Georgia Stars

A month ago, I would never have even dared to think that I would love being here in Alpharetta. Knowing me, I would have laughed in your face when you began to tell me that my life was going to be turned upside down, and I would have started to list off the reasons why this was the worst thing that could ever happen to my summer. Starting with the company.

But as time inched quicker than I could have ever imagined towards the fifth week of my stay here in sunny Georgia, I was begging my lucky stars for the clock to somehow stop ticking away. I never wanted to leave here. Why you ask? Well, the company, of course.

I could hear his fingers tapping on the table rhythmically downstairs. With a roll of my eyes directed towards his lack of patience, I pulled the white sundress over my head before I adjusted and secured it into place, on top of my typical yellow polka dot bikini.

Making my way down the stairs and to the kitchen where Aunt May and Bradley were chatting, I counted the flips and flops that echoed from my feet on the hardwood floor. Thirty seven. That’s how many steps it took me until I was standing in front of him. He stood from the chair he was seated in immediately, a heart melting grin stretched across his lips.

“Are you ready?” His voice, like the most beautiful song, chimed, twirling the keys to that red pick up truck in his fingers. Smiling softly, I nodded, giving a small wave to my Aunt who was just breaking her concentration from the crossword puzzle she had been working on all morning.

“You kids have fun!” She called from behind us as Brad laced his fingers through mine with the smallest of a blush. Unlike him, I was never able to be so nonchalant about things. The blood heated my cheeks, all the way up to the tip of my ears, causing Brad to fix that irresistible smile back onto his features.

“So, why did you tell me to bring my bathing suit?” I asked him as he helped me up into the truck. He grinned.

“What? I have to have an excuse other than just wanting to see you in a bikini?” Brad raised his eyebrows. I was going to glare, but there was just no way to fight back the laugh that was rising in my lungs.

The smile stayed on my face as I watched him walk around the hood of the truck, my eyes following him until he was finally sitting next to me, behind the steering wheel.

“No, but really, we’re going swimming.”

“Swimming?” I repeated, looking at him from under my mascara coated eyelashes. He simply nodded, re-intertwining his fingers with mine as the truck roared to life.

He didn’t tell me where exactly we were going, nor did he speak a single word after that. Some Billy Currington song, that I had no idea what was called, but I knew all the words since coming here, was the only thing that filled the silence that loomed upon us.

My eyes took in all of the sites we passed hungrily. I wanted to fill my mind up with everything I possibly could. Because when I leave here, I wanted to take every memory I possibly could back with me to Washington. But leaving wasn’t something I particularly wanted to think about. Dreading was more fitting for the situation.

The twins’ house blurred by quickly, as well as what I remembered to be Brad’s as I recalled the streets and houses by memory. I leaned my head up against the window and sighed in bliss while we flew by the small business stores and buildings in town. Soon enough, we passed the same fields that I remembered from my unforgettable first night here in Georgia.

Finally the truck came to a stop, after venturing down a long, curvy dirt road. I smiled, looking out the windshield at the large abandoned lake. Pulling my fingers from Brad’s, I threw open the door and jumped out, my feet pounding against the shale.

Pushing my oversized sunglasses closer to my face, I squinted as the bright, southern sun beat down on us, casting its hot rays onto the earth. The water was calm, the most miniscule of waves washing up to the shore lines, where birds stood idly, with their feet in the cool water as they too searched for a way to beat the heat.

I heard the car door finally slam behind me, causing me to only turn my head to look to see what exactly he was doing. Brad’s arms were full, holding a folded gray blanket, and two rolled up towels. He smiled, his white teeth shining like a thousand watt light bulb in the bright sun. Brad nodded his head forward a bit, making me smirk.

Suddenly, I couldn’t fight off the urge to run towards the water, kicking off my yellow Old Navy flip flops on the way. The dozens of birds flapped their wings and took off into the air as I approached the shoreline with a laugh.

I heard Brad mock my laugh behind me, but I didn’t bother to look back at him. Cautiously, I stepped into the water, biting back my smile as it was hardly cold enough for me to jump back.

The soft breeze pushed my hair off of my shoulder, allowing the curls to cascade down my bare back. A shiver chilled down my spine as I felt Brad’s gentle fingers run down the exposed skin of my side, just behind my arm. Just as I was about to turn my head, he slouched over to lay his head on my shoulder.

“Are you going to swim?” He wondered just above a whisper. It was only then that I realized that his shirtless stomach was pressed against my back. My eyes involuntarily fluttered closed, the sun forcing me to see red.

I could only nod as he released me. Pulling my thin sundress over my head once again, I carelessly tossed it to the side.

Willingly, I grinned as I followed Brad deeper into the murky water. I stopped though, now hesitant as I completely lost sight of the floor of the lake. What creatures could be hiding in the sunless depths was something I didn’t want to think of.

Brad took note of my sudden lack of eagerness, laughing as he tread through the waist high water back to me.

“Come on, Em,” he urged me, both of his hands finding mine as he stood in front of me. Brad took a step backwards, his eyes locked with mine. Reluctantly, I took a step towards him, looking down for any sign of what my feet were getting themselves into. Brad laughed. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing down there. I’ve been swimming in this lake since I was a little kid, and nothing’s ever eaten me,” he informed me with a teasing tone.

Just like that, he had me. I allowed him to pull me deeper until the brownish water was just below my tiny bikini top. Brad smiled, the water much shallower for him seeing as he’s a good four inches taller than me.

His fingers tickled their way down my sides, starting at my shoulders and down the sensitive skin of my waists, until he finally let his hands rest on my hips. Brad used his grip to pull me closer, urging me to wrap my slippery arms around his neck.

I stood on my tippy toes in the dense water, so that my eyes were now level with his chin. He ducked his head, placing his forehead against mine, his own blue eyes searching mine as if he was looking for the deepest, darkest secret that could possibly be hidden underneath the color.

For neither the first nor the last time, I felt myself appreciate his eyes. They were a deep blue, much darker than the sky blue color of my own. Brad’s were the color of the ocean, with the white foam lining just a centimeter from his pupil in an uneven line.

Pulling me from the trance his gorgeous eyes were casting over me, his arms slipped around my waist, pulling my body closer to his. He was warmer than the water, giving the front half of my body a warmer, safer feeling than the back half that was starting to feel the coldness of the water really start to hit me.

Before I knew it, Brad lowered his face closer to mine, his head tilting to the left just slightly. My eyes closed out of instinct, as I awaited his lips to press against mine. After what seemed to be a lifetime, he finally crushed his lips down onto mine. The feeling was something that could never be matched. It was the first kiss, unrealistically flawless, completely perfect.

It was just as if this was directly out of a fairytale. The vision of fireworks on the inside of my eyelids, the tingling sensation that was taking over my entire being. If there was such thing as perfection, I’m confident that this was it.

The feeling of his mouth on mine was nothing like I had expected it to be. Brad’s lips were softer than I could have ever anticipated. He treated me with such care, like he honestly feared that if he held me too tight, I’d break into a million little pieces in his arms.

My head was spinning when he decided it was time for us both to catch our breaths. Brad rested his forehead against mine once again as he took the chance, and pulled me tighter into him.

His eyes searched deep for any sign that I wasn’t into what he was trying to start. He found nothing while I bit my lip in pure bliss to hold back the smile that was just aching to be let loose.

My eyes closed once again as I let out a small breath, simply out of habit. When I reopened them, Brad’s eyes were also closed, but his cheeks were blazing the brightest of reds. I had to force back a smile again, while my lungs felt as though they were going to combust out of joy.

“I bet you can’t catch me,” I whispered against his mouth that was idle only an inch away from mine. Brad’s eyes opened slowly as my lips stretched into a smirk that was impossible to hide.

I tore myself from his grip in the next split second, and kicked my legs as I got a head start. Hearing his laugh chime behind me, I turned around to see if he was following me.

He was no where in sight though, and the water was back to his perfect calm. Confused, I looked around me in all directions, but my eyes couldn’t set on his form anywhere.

Suddenly, I felt hands tug on my waist, pulling me under the water before I could think to defend myself. Holding all of the breath in my lungs, my knees came into contact with the sandy bottom of the lake.

Pushing off of the bottom, I sailed back up to the air. “Bradley!” I screeched once I had fresh air in my lungs. He laughed, taking off towards the shore as I was quick to follow him.

He was out of the water much quicker than I was. I couldn’t help but to take a moment to admire the way his wet body glistened in the sun. Biting my bottom lip, I blinked, before I could finally regain the composure to follow him.

The first thing I did was make sure my bikini was covering all of the right places. Then, I whipped my dripping hair out of my face, the drops of water flinging themselves from my locks.

Brad was already lying on the blanket that he had laid out in the grass when we first arrived. I stood over him, blocking the warm sun from his already closed eyes. He felt my presence, most likely from the cold shadow I was casting over him, and opened his arms.

I laid down beside him, not caring that our wet bodies were soaking the blanket, and rested my head on his chest. Brad’s arms wrapped protectively around my waist as we both simply took in everything. This was perfection, I knew it.

We didn’t leave until the growls in our stomachs were no longer ignorable, and the sun was starting to set, causing the air to become chilly. I pulled my dress over my almost dry bathing suit, and slipped my feet back into my flip flops.

Brad didn’t bother to put his shirt back on, but I didn’t really want him to anyway. His hand found its usual place, wrapped around mine comfortably, as if he were the missing piece to my puzzle.

“Stop!” I almost shouted as he drove past a very memorable field. Brad immediately slammed on the breaks, staring at me expectantly, most likely waiting for me to say something tragic.

I didn’t look at him as I jumped out of the truck and ran through the field a few yards. Falling to my knees, I opened my arms for the same black cat from my first night here.

The farm cat automatically showed no fear to me, and wrapped himself into my lap, purring madly. I heard Brad crouch down behind me.

“What do you think would happen if I took him home with me?” I asked, looking adoringly down at the cat.

“Well, it’s just a farm cat, I’m sure no one would really care,” Brad spoke softly. I grinned, picking the cat up in my arms. Brad nodded, standing beside me with a smile. “Are you ready now?” He asked teasingly. I smiled at him before I looked back down at the cat who curled himself into my arms. I nodded, feeling Brad wrapping his warm hand around my free one.

"Binx," I whispered, kissing the cat's forehead. He started to purr even more than before, causing Brad to smile down at me, leaving me weak in the knees.
This is perfection.