Summer that lasted forever

Anthea

“I wish I wouldn't be so lonely.” I write on my laptop for Gia–my main character in my romance book to say–i’m a romance writer,I'm trying to find a publisher and it's damn hard.

As someone who is lonely as Gia is…and I'm talking zero friends, because–well I had some bad friendship breakups, or they just left for no reason, so now I'm still healing from it. And no romantic experience, ever. I'm a 24 year old woman and I have never even held a man's hand…I decided to give this feeling to her, because it will maybe make someone feel less alone.

Sometimes I feel embarrassed by that, even though I shouldn't. And sometimes I wish I would want casual, because I'm tired of waiting for my first kiss and especially on my first time, but I want it to be special with a man that I love, so I will wait…which can be frustrating because I want to be wanted, desired and worshiped now.

I'm so touched–starved that sometimes it physically hurts.

I close my laptop and groan in frustration, holding back my tears. It's even worse when you don't have any friends because I'm in a deep need for a girl talk, one friend would be enough. One that would listen to me and give me an advice on that, maybe.

But I'm all alone, like I've always been.

And like Taylor swift would say…”you’re on your own kid, you always have been.”

I put my laptop on the coffee table in the living room in the Airbnb I booked for a week. I'm at Rhode island, I decided to get out of my small town in England to clear my head.

“umm excuse me miss, I think you're at the wrong Airbnb.” A man's voice says behind me.

A hot man's voice that I would recognize everywhere. I've been replying it in my head for the past month.

I stand up from the couch and turn around to see…

Him.

The man that I talked to in a bookstore one month ago. We accidentally reached for the same hockey romance and talked for almost an hour. I never laughed or felt so safe as I did then.

But sadly we didn't get each other's names or numbers, I thought I would never see him again. I've been replying this moment in my head every single day, I even write about it in my book.

And now he's standing in front of me, a warm smile on his face.

Like he's happy to see me.

Like he was hoping we will see each other again.

I definitely did.

He ran his hand through his blond messy hair, his big biceps flexing and his tattoo peaking out of his sleeve.

My breath catches and I can't believe he's here.

His smile grows,

“It's you…from the”

“Bookstore.” We both say at the same time and let out a soft laugh.

Blake

I feel like I'm star–struck. I can't move, or breathe…because the woman I've been hoping to see again it's standing in front of me.

Her beautiful blonde hair is in a braid today, her wispy bangs framing her face.

She's smiling at me, like she can't believe this either.

I've been replying our moment in a bookstore every single day and I was regretting that I didn't ask for her number or her name. I even wrote about our meet cute in my book–i’m a romance writer, turns out she's one too.

And I never felt so safe with someone I just met.

“Oh my god.” She says, her voice barely above the whisper.

“Hi you.” I say and can't control the smile that spreads on my face.

She comes closer, so she's standing in front of me now and her vanilla scent catches my nose.

“Hi back, what are you doing here?” Her eyes looking at me curiously, while her mouth spread into a smile.

I let out a soft chuckle

“Here in the Airbnb or in Rhode island?”

She makes a small pause before answering, like she's thinking about what to say.

“Both, actually.”

I smirk and wink at her

“You want me don't you, sunshine?”

Did I just flirt with her?

Yes I did. And I love it.

Her smile turns shy, her cheeks go to the brightest shade of pink…it's the cutest thing I have ever seen.

She doesn't answer but her eyes do that for her.

“I’m here to clear my head a little from everything and I booked this Airbnb. You?” She lets out a soft gasp, her eyes widened in shock.

I–i don't think it's that shocking that a 27 year old man booked himself Airbnb to stay in for a week.

I knit my brows together, because I really don't get it.

I'm so confused right now.

“I don't understand. What's so shocking about that?” I ask and she gives me the look, like I suppose to understand.

She rolls her eyes a little and my mind wanders to places it probably shouldn't.

“Because we both booked the same Airbnb.”

What?

Well now I understand her reaction.

“Wait what? How can that happen?”

She shrugs her shoulders, and says “I really don't know.”

Anthea

Me and a bookstore guy are staring at each other for a few minutes, trying to understand how could we book the same Airbnb.

“What now?” I ask, my voice quiet.

He swallows, and lets out a deep breath.

“I guess we could share it? I mean I'm only here for a week. You?”

I nod, and his warm smile turns into a smirk.

“I guess we can, and I'm here for only a week too.”

“Great, then that's saddled.” he says, taking his suitcase back to his hand so he can take it to his room…

…Except.

Fuck.

Oh.

My.

God.

There's only one room.

So that means…there's only one bed.

“Wait, hot bookstore man” I say before I can catch myself.

Did I really say that out loud?

His smirk grows

“I knew you want me.”

He steps closer, and my heart skips a beat.

“What do you want, writer girl?”

I can feel my insides burning in flames and he didn't even touch me.

You.

I want you.

I shake this thoughts away

I clear my throat

“There's only one room, so that means there's only” small pause before I say it “one bad.”

His grip on the suitcase handle tightens like he's bracing himself, a smile never leaving his face.

God, he's gorgeous.

“I can sleep on the couch, you can have the bed.” He says and that's really nice of him.

“It's okay, we can both sleep in the same bed. I mean it's not like anything will happen. Don't worry I'm not planning on having sex with you. Although you do look like a sex machine.”

His eyes widened a little, and then his smile turned into a grin.

Why didn't I stop talking?

Why, oh just why didn't I shut my mouth.

Blake

I can't help but grin, cause did she just call me sex machine?

I'll take the compliment.

That's good for my ego.

“I didn't mean it like that” she says “I actually don't know if you are…what I said, I mean how would I know. I have never done anything.”

Did she just told me she's a virgin?

That's okay, nothing wrong with that.

She hides her face into her hands and groans

“I'm so sorry I said that. I should have just shut up, but my stupid mouth kept talking.”

I smile, and step even closer to her to remove her hands from her face gently.

“Hey.” I say when she looks at me, her cheeks in a velvet color, she's embarrassed and I hate that. There's nothing embarrassing about any of that.

“It's okay, really. There's nothing wrong or embarrassing about what you said. Not any of it.”

She shakes her head and falls forward, so she hits my chest.

“I'm a little embarrassed. Let's forget about that, okay?”

When she looks at me and steps back, I nod

“Of course. Now can I ask you something?”

“Not about what you said, that's personal and your decision.” She visibly relaxes, and she urges me to go on.

“What's your name sunshine?”

She smiles softly, sunlight hitting her face.

I know it might sound crazy but she's my daylight.

“My name is Anthea. Your's?”

Anthea.

Her name is Anthea.

That's the most beautiful name I heard. It suits her.

“Anthea.” I repeat out loud, because I gotta hear how it sounds when I say it and how it feels on my lips.

“My name is Blake.”

She blushes again, and it really is the most adorable thing I have ever seen.

“Blake.” She repeats it, like she's testing it too. My name sounds so hot and sweet coming out of her mouth.

It feels like she's the heroine in a romance book that I wrote.

“So Anthea” I can't stop saying her name. “Wanna go get something to eat? I know a great place for lunch.”

She nods at me, while smiling.

I love her smile, it's brighter than the sun itself.

Anthea

Blake.

That's the name of a man I've been thinking about for a month. Not a day went by when he didn't cross my mind.

And now he's here. Sitting in front of me telling me about the book he's writing.

We're at The Patio on Broadway-Providence, eating lunch. We both ordered fries and steak and for a dessert we ordered pancakes.

We talked about everything and nothing. He asked me about the book I'm writing and I told him I'm looking for a publisher. He already found one and I'm happy for him.

“I can help you find one, it's not a problem to me.” He said and I accepted his help, cause why not.

After our lunch we went to explore. We went to see the beach, and decided to swim a little. At one point I got too tired and Blake pulled me closer, while I wrapped my legs around his waist and his hands went around mine, holding me like I'm his lifeline.

Feeling his touch, his strong arms around me…was something I can't explain. It felt like I'm being star-strucked, like the electricity traveled into my body and never left. It felt like there's a thousand flames lighting up inside of me.

Maybe it feels like this, because I never had a man touching me.

Or maybe because he's my person.

But I don't want to make myself believe that, because I don't want to get hurt if he doesn't feel the same.

Not that there's anything that I feel for him.

Okay, maybe I'm falling just a little bit.

The next few days were the most fun I ever had in…well forever. I never had this much fun as I have it now. Here in Rhode island, with Blake.

Honestly, I'm really glad that we both booked the same Airbnb by accident.

One day we went to get ice cream at watch hill, which is also a Taylor Swift holiday house and I explained to Blake every album and why track five is always the most important and why it always hits right in the heart.

Because no one else knows me better than Taylor does. She just knows what to say through her songs. I don't know how she does it, but it feels like she's reading through my journal.

Blake listened to every single word I said and told me he will listen to some of her songs, because I love her so much.

And that means everything to me.

The next day we went to a sailboat at Newport and it was amazing. Blake was telling me some facts about it because apparently he's writing a romance book about it, so he read a lot of articles.

I listened to every word he said, because it's important to him. And it happens that I enjoy listening to his voice.

Yesterday we went to watch the sunset at point Judith. We talked and there was a moment…a moment where we looked at each other's lips and leaned in. Before our lips touched I told him,

“Wait, I have never kissed anyone.”

He gave me a soft smile, gently rubbed his thumb against my cheek and said

“That's okay Anthea, just close your eyes and let me do the work, okay?” His voice was gentle, it made my heart so full.

“Okay.” I told him, closed my eyes and just like that…our lips met.

Kissing Blake felt like out of the body experience. My heart was beating like crazy, my whole body felt on fire and butterflies everywhere were dancing inside of me. Our lips danced in the same rhythm, slow and gentle.

It was like we said everything we couldn't say with words.

I'm really glad that my first kiss happened with him, I wouldn't want it to be with anyone else.

And now it's our last night here, we're at the Airbnb, because it's raining pretty heavily outside.

“So tell me something about yourself, that you never told anyone.” I say to him. We're sitting on a couch, close to each other and talking.

He grins, while thinking for a couple of seconds, his leg touching mine and it sends shivers down my spine and a heartbeat between my legs.

There's an unspoken chemistry between us, and one kiss wasn't enough to get it out of our system.

“Hmm, let me think.” He leans closer to me, our faces only inches apart.

I swallow, looking at his lips.

“I never told anyone that I fell for the woman I met at a bookstore. That I spend a month thinking about her, every single day and night.” His hand cups my cheek, and he leans even closer.

“That I even write about it in my book.”

My breath catches and my lips part a little.

He was writing about me in his book.

This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me.

“I want you Anthea.”

My hands grip his shirt.

“I want you too Blake, also I wrote about you in my book too.” I say and pull him closer, so our lips crash into one another.

This kiss is not slow and gentle, it's hungry, desperate and passionate.

Blake pulls me into his lap, his hands grab my ass and the feeling makes me groan in pleasure. I gently rock into him and his head falls back.

“I need you Blake. Please.” I beg and when he looks at me, his eyes are full of desire and want.

“Are you sure?” He asks, sounding a little concerned.

I nod

“Yes, I'm sure. I want you, so badly.”

He gives me a gentle smile.

“Then I will give you everything you want and more. And don't worry I will go slow.”

Before I can say anything else, he kisses me again, picks me up and carries me to bed.

He puts me down gently, but he doesn't break the kiss yet.

“Wait, what will happen with us tomorrow?” He asks and shit, I forgot we leave tomorrow.

“Let's not think about tomorrow now.”

He smiles and starts kissing me again. Clothes leave our bodies right after, and Blake makes love to me for hours, making me feel like I'm the most beautiful woman in the world.

Blake

It's 10am when I wake up and the memories of last night come crashing like a wave. I made love to Anthea, and it was the most beautiful night I ever spent with someone. I made sure she felt safe, loved, wanted and worshiped.

“Good morning sunshine.” I say and when there's no answer in a couple of seconds I turn around to see that she's not here anymore.

Maybe she's in the bathro–i noticed a letter on her side of bed.

“Dear Blake. I'm sorry I'm not there anymore. I had the best night of my life and I'm so glad it was with you, thank you. I was thinking about what will happen with us and I got scared, because what if what we feel and did is because we were together at the same Airbnb for a week? I mean I don't think it was for me, because the truth is…I like you Blake, I never felt this way for anyone. So while you're reading this, I'm probably at the airport already."

I can't let her go, not again. I can't lose her again.

Without thinking I get off the bed, change into clothes, pack faster than I ever did before and call a cab.

When I get to the airport I thank the driver, and run as fast I can, so I can catch her.

Her flight won't board yet, so she must still be waiting.

“Blake?” I stopped, because someone just called my name when I ran past them.

But I would recognize that voice everywhere.

I turn around and there she is.

My Anthea.

She stands from her seat and we're in each other's arms in a second.

I hug her tight, her vanilla scent surrounding me.

“What are you doing here?” She asks when we pull back.

“I came to get my girl. I can't let you go Anthea, not aga

in. I want you, I want all of you. I want you on your bad days, on your good days, I want you when you're sad and happy. I want you always.”

Her eyes tear up

“I want you always too Blake. Besides, we forgot to exchange numbers again.” she says and that makes me smile.

“We really did, now come here.” I say and we kiss.

Anthea

I can't believe that It's finally my turn to be loved.