Fantasy World

One aspect of Florida Maci had rarely enjoyed was the beach. She locked herself inside most of the time rather than soaking up the sunlight. 

Stephanie was determined to do the opposite. 

The blonde dragged her friend to the beach on their last day in Florida. "How could you not come here every day?" she inquired as she leaned up to look around the beach. 

Maci shrugged her shoulders. "Just don't like to, I guess."

"Have you even noticed all the hot, shirtless guys here?"

"Have you even noticed how many buttholes and lady parts women are showing?"

Stephanie scoffed. "Look past the slutty women to see the hot men, Mace. It's quite awesome."

Maci shrugged her shoulders. "And who do I have waiting at home for me?" she questioned. "Definitely not a hockey player..."

"Shut up," Stephanie laughed, lightly slapping her friend's stomach. Maci laughed as she flinched. "Do you think you two are ever going to actually date?"

Maci opened her eyes to look at her. "I don't know, honestly," she mumbled quietly. She pushed herself into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her knees. 

"Would you say yes if he asked?" 

Maci didn't respond right away. She let the question sink in. "I like how things are now. It's nice to be so... Relaxed. Especially after nine years of being tied to someone in something 'serious.' It would make me nervous that things would get too serious between us. I don't want that right now, I'd rather things stay cool."

"Even though you both are head over heels in love with each other?"

Maci laughed. "Whatever. It's just... I don't want to change it and start hating it all."

Stephanie sat up, as well. She stretched out her already tan legs, relishing in the fact that a group of guys walking by were checking her out. "Don't you want to be able to say you're his, though? And that he's yours?" she asked. 

Maci watched a few smaller kids throw their frisbee around. "I guess so..."

"And I hate to point this out, but is that fair to Steven? After all he's fought just to keep you?" she continued on. 

The air quickly filled up with tension as Maci thought her point over. She was right. He had been through a lot of crap just to keep their thing going. Could she honestly keep putting it all off? He would get tired of her eventually. If she didn't just suck it up and let it go, he'd be gone in no time. No one wanted to be strung along and that was exactly what she was doing. 

At that realization, she almost bolted it off the beach and ran to his house. She didn't want that. She didn't want to do anything bad to him. Yet she was doing this. "Nevermind," she stated. "I'd say yes."

"What made you change your mine?"

"I'm practically stringing him along... I'm not going to do that to him. I'd hate myself if I kept that up knowingly." Maci laid back down and covered her eyes with her forearm. "It couldn't be that bad, too..."

Stephanie laughed. "I'm going to go to the little snack shack thing over there. You want anything?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks," Maci responded with a smile. 

Stephanie ran off shortly after. It couldn't have been five seconds later before Maci felt a wet, sandy, person tackle her. "Hi," Steven purred against her neck. 

Maci groaned as her hands touched his sandy biceps. "Thanks for the sand and water," she teased. 

He smirked. "I thought you'd like it. Just a little present for you," he teased before kissing her lips lightly. 

She smiled widely at him.  He had he ability to make her do that so easily. As she studied his face, she felt her stomach ignite with butterflies. She really was in love with him. Her hand rested on his sandy cheek as she leaned forward to kiss his lips. 

"What were you and Steph talking about?" he asked curiously as she laid her head back on her folded arms. 

"Just about whether you and I would ever be technically dating," she answered bluntly. 

His eyebrows went up teasingly. "Yeah? And what'd you say?"

She smirked. "Said it depends if you ever ask me out," she lied. 

His chuckle rumbled through her body. "Oh yeah? Should I?" he teased as he pressed lightly kisses against her jaw line. 

Maci swallowed hard. "Yes." She closed her eyes as his lips reached the soft spot just under her ear. 

"Will you be my girlfriend, baby Steven?" he whispered against her skin. 

She shivered despite the heat form the sun and his body. "Yeah," she responded. 

He smirked before kissing her lips. "Who would have thought all those years ago when Stephanie brought you over for your first sleepover, I would end up asking you this question?" he laughed. 

Maci smiled widely. "Your mom seemed to have everything figured out," she mentioned. 

He chuckled again. "Mama knows all," he pointed out. They both laughed. "Got everything packed into the car. I'm ready to leave when you two are," he told her as he rolled off of her and onto his side. 

Maci tried to brush some of the sand off of her, but it only stuck to her hands. "Sounds good to me. Just ask Steph when to," she told him. 

He nodded his head before laying back to absorb some of the sun. His finger drew shapes into the side of her thigh that was next to his hand. 

Maci was slightly surprised she didn't feel as constricted by the title girlfriend as she thought she might. Sure it was only a minute ago, but the word had tied knots in her stomach since Kyle. But with Steven, she felt no different than she had before. A smile tugged at her lips. She was his now, though. For sure. No one else, not even the puck bunnies and waitresses that seemed to adore his existence. 

Maci moved her attention to where his finger tip was drawing against her mid thigh. She picked out the squares, the circles, and the triangles. There was a lightning bolt thrown in there. His finger tip slowly spelled out her name with a question mark at the end. 

Maci smiled to herself. "Yes?" she responded in a sing song voice. 

The next few letters made her heart pound in he chest. "You're such a nut," she giggled out as she leaned over to him. "I love you, too," she whispered before kissing the smile on his lips.