They’re stuck on that boat for what feels like forever as it makes its way around the other half of the lake and back to the dock.
He has four and a half more beers and finds himself laying on the deck at the back of the ship, a life preserver for a pillow. He left his coat back inside, his jacket too. The alcohol had fooled him into warmth and now it’s just his rolled up sleeves against the biting air of January. He watches the stars spin over his head for a while until he feels pleasantly detached from everything, until he’s floating. As if the ship has disappeared and left him on his back in the middle of the lake, his ears filling with the roar of the water and his body weightless, not belonging to himself of anything- anyone else.
He isn’t sure how long he’s there for, but suddenly her face is hovering above him. She smiles at him, but doesn’t say anything as she sits down next to the top of his head. Her coat swishes with the motion and he feels her puffy hip against his head.
She says, “I saw your jacket sitting in one of the booths, so-” He turns his head enough to see her holding onto it, her hands clutching at the collar. She shakes her head looking at it sadly, “I don’t know. Thought you might be cold or something.”
He nods and then watches her arms swing out as she drapes it over him. Her hands linger on his shoulders, providing more warmth than the thin material of his suit jacket ever could. Then they’re gone and he shivers a little, turning his gaze back to the stars overhead.
“Congratulations,” he says.
She laughs a little, “Yeah.”
“Where’s Roy?”
“Puking, I think. Where’s Katy?”
“Hating me, probably. We broke up.”
He tilts his head back to look at her upside down face after he says it. She’s staring blankly ahead and just nods. She feels him looking at her though and her eyes flick down to his, sticking there for a moment. He turns his head back almost instantly, not liking how much he feels in that single instance.
She asks, “Why’d you break up?”
He thinks about all the ways he could answer this, but eventually he bites his lip and shrugs, “Tired of trying, I guess.”
He turns on his side, pulling the jacket up around his chin like a blanket and pressing the top of his head into her thigh. He feels her adjust a little, letting him settle against her. He closes his eyes and feels the vibrations of the boat’s motor and the solid, constant presence of her, of them together. The tips of his ears have gone numb, but he’s never felt so warm in his life.
She asks the question he was hoping she wouldn’t, “Tired of trying to do what?”
He presses his eyelids down even harder, clenching his jaw. He doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything. The silence is loud between them for the second time.
He feels her hand on his shoulder. It moves under the jacket until her palm finds the back of his hand resting on his thigh. She links her fingers through his even though the positioning is awkward and she has to lean over a bit to even reach his hand.
They listen to the faint music coming from inside, the bottled up laughter. He opens his eyes and looks at her feet stretched out in front of her, toes pointing towards each other. Over the sound of the boat cutting through water, he hears her breath changing, staggering and turning wet. He closes his eyes again.
“I love you,” he says finally, the words coming out in a cloud.
There’s nothing and then she says, “Yeah.”
Her fingers tighten around his. He holds on.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
unfold is the author of 102 other stories.
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