12A. Suddenly last summer (15+)

Warning! This extra is not suitable for those under 15, as it contains mature content. If you’re underage or likely to be offended, please don’t read on. It won’t affect your reading of the story as a whole.

This story was inspired by mdpthatsme’s theme prompt of ‘Summertime fun’ and is set a few months prior to Naomi being taken.

—
Madison, Wisconsin

That summer was one of the warmest they’d had for a while.  Davey and his best friend Chase were home from College and Naomi would spend days in the park with them and their friends.  She could sit for hours and watch Chase play his guitar.

College had clearly been good for Chase.  He was always her brother’s cute friend, but now?

Now he wasn’t just cute, he was hot.

Naomi sighed inwardly as she watched him.

The sunlight caught the blonde in his hair, and rippled off his shoulders.  She could swear he was glowing.

‘So Chase, you made me a promise before you went to college.  Are you gonna keep it?’

‘And what promise would that be, Nay-Nay?’

‘You were going to teach me some new tunes, remember?’

‘I do. Have you been practising?’

‘Oh, I’m always strumming away’

‘Well, I reckon I can teach you a few tricks’.

The next day, Naomi brought her guitar to the park and waited for him.  She was looking away when she felt a presence by her and a voice.

‘I believe you’re looking for a handsome prince?’

She looked up to see Chase laughing, his eyes twinkling.  As she stood, she realised how close he was to her.  She could feel the warmth radiate from him, could see his chest rising with each breath.

If he saw how flustered she was, he didn’t seem perturbed by it, but rather regarded her with a curious smile.  ‘So then, are we ready?’

For three weeks they met at the park and played all afternoon, until their necks and cheeks were red from the sun and their fingers cracked and sore.  They would get cokes and ice cream and chat about school and college and music and movies until dusk, when Chase would pick up his guitar and strum something he’d been composing, and Naomi would tell him it was brilliant, and would only very occasionally be lying.

Chase wasn’t just skilled, he had soul.  Something about the way he played was simply magnetic, and by the end of the week they had drawn quite a crowd.

‘All these people are going to hinder our concentration’ Chase said.

‘Maybe we should carry on the lessons at my place tomorrow’.

Naomi felt the redness rise from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.  Unable to speak, she nodded and hoped he hadn’t noticed how much she was blushing.

After a morning of learning Pearl Jam and Counting Crows, Chase decided he was going to prepare them some lunch.

‘Is it customary to cook with your shirt off?’ Naomi teased, half embarrassed at how much she was enjoying the view.

‘Oh yeah.  Things get awfully hot in here’ Chase said, and turned his head round to give her a big goofy grin.

Naomi cursed herself inwardly.  He was her brother’s best friend, she was just Davey’s kid sister.  She really shouldn’t be flirting with him.  She knew she was just coming across as some stupid little girl with a crush.

Naomi vowed not to embarrass herself further, but to eat and play guitar and not think about Chase’s chest…

…though it was kind of hard when it was staring her right in the face.

They both started to clear their plates at the same time, and as Naomi stood up to move, she came face to face with him.  There was a brief pause as they caught each other’s gaze, then blushing, she turned her head away.

Chase decided part of Naomi’s guitar education should be to watch a DVD of Jimi Hendrix.  He took great delight in pointing out the mastery Hendrix had over the guitar and telling her what each technique was.  Naomi nodded, trying to take it in, trying to focus on what Chase was saying, and not on the fact she was so close to him.  She sat rigid, afraid she might touch his shoulder or knee by mistake, afraid she might violate his space, as much as she wished he would touch her.

Chase stopped talking and regarded Naomi.  She steadfastly looked at the screen, refusing to meet his gaze.

As the credits rolled, Naomi stood.  ‘I think I’ll go now’.

Chase stood and faced her, and gently said ‘You don’t have to’.  He paused.  ‘I like having you here’.

Naomi looked away, wishing he had meant that.

Chase reached out and turned her face towards him.  ‘You really don’t believe that anyone would be interested in you, do you?  You really don’t know how beautiful you are’.

He reached for her hands, and dumbstruck, Naomi let him take them.

‘Nay, don’t you get it?  Don’t you see how much I like spending time with you?  Don’t you know how amazing you are?’

He took her in his arms, and before she could protest, she was experiencing the sweetest, most passionate kiss she’d ever known.

After a while, Naomi regained her self.  She took his face in her hands. ‘You think you’re so smart, Chase.  And I admit, you’re very good.  But I bet I could teach you a thing or two as well’.

‘Then show me.  Come’.

Naomi closed her eyes and breathed in his scent.  Her heart was pounding in her chest as she felt his fingertips around her waist.  She gripped his back tightly, feeling his muscles ripple beneath her hands.  They had been making music together all summer, and somehow they’d become attuned to each other’s senses.  They knew instinctively what the next beat would bring.  They needed no words as they conducted their own symphony.

‘What’s wrong?’ Chase asked as he held her hand afterwards.  ‘Didn’t you like it?’

Naomi whispered ‘It was perfect’.

It was beautiful.  He was beautiful.  But as soon as it was over, a sadness swept over her that she couldn’t quite explain.

Chase held her in his arms and started to tell her how special she was and how he loved hanging around with her, but to Naomi, as wonderful as those words should sound, they rolled over her, somehow unable to calm the storm inside.

Naomi ran a bath and tried to come to her senses.  The most gorgeous, perfect guy she knew was into her.  They had made love and it was better than she could have ever imagined.  It was all she had been dreaming of all summer.  And yet…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the padding of Chase’s bare feet on the lino.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I heard there was a beautiful art work in here and I had to check it out’

‘Were you always so full of cheese?  Cheesy Chasey’.  She swallowed her words as soon as she said them.  Her teasing sounded harsh, not flirtatious, all of a sudden, and she shocked herself.  He didn’t deserve that.

There was a pause.  Softly, Chase said ‘come back to bed.  Please’.

He held her and whispered to her.  ‘You are so wonderful, Naomi.  Whatever it is, don’t forget that’, and he ran his arms around her shoulders, back and waist, gently caressing her in a way that showed he meant what he said.

Naomi had never known such tenderness, and she tried to be tender back.

But as she looked into his eyes, she realised her sadness was the revelation that they could never be.

They made furious, passionate music all that summer, gasping for every breath as they waited for the future to burn them away.