Unusual Summer

Warmth wrapped around my skin like a cozy blanket. I glanced at my friends who were in all stages of tanning. Summer started, and the ultimate way to enjoy it was by lounging on a beach under the sun. Not to mention the other best part to the whole experience, the people watching.

Laying on my back, I observed the other beachgoers as they went about their activities. Some also tanned like me. Others were playing beach games such as volleyball. Surfers were catching decent waves, while others floated peacefully off to the side. Regardless of what people did, everyone enjoyed themselves.

I was caught off guard when something hit my leg, but it didn’t hurt much. I locked onto a volleyball near me and picked it up, peering around for anyone who might try to get my attention. That’s when a saw a man jogging toward me, concern on his face. I couldn’t help but find him attractive, my eyes observing more than just his face.

“I’m so sorry, are you okay?” the man asked. He looked early twenties like me, but built like a Greek God. I couldn’t reply at all. “Are you okay?”

Mentally shaking myself back into reality, I said, “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” I looked down at the volleyball, then stood up and handed it back to him. “No harm done.”

“That’s good to hear.” The man smiled, his teeth perfectly white.

“Sophia loves volleyball if you got a spot for her,” I heard my friend Tina say from behind me. I glanced at her, annoyance spreading across my face, feeling the nerves already piling up. She smiled at me with a wink.

“Really? Join us for a game. Names Trevor.”

I looked down as I thought about the offer, time feeling awkwardly long. With any courage I could muster, I replied, “Yeah, sounds like fun.”

“Great, follow me.” Trevor turned around, and I glanced back at Tina with a worried look. She mouthed go get him and gestured me to go. I followed Trevor back to his friends, who gladly accepted the plus one.

Several games later, everyone was tired and laid down on their beach towels. Trevor made room on his for me, which I sat down, butterflies swarming. I kept quiet for a while, letting everyone else talk instead, getting the feel for the group. Then Trevor started questioning me.

“So what do you do?” he asked.

“Marketing stuff,” I said. “Nothing interesting, honestly.”

“Nevertheless, I’m interested.” Trevor’s friends whistled and razzed him, calling out his clear, flirtatious advances. I smiled, but my face grew ever more red.

I spoke briefly about my job at a company unfamiliar to all of them. Trevor appeared to be the only one still interested, even though it wasn’t very interesting. I found out that Trevor was on summer vacation from college. He had two more years before coming back here permanently.

We talked by ourselves for a while longer. I had completely lost track of time at that point.

That’s when my friends came over to tell me they were leaving. I looked back at Trevor, considering my options.

“If you go, can I ask for your number?” Trevor smiled in a way that continued to make my body feel like it floated.

“How about you can have my number, but I’m staying too.” I couldn’t believe I said that. It didn’t sound like me, the confidence that poured out in that moment. It got a reaction from everyone though, and much to my friend’s surprise.

“Are you sure?” Tina asked.

I turned to her and nodded. “I’m good, thanks.”

Tina looked between Trevor and me, then nodded back. “Stay safe. And you…” Tina pointed at Trevor. “You keep her safe or I’ll kick your ass.”

Trevor laughed, then saluted. “I promise to treat her like the queen she is.”

Tina rolled her eyes and gave me a hug. She asked if I was comfortable once more, and I confirmed that I was. Tina left after that.

It wasn’t long before Trevor’s friends also left. We followed them back to a bar near the beach and talked some more; the conversations getting weirder as the alcohol set in. Trevor put his arm around me at some point and I leaned into him, completely enamored.

Eventually, we all ended up at a house that Trevor said one of his friend’s owned. Some people opted for the televisions, others going to bed. Trevor took me to his bedroom, and that moment made me feel nervous for the first time. The alcohol no longer clouded my mind enough to prevent me from thinking the next part through. I knew I’d have to say no to any further advances. I just met him earlier that day, or rather yesterday, considering it was three in the morning.

“You can take my bed,” Trevor said, gesturing towards it. “I will take the guest room.”

This threw me off. I figured he wanted something more, more intimate. But not even a kiss happened between us yet. “Are you sure? I can take the guest bedroom.”

“I insist. It is much better than the guest.”

I nodded, smiling at him, feeling a new sense of attraction towards his respectful nature. Trevor gave me the bathroom necessities and wished me a good night. I got ready for bed and laid down on the shockingly comfortable mattress. I could see why he offered it to me.

I texted Tina my location and assured her of my safety. I informed her about what Trevor did for me, which even surprised her. Still, she felt skeptical, and I did my best to explain to her everything was okay.

It wasn’t much longer after that I fell into the best sleep of my life.

The next morning, I woke to a commotion downstairs. I got up and peered over the second-floor railing to see Trevor’s friends yelling at the television screen. Did they sit there all night or just get back to it this morning? I didn’t care to find out but smiled at them instead.

A door opened near me, and Trevor walked out in just boxers. I felt a swirl of emotions wrapping around me and squeezing tight. He smiled when he saw me.

“Morning Sophia,” he said. “Hope you slept well.”

“Never better.” I looked at him for a moment longer than he, too, peered at his friend’s wild banter. Then I did something I didn’t know I’d have the courage to do. I walked up to him and kissed him deeply. Trevor pulled me closer as he kissed me back. Everything felt right in the world.

We moved back to his bedroom, and I nudged him onto the bed. We wasted no time undressing and exploring each other. Whatever we had in that moment, I never wanted it to end.

Months went by and the summer would soon turn to fall. Trevor and I spent most of that time together, mainly physically. I didn’t mind, though; I instigated a good portion of them. Trevor made me feel something completely new. I thought I knew what it was, but couldn’t be sure.

“It’s called love Soph,” Tina said, while eating a burrito at a Mexican restaurant we went to.

“You think?” I asked. I played with my tacos and rice, not feeling as hungry.

Tina nodded. “It’s obvious to me. You guys have spent every waking moment together this summer. You can’t stop thinking about him, or his abs. You are already talking about vacationing together. You even have let your weird side show in front of him.”

I look at Tina with confusion, but I knew what she meant. “I don’t have a weird side.”

“You can’t lie to your best friend. That’s against the rules and simply doesn’t work.”

“Okay, but I don’t think I love him. It feels too soon to have those kinds of feelings, anyway.”

“There’s no right time to feel love. You just know it when you have it. You can lie to me all you want, but you can’t lie to yourself.”

I looked down at my food as I continued to play with it while I reflected on my summer with Trevor. We were happy throughout. Disagreed at times but ultimately respected one another. His friends liked me, and mine liked him. I couldn’t explain it, it just felt right.

I saw a potential future with this man, perhaps even beyond what I imagined.

“Maybe you’re right.”

Tina nodded and, through chewing, said, “Always am, girl.”

That night, Trevor picked me up from Tina’s house, and we drove to the beach. It was a cool, somewhat windy night, so I remained bundled. A bonfire was in preparation by his friends and some others I hadn’t met before. It felt like it’d be a great party.

I asked Tina if she wanted to come, but Tina opted to stay home. She met a man and was curious about the night’s direction. I wished her luck and hoped she finally found someone like Trevor in her life.

The night went peacefully. Trevor and I talked with various groups of people for what felt like hours. At some point, Trevor and I found ourselves alone, away from everyone and the bonfire. We sat in the sand and stared out at the ocean waves cascading onto the beach.

I looked over at Trevor, who cradled me, keeping me warm, and said, “I love you.” I felt regret immediately after, unsure if Tina was right or not. Unsure if my feelings aligned with Trevor’s. I worried I ruined our relationship right there in those three words and I’d be going back home single.

Trevor, avoiding eye contact, admitted, “I’m at a loss for words.” I felt my heart sink, the negative thoughts in my head coming true.

“I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.” I looked away from him and felt his arm let go of me. I wanted to cry at that moment.

“I like you Sophia, I really do. But I already have a girlfriend.” For reasons I never thought I’d hear, my body stopped panicking and instead stood still while I listened to his words carefully. “I thought we were just having a summer fling, you know?”

“What did you say?” I turned to him, silently pleading for him to say those words again, unable to comprehend such a sinister phrase.

“I thought you wouldn’t care; you know? We are just having a fling. Nothing serious.”

“But you have a girlfriend?”

Trevor sighed. “Yeah, I do. But sometimes I just want to experience something else without us breaking up. So during the summers when I come home, I hook up with others. Normally I don’t go out with just one person, but you’ve been a really fun time this summer.” Trevor smiled his usual attractive smile. This time, it did nothing for me.

“And she’s cool with this?”

Trevor looked troubled. “I mean, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He cheated and didn’t see the problem. Or he did, but didn’t care.

My entire summer dismantled and set aflame. All my efforts wasted on a nonexistent relationship. I felt my stomach doing somersaults and my heartbeat quickened as my body worked together to figure out how I never saw it coming.

I stopped there. I wouldn’t review myself in a negative light. I knew my desire and pursued it. It was him, Trevor, that ruined everything.

And then I thought about his apparent girlfriend.

“Well… fair enough.” I looked at him and smiled.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“If we are just a summer fling, then let’s make it the best fling we can, right?”

“So you’re cool with all of this? Normally, this is the time they leave.”

“I mean, we’ve had a great summer, right? Why end a week early. You go back in a week, right?”

Trevor nodded and smiled. “I do. Plenty of time to have some fun.”

I tried not to throw up. “Well, if you want me in your bed tonight, then you have to win me over. You never told me it was just a fling. As punishment for the secrecy, I want you to jump into the water. You do that, and I’m all yours.”

Trevor looked to be considering, then finally nodded. “You’re on.” He took his phone, wallet, and keys out of his pants and handed them to me.

Trevor stood up and ran towards the water. I wasted no time opening his phone and seeing the password. Guessing his birthday, it unlocked. I giggled to myself at the lack of security he had on his phone, especially considering he cheated.

Somehow, it reminded me of all the times I tried to take pictures with him and he asked me to not post them. He had said at the time he didn’t want to be online, but it made more sense now.

I opened his messages and found a name with several hearts next to it. Jessica.

I typed a message to her, “You don’t know me, but I was Trevor’s summer fling this year. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend, and if that’s you, I’m truly sorry you had to find out like this.”

Trevor was still in the water, shouting at me to accept his efforts. I could tell he was freezing. I shouted back that he did a good job. Trevor made his way out of the water as I opened his photos application to find pictures of him and I, some of them of us kissing. I sent a few to Jessica and hit send.

“You deserve better,” I typed and hit send again.

Putting down the phone, I waited for Trevor to approach. I stood up and hugged him, trying to play off like nothing happened.

“So you and me tonight, then?” Trevor asked as he leaned in for a kiss.

I backed away. “Hold it, mister. Save it for the bed tonight.”

Trevor sighed. “Fine. Be that way.” He smiled at me as I handed him his belongings back.

“I need to use the bathroom. Be back in a minute.”

“Okay sexy.” Trevor tapped my butt as I walked away.

I didn’t go to the bathroom, but called Tina to pick me up. I told her what Trevor did, but somehow, I didn’t cry like I thought I would. My summer might have been ruined, but Jessica had been dating Trevor for an unknown amount of time. She would get the worst of it. I just hoped she’d move on and find someone better. I wished the same for myself.