy, but when you’re in love, there’s no such thing as sappy.
As Carly and I headed down to the lake in my semi-new whip, she did what she always did—captivated me. The way she sang along to the radio drove me crazy. Maybe Nathan was on to something when he said the reason he’d kissed Carly was because he couldn’t get her voice out of his head. On second thought, fuck him. He was still dead to me. These thoughts sort of contradicted the emphasis I’d put on growing up this summer. Nevertheless, the final few hours of sun-fueled freedom belonged to Carly, and I wasn’t going to let a single negative thought ruin the evening.
When we arrived, the remnants of summer barbeques and weekend parties had been cleaned up, the place deserted. I was thankful for the fact that Carly and I had the place to ourselves for the evening. Carly packed the picnic this time and said she had a surprise for me. At this point, my imagination was running wild with what it could be. We still hadn’t had sex, even though we’d talked about it and were both ready. I had a good feeling tonight might be the night.
Like last time, we took the canoe out for a quick trip to the middle of the lake and back. The amount of daylight was diminishing now that September had arrived, so we didn’t linger as we did before. Making the most of the situation, I reveled in having Carly so close to me. With school starting and our schedules changing, I was going to miss these quiet moments. We were going to be in several of the same classes, but I knew we would be busy with homework, studying, and basketball. We wouldn’t have as much time to enjoy each other’s company like we did right now.
Carly spread out the blanket on the dock and unpacked the picnic.
“Is my surprise in the basket, Girly?” I asked, not able to contain my curiosity any longer.
“Nope, but I did make your favorite sandwich—ham and cheese,” she said, handing me one.
“Thanks.” I took a big bite. “Delicious.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes and enjoyed the sounds of nature’s beauty: fish jumping, crickets chirping, and the rustling of leaves on the trees. That was one of the things I’d grown to love most about our relationship. Through it all, we could still enjoy an easy silence. I thought about how lucky I was to have found this girl and how good it was going to feel walking down the halls with her on my arm.
“Are you worried about any of your classes this year?” I’d signed up for physics this semester and heard the teacher was a beast. What the fuck had I been thinking? It was my senior year and senioritis was a sure-fire bet.
“I’m a little nervous about physics,” she said. “But we have it together, so it won’t be that bad.” She smiled. “What about you?”
“I was thinking the exact same thing.”
“I visited another college,” I said.
“Yeah?” I’d told Carly how I was thinking of going to a local college and living at home to save money. She wouldn’t say how she felt about it because she didn’t want to influence my decision.
“I’m going to apply to St John Fisher College. If I get accepted, I’ll go. It’s my top choice.”
She grinned. “I hope we both get into the colleges that we want.” She didn’t come right out and say my decision made her happy, but I could tell by the look on her face and the sound of her voice that she was pleased. We’d get to see each other all the time if we both got accepted to our top schools. The Eastman School of Music and St John Fisher were both near our hometown.
We finished eating and packed away the leftovers. “I’ll take this back to the car. I have to get something,” she said, sprinting away like she was trying out for the track team.
“Is it my surprise?” I yelled.
“Maybe. If you’re patient, you’ll find out sooner rather than later.” Hadn’t I been practicing that the entire summer?
To my surprise, she returned carrying a guitar. I didn’t know Carly could play the guitar. This wasn’t the surprise I had in mind, but I was curious to see what she was up to. If I knew Carly like I thought I did, she was going to sing for me. She knew her voice played tricks on my mind, which could very well lead to the surprise I was originally hoping for.
“Hey, how’d you get that in my car?” No sooner had I finished the question when the answer became clear.
“Drew,” we said at the same time, laughing.
I remembered the day he slipped the fiddle into my car so that I could lead Carly back to Karma. Even though the band ended on a bad note, I know being a part of it was one of the happiest moments of Carly’s life. Seeing her on stage, singing her heart out—it was a huge part of who she was. I knew she’d find her way to Nashville someday. I could easily picture her there, especially with her newly defined look—flowing sundress, jean jacket, cowgirl boots, and guitar in hand. Pure country. And sexy to boot.
“I didn’t know you played the guitar. Is that the surprise?” I asked.
She laughed, and the cool evening air suddenly felt a little bit warmer. “No. That’s not the surprise. I can’t play the guitar very well, but I can play a few chords. I’m sort of self-taught. The surprise is that I wrote a song for you. Connor helped me compose it, but the lyrics are all mine.” Her cheeks flamed bright and she chewed her bottom lip. Carly was nervous, and it was cute as hell. I was ready to make her mine, in every sense of the word, right now.
“You wrote me a song?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn, girl … that’s hot.” I was practically speechless. My girl wrote me a song.
She sat down on the dock next to me, and our feet dangled over the water. She strummed the guitar and made some minor adjustments. I turned so that I could see her better. I didn’t want to miss a second of watching her play.
“I wrote this song about falling in love with you. It’s called ‘Love Could Last Forever.’”
Her rich, inviting voice flowed out of her very kissable mouth and it was all I could do to remember to breathe. The lyrics were powerful, passionate, and personal. My heart swelled.
From the first day … you walked into the class,
I thought that we’d be friends, but nothing ever more.
I stole a glance or two, you didn’t even know,
You were the mystery, the handsome mystery.
Hid all your qualities, couldn’t penetrate the wall,
I often wondered why, just what I had to do,
So that we could join as two.
I
finally had the chance, and I’m glad that you agreed,
For the double date, yeah, it must have been fate.
But you just weren’t ready, ready to break the mold,
Fate pushed us together again. But we stumbled and fell,
But through the hardships, we’d always find a way.
We belong as one … just look up at the stars,
Stars they never lie, and neither will I.
If we … never change … are true to ourselves,
Love could last forever.
I am truly yours, and you are truly mine.
We belong together, always and forever.
Ain’t ever gonna change, that I know for sure.
I fell in love with you … on this very dock.
You gave me the strength to speak my mind, do what I want.
Not always needing to talk, silence is strong.
Knowing we got each other, one heartbeat combined.
We’re on top of the world, wasn’t always that easy.
Sometimes there’ll be stones that litter our path.
But heaven often knows, you gotta trip and fall.
Get right back up, slowly start again.
It’s what we’ve always done … finally found our way.
We trust in our love … we’ll be friends forever.
You will be you, and I will be me.
But as we grow together, let us not forget,
How this summer changed our lives.
We belong as one … just look up at the stars,
Stars they never lie, and neither will I.
If we … never change … are true to ourselves,
Love could last forever.
I am truly yours, and you are truly mine.
We belong together, always and forever.
Ain’t ever gonna change, that I know for sure.
She put everything out there, just like I did when I drew the picture of us now hanging in the center of my wall. That’s how I thought of her, occupying the center of my universe. It was our love story, every last word. She was mine and I was hers, and it didn’t get any more real than that.
The song ended and she put the guitar down and looked at me with wide eyes, waiting for my response. Words couldn’t describe how I felt. I wanted to hold onto this girl forever.
“Fuck,” I said, running my hands through my hair. “That was amazing.”
“You liked it?”
“I loved it.” I grabbed her and pulled her close, kissing her to prove how much it meant to me. With each day that passed, I fell deeper in love with Carly.
I brushed back a loose strand of hair from her face and carefully pushed her back onto the blanket. She’d brought two blankets, and I used the second one to cover us as my hands explored her body. I kissed her, nibbling and licking back and forth from neck to shoulder. I was precise and methodical with every kiss and stroke.
Carly whispered, “There is more to the surprise.” She spoke with passion and confidence. Could this be the surprise I’d been waiting for? Was it time to take our relationship to the next level?
“There is?” I said, barely able to control my excitement at the possibility of what was to come. Then, with as much confidence as she sang with onstage, she said, “I want to be with you in every way.”
I’d been waiting for this moment since I’d first laid eyes on Carly. However, my decision to take things slow and get to know her as a person instead of a quick bang made this moment more memorable. I loved Carly and the physical attraction was undeniable. However, before I made the final move, I wanted to be sure she was 100 percent ready. “We don’t have to have sex. I don’t want to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for,” I said, placing my hands on either side of her face. “I mean that. I’ll wait, forever, if that’s what it takes.”
“I know,” she said. “And I love you even more for saying that, but I’m ready. I’ve been ready,” she giggled. “You’re in my heart and I want to feel you … everywhere.” Her eyes were dark and full of lust. It was clear to me that she wanted me every bit as much as I wanted her, so I didn’t argue.
I kissed her again and didn’t hold back. I had no doubt that what I felt for Carly was real, and I was ready to show her just how much I loved her.
We took our time. I wanted to savor every moment. The moon cast its silvery light. I wasn’t worried that anyone was going to see us; it was as if we were the only ones on the planet. It was warm under the blanket, our bodies pressed tightly against one another. Although I’d had sex before, I’d never made love, and that was about to change. I wanted to show Carly how good it could feel when you loved someone. This was unchartered territory for me. I knew Carly was a virgin and I wanted her first time to be memorable and pain-free.
My tongue slowly crept down her torso and I made tiny circles around her clit. She quivered, her moans soft under my careful ministrations. I wanted to get her ready and wet, so that it wouldn’t hurt when I entered her for the first time. Tonight was all about Carly.
When she began to tremble underneath me, I knew it was time. “I have a condom in my wallet,” I said, reaching for my long-forgotten cargo shorts.
“You won’t need one. I’m on the pill.”
Holy shit! Now that was what I called a surprise. “Really?” I choked out. My voice was rough with passion.
“Yeah. I knew at some point we’d be ready and when Becca offered to go with me to get them, I went. I know you mentioned once how you got tested for STDs, so I’m not worried.”
“Wow …”
Our lips met again and our bodies came together like they never had before. I started out slow and gentle, making sure she was okay. I could tell by the look on her face that it initially hurt, but as her sweet spot moistened, the pain turned to ecstasy. We moved in rhythmic motions like we’d done it a million times. Her face filled with love, and she cast my name in her melodious voice. As our bodies climaxed and we finished our journey, I couldn’t help but think that life didn’t get any better than this. I lay down next to her with our legs still tangled and waited for our breathing to return to normal. There were no words for what just happened between us.
“Even though I wish we could stay here forever, it’s getting late, and tomorrow is the first day of school. We should probably go,” she said.
I gave her a quick squeeze and breathed in the scent that was uniquely Carly. “You’re right.”
Handing Carly her clothes, we quickly dressed. I folded the blankets, Carly grabbed her guitar, and we headed back to the car.
Before she could climb in, I backed her against the door and put my hands on either side, trapping her. “Originally I was sorry to see summer go, but now I’m actually looking forward to fall.” I chuckled.
“Me too.”
“I love you, Girly.”
“I love you too.”
Her voice uttering those three little words would forever be music to my ears.
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Falling Into You (Senior Year #2) coming soon. Drew and Becca’s story.
Summer Love (Senior Year (Vol. 1)) Page 22
