“And I haven’t stepped foot on a surfboard since that day.” I smile proudly. “And I don’t intend to!”
“I’ll get you on a surfboard one day,” he promises. “Even if it means you’re strapped down, you’ll get on another surfboard.”
“Um, no,” I deadpan. “Never. Ever. Ever gonna happen, boyo.”
“We’ll see.”
“Mmm. Like I’ll see you get up off your ass, get dressed, and go and see your girl?”
“Jen,” he says.
“Alec,” I mimic. “Why does everyone say my name that way? Sam did the exact same thing before I came here. Pish!” I shake my head. “This is what’s gonna happen. You, Mr. Johnson, are gonna be the man you are and get dressed. Then, you’re gonna go see your girl and let her hold you for as long as you need to be held. Know why? Because it’s okay to do that.”
“Will you agree to go on a surfboard if I do that?” he looks up.
“Is that what it’s gonna take?” I ask, sighing. He nods, a small spark of Alec returning to his eyes.
I clench my jaw and narrow my eyes at him. “Damn chip off the old block you are, Johnson. Yes. I will get on a fricking surf board.”
“Promise?” He raises his eyebrows. “And no crossed fingers!”
“Shit.” I uncross my fingers and hold up my hands. “I promise I will get on a surfboard.”
“Then I suppose I’ll get up.” He pushes himself off the sofa and disappears into his room. I hum to myself as I wait, thinking that was easier than I expected.
See. A little bit of Jen-tude is all you need sometimes.
~
I follow Alec back to Lexy and Sam’s and stop him before we go back inside.
“Hey… You can be sad, y’know?” I touch his arm. “Just let us be there with you. Especially Lexy. It’s breaking her heart that yours is breaking. Just let her be there and sooth it a little. You didn’t last year, and look at the trouble it caused.”
“I know. I nearly pushed her away for good.” He rakes a hand through his hair and sighs deeply. “You’re right, Jen. I need her.”
“No need to sound so surprised.” I push the front door open and we walk through the house. “I’m always right, but no-one ever listens to me, and every single time you’re surprised that I was right. You know, you should really do yourselves a favour and start listening to me. I don’t talk crap all the time.”
“Just most of the time?” Sam teases. I point at him.
“Watch it, mister. There’s still time for your precious car to bang into a tree, or a fence, or slide along this key as I walk past it.”
He sobers. “I dare you to try it.”
Alec walks past us and crouches in front of Lexy, pulling her into his arms before she can say anything. She wraps her arms around him and buries her face into his neck. Seriously – I love how much they love each other.
I look back at Sam, thinking the way I feel is pretty damn close to their love. “I dare you to stop me.” I grin and hold up his key, darting into the house.
“Scratch my car and you’re dead, Jennifer!” he yells.
I hear the scrape of the chair as he gets up, and I giggle, opening and closing the front door before hiding behind the living room door. I put my hand over my mouth so my laughter doesn’t give me away as he steps into the hall and opens the door. It closes again, and I bite my lip, shaking slightly. I wait as he attempts to find me.
The door opens. “Where are you, you pain in the ass?” he calls.
I snort into my hand. I’ll give him a pain in the ass. I glance around the door. His back is to me, and I run out. I jump and land on his back, hooking my legs around his waist. He jumps, gripping my thighs, and I laugh loudly against his shoulder.
“Surprise!” I giggle.
“Certainly keep me on my toes,” he mutters.
I loosen my grip on him and lean back slightly, smacking my hand against his ass.
“What the hell was that for?”
“That was for calling me a pain in the ass. I thought I’d be a literal one.” I grin.
Sam carries me into the living room and dumps me on the sofa, sitting in front of me and leaning back. I wriggle a little.
“Get off, fatso.” I wriggle again.
“Why? You’re comfy.” He grins, running his fingers up the inside of my thighs.
“I’m pretty sure I’m much comfier if I’m under you, not behind you, since the only one with the tools to do anything from behind in this relationship is you,” I say dryly.
Sam leans his head back to rest on my shoulder. “Is that a promise?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then.” He lets me go and flips round so I’m under him.
“I promise that my statement was correct in telling you that you’re the only person with the tools to do anything from behind.” I half-smirk. “I never promised you could do anything with those tools.”
He shakes his head, lowering his face to mine, and sucks gently on my bottom lip. Each tug he makes tugs on the muscles in my lower stomach, making them tighten. He runs his tongue over my lips and his fingers ghost down my side, barely making contact with me, but I feel it all over. I hold the back of his neck and respond to him, kissing him hard.
“Samuel, you have a bedroom for that,” Si admonishes as the front door opens.
“Just trying to prove a point,” Sam replies, pulling back and looking into my eyes. His brown eyes are dancing.
“Yep, and you failed.” I smirk.
“Do I need to prove it again?”
“In private.” Si walks past and slaps the back of his head.
“Shit, Dad!” Sam rubs the back of his head.
Si grins, winks at me, and disappears into the kitchen.
“Yeah, Sam, prove it in private,” I taunt him, grinning.
“Don’t make me, Jennifer, because I will,” he says in a low voice.
I put my hand on his jaw and run my thumb across his lips, tracing their outline softly. “You don’t need to prove a point,” I mutter.
“I don’t?”
I shake my head. “You’ve done plenty of proving.” My lips pull into a small smile. “No more proving. Just being, okay?”
He runs his nose along mine. “What about Heidi?”
“What about her? Sooner or later she’s gotta get it, right?”
“Gotta get what?” His eyes twinkle reminiscent of the way Vi’s would when she was teasing you, and I know he’s got his playful streak from her.