Summer Heat
Chapter 3
"I think the reason you didn't like the foot thing was because I did it wrong. I'm supposed to suck on your toes, not kiss your foot."
Blinking, Annabel looked away from her novel. "You want my toes in your mouth?"
Owen looked down at the feet in his lap. "If you shower first, maybe."
"Shut up, Bear. Besides, that's creepier than when you kissed my foot."
"It's supposed to be pleasurable."
"Big word for the guy that couldn't come up with the word owl in a crossword."
"Ha ha."
"Besides, Bear, if you have a foot fetish, now is the time to tell me." Annabel wiggled her toes at him. "I do have hot feet though, don't I?"
"The hottest."
"Whatever, fetish boy."
"It's not a fetish. I just love you." He looked back at the TV. "Why do you like reading so much anyways?"
"It's the same as watching TV, Owen."
"No, it's not."
"It is to me. It's entertaining."
"Yeah, well, I'm bored."
"You're the one that wanted to come over."
"Yeah, Annabel, because your parents are out. You know what normal people do when their parents are out?"
"Something we're not doing."
"Annabel."
"You won't even let me touch you." She pulled her legs back out of his lap. "How do you get off from fingering me? Huh? It's freaky."
He blushed then, looking off. "I just…I like doing that, okay? To you. I like being able to make you…Why does it matter, Annabel? You like it, right?"
"I just think it's weird, Owen."
"Do you want to…have sex? Like all the way?"
"Well, no."
"Then you should be happy that you don't have to do anything for me."
"Maybe I want to."
"Oh yeah," he snorted. "What girl wants that?"
"What guy wants to just finger a girl?"
"Me."
"Then me too, Owen. I want to…"
"Want to…?"
"You know."
"Say it. If you want to do it so badly, say it."
"I want to jack you off."
He glanced at her. "Your face is so red-"
"And? Yours isn't? You're the one that made me say it."
"You don't want to do that anyways, so-"
"I want it to be fair. This isn't fair."
"Most girls would like what I do."
"I do. I just-"
"Why do you have to make everything complicated?" Owen changed the channel on the television. "I like fingering you. So I do it. You like it when I finger you. So you let me do it. Simple."
"Owen, are you, like, deformed or something?"
"What?"
"You're just so embarrassed about me see your-"
"I haven't seen you either," he pointed out.
"You've touched me though."
She was pushing him and Owen was about done.
"You want to touch me, Annabel?"
"Owen-"
"Is that what you want? Will that get you to shut up?" He reached out then, grasping Annabel's wrist. He jerked her, pulling her up some so that she could reach his crotch. "Is that what you want?"
"Owen-"
"Here."
If she hadn't been so willing, it wouldn't have worked. Annabel was on her knees now though, allowing him to rub her hand against the front of his jeans.
"This," she mumbled then, "isn't what I meant."
"Shhh." He let go of her wrist now, instead moving to unzip his jeans. "I know. Just…I never let someone-"
"I know." She shifted on the couch, trying to get comfortable as she wiggled her hand in between his open fly. "I've never…touched a guy either."
"Never ever?"
"Never ever."
He was trying to keep his breathing in check. It was hard. He was so nervous, but he was also so horny. "I don't…want to finish in my boxers."
She was looking up at him. "Then you'll have to take them off."
He groaned. "I don't want to take-"
"We have to go upstairs," Annabel said suddenly, looking out the front of the glass house as a car passed.
"It's just as glass up in your room," he mumbled as she kneaded him through his boxers. "Bell…"
"I hate this house," she mumbled as she pulled blanket off the back of the couch and threw it over his lap. Owen highly doubted anyone driving passed would have any clue what they were doing, but knew that Annabel had to be embarrassed. Not to mention, if her parents pulled up… So yeah, maybe the blanket was a good idea.
"Your boxers are cute."
Owen just sat there, staring up at the ceiling after he was done while Annabel just pulled her hand out of his boxers.
"That's all you have to say?"
Annabel shrugged. "I want to go wash my hand, but-"
"Bella, stop talking."
She giggled then. "That was fun for you, right?"
He glanced at her then. "What?"
"I mean, I know that it was, I just…was I bad at that? It seemed like you-"
"You can touch me any time, Annabel," he muttered, looking back up at the ceiling. "Anywhere."
"See? What were you so nervous about?"
"I don't…I don't know." He shook his head slightly. I just thought…just…come here."
"What?"
"I…" He turned then, facing her. "I love you."
"Owen-"
He stopped her with a kiss before pushing her down on the couch, the blanket getting twisted up in between their bodies.
"Bear," she whispered as his jeans moved down even further. She could feel the wet spot on his boxers against her legs. "My shorts have ridden up."
"Maybe I should pull them down."
"May-"
A honk made Owen shoot up. Annabel turned her head, her heart pounding, no longer from the thought of whatever Owen was going to do, but rather the thought of being caught. They both felt stupid though when they realized what the honk wasn't from in front of her house, but rather one down the street.
When they both looked back at each other, they were visibly flustered and Annabel was already blushing in preparation. Owen laughed slightly as Annabel broke into a nervous giggle.
"That was close."
"Yeah."
"It's so hard to be secretive in your house."
"Glass is tricky," she mumbled as he laid down on her once more. "It looks like you're getting the whole picture, and some times you are, but other times you're only getting part of the story or some representation of it."
"Is this real? Are we real?"
"I hope so."
He rested his forehead on hers. "I love you."
"Yeah, I know."
"What are you getting Annabel for her birthday?"
Owen frowned, looking up. "What?"
"What are you getting Annabel for her birthday? You know, Annabel? Your girlfriend?"
Turning, Owen looked at his open bedroom door, staring at his sister who was standing there. No longer did seeing her bald shock him. It was growing on her, or so he told her randomly. "What are you talking about, Mallory?"
"Annabel's birthday is in two days."
"Since when?"
"Since always."
"How do you know?"
She blinked. "She posted on her UMe the gift her sister sent her from New York and called it an early birthday present."
Turning back around, he quickly logged on to the social networking site the kids at school used. "Why didn't she tell me?"
"You're her boyfriend, Owen. You're supposed to know these things."
"Kirsten sent her a ring?" Owen frowned. "Hey! This is the hand she usually wears my ring on."
"So?" Mallory was further into the room now, staring at the computer screen also.
"Look. You can see her thumb. My ring isn't there."
"You're weird." Mallory took a seat on his bed. "So what are you going to get her?"
"I don't know. She didn't even tell me about her birthday."
"Well, you have to get her something, Owen."
"I know that."
"What are you going to get her?"
"I…" Frowning, he got up and went over to his dresser. Counting the cash sitting up there and even the two twenties in his pocket, he said, "I have $80, but I need at least $50 of that for the next two weeks."
"Why are you so low on money?"
"I just freaking bought her a necklace, when she got back from Arizona." He shook his head. "Maybe she'll consider that her birthday pres-"
"She won't."
"Yes, she will. Annabel is-"
"A girl. She's a girl. She'll want a present."
"I don't have the money for something like that."
"Well, you only have $30 dollars to spend, right?"
"Right."
"You can get her something for that."
"Not something nice." He nodded back at the computer screen. "Not something like that ring."
"She knows that you don't have a lot of money."
"Yeah, well, she's from the Arbors, Mal."
"And?"
"And she's used to real birthday gifts. This is her 17th birthday."
"18th."
"Whatever."
"She's an adult now. It has to be a serious gift."
"Hmmm."
Then Mallory giggled.
"What?"
"It's just…your girlfriend's older than you."
"And? I'm still bigger than her, stronger than her, and every thing else that's important."
"Not smarter than her."
"Yeah, well, it's not as important as all the other stuff." He ran a hand across his shaven head. "What am I going to do? Why didn't she mention it?"
"Maybe she doesn't want you to know."
"But why?"
"I dunno. Maybe she just figured you'd know." Mallory suddenly perked up. "Hey! You can surprise her now. She'll think that you didn't know and won't be expecting anything, but then you'll have something for her. It'll be all romantic and stuff."
He gave his sister a look. "I'm not much of a romantic."
"Yeah, well, you have to learn sometime." She clapped her hands together suddenly. "What if you make her dinner?"
"What?"
"Yeah. You can have her come over, cook her dinner, and then give her whatever it is you're going to buy her."
"Mallory, I can only make eggs and order pizza."
"You can cook pizza rolls," she added. "And hotdogs. Not to mention fish sticks."
"That's hardly a romantic meal."
"You said it yourself, you're not a romantic. It'll be quirky and cute. Like the two of you."
"How are we quirky and cute?"
"Annabel's cute and you're weird. What's a nice word for weird? Quirky."
"I'm not weird."
"Bear."
"Don't call me that."
"I'm kidding." Mallory yawned then before moving to lay down on thee bed. "You could make her fish sticks, pizza rolls, and hotdogs. Then you can eat eggs. If a guy made me that, I'd be happy with him."
"No guy better be making you dinner."
She waved him off. "I mean a weird guy, like you. You know, if I was into weird guys. I'm not. At all. Annabel is though. She'll be into all the weird things you do."
"I'm not weird."
"I thought you always told the truth?"
Groaning, he went to sit back down at his desk. "I can't believe she didn't tell me. I should call her."
"Don't you work soon?" his sister asked, her head pressed into his pillow. "Mmm. Cam's right. This smells like Annabel."
Ignoring that, Owen pulled his phone out, but he didn't do anything with it other than stare at it.
"How come you guys aren't hanging out today anyways?"
"You know I'm working. You even mentioned it."
"Yeah, but you could have hung out in the morning."
He shook his head. "She said she had to work out."
"You could have gone with her."
"What are you trying to say?"
Mallory just mumbled something as she fell asleep. Sighing, Owen went over to her and covered her up in his blankets before walking out of his room. She was right, he had work soon. Sighing, he headed into the bathroom to shower.
What kind of things do you get a girl for her birthday? A cheap something? This was not fair. The only person Owen bought gifts for was his mother and then it was just flowers for Mother's Day and a card for Christmas. How do you go from that to getting a girl something special?
This was crap, pure and simple.
"You could have told me it was your birthday."
Annabel frowned as she opened her front door. "Today isn't my birthday."
He held out the pizza. "I brought food. Can I come in?"
"You just get off work?" She took a step back, allowing him access into the house. "Mom and Dad went out tonight."
"Again?"
She nodded as she led him to the kitchen to put down the pizza and liter of soda he brought. "Yeah. They're really trying hard at this, you know?"
"Yeah, I know." He put the stuff down before going back to the entrance to take off his boots. "They won't mind that I'm over, will they?"
"I'm texting Mom to tell her right now. You know how weird she's been. The last thing I want is for them to come home and find out you're here when they're out."
When he got back into the kitchen, he found Annabel hopped up on the kitchen counter and was on her phone.
"So about this birthday-"
"Owen, it's not that big of a deal. It's just a birthday."
"My girlfriend's turning eighteen. It's a freaking big deal." He came over to her, stopping when he was placed in between her open legs. Reaching down, Owen ran a hand down each of her thighs. "How many freaking pairs of shorts do you have?"
"It's summer," she defended.
"I'm not hating it," he assured her. "I rather like it.
"Mmmm."
"So tell me what you want for your birthday."
"Bear-"
"I love my girlfriend and want to get her something for her first birthday as an adult. Not to mention it's our first birthday together."
"You're weird."
He frowned. "Mallory said I'm quirky."
"Quirky means it's weird, but it's a cool weird." She leaned up, kissing him gently. "So no, you're not quirky. Just weird."
"Thanks, Bell."
"I try."
He let out a long sigh. "So what do you want?"
"Nothing, Owen."
"Where's my ring, then?"
"What?"
He cleared his throat. "I saw that photo of the one Kirsten sent you. It's nice."
"It is."
"Where's mine?"
"Owen, I don't have to wear your ring every day."
"Yes, you do. It's part of the possessive thing."
"It's not a wedding ring. I don't have to wear it constantly. God."
"Well, I just don't think you should choose between one or the other."
"Owen, chill." She put a hand to his chest, pushing him back slightly. "You wanna buy me something? Do something for me instead. Get a life."
"Back at you, babe."
Rolling her eyes, Annabel told him, "We can either fight over something as stupid as me not wearing a stupid ring, or we can eat pizza. Your choice."
Owen didn't answer as he lifted Annabel into his arms, making sure her legs were wrapped securely around his waist before setting off towards the living room.
"Bear?"
He just dropped her gently on the couch before pressing a tender kiss to her head. He left the room for a minute or so before returning with a plate of pizza and a cup filled with ice and soda.
"Here we go," he said, setting the cup and plate down on the coffee table. "Good?"
"Smells good."
"Good."
She sat up then, reaching to grab a piece. "You love getting me pizza with pineapples, don't you?"
"I like for you to be happy."
"Mmmm."
"You're my girlfriend, after all. What kind of dick wouldn't want his girl to be happy?"
"I'm your girl?"
"You are my girl."
"Hmmm. Owen's girl."
"Yep."
"Bear's girl."
"My woman in two days though, eh?"
"Bear."
"Eighteen. Hmmm." He glanced at her. "I don't know how I feel about dating such a mature woman."
"Well, you know, I do like my guys young."
"Better just be one guy," he said as he began to pull pieces of pineapple off a slice and feed them to her. "And by that I mean me."
"Of course." She giggled at him. "Bear, you really don't have to get me anything for my birthday."
"Will you get me something for mine?"
"Probably, but-"
"Then why wouldn't I get you something?" He glanced at her. "I just don't know what to get. That's all."
"You just got me that necklace. That was nice."
"Mallory said that can't count as your present."
"It can."
He shook his head. "Then she told me that I could make you dinner. You know, surprise you, since you probably didn't know that I knew your birthday."
"It's not that hard to find out, Bear. I assumed you knew. It's on my UMe."
"And?" He frowned at her. "When's my birthday then? Huh? Since it's so eas-"
"October 17th."
"…How did you know that?"
"Because, Owen, I'm your girlfriend. Duh."
He let out a long breath as he fed her another piece of pineapple. "I feel like a shit boyfriend now."
"Well, don't. You're the best one I've ever had."
"And the last one. Right?"
"Bear-"
"Sorry." He glanced at the TV. "Can I turn on the-"
"Sure, Bear. Watch what you want." She settled out on the couch as her phone vibrated. "Ah, it's Mom. She text back that you can stay, but they'll be home in a few minutes anyways."
"Great," he mumbled, taking another bite of pizza as he put a baseball game on. Annabel crinkled her nose, but he didn't notice and she didn't say anything. "Maybe I'll just take you to a concert."
"No, Owen. We're not going to another stupid concert."
"Annabel-"
"You had three weeks to go to all the concerts you wanted. I don't like the bands you like. Accept it. I want my summer before senior year to be fun."
"Concerts are fun."
"Not the ones you like to go to."
"Hey-"
"I'm going out to dinner with my family on my birthday anyways," Annabel told him. "You can come to that, if you want."
"Where are you going?"
"Does it matter? It's free food."
"No, I just meant…last time I went out to eat with your family, you guys got all dressed up and I-"
"Owen, I don't care what you wear and neither do my parents."
"I just feel stupid when I-"
"Then wear something nice. It doesn't matter to me."
He shook his head, giving her his crust. "I thought that I could take you out. Just the two of us. Alone."
"Well…I don't think Dad-"
"It's your eighteen birthday. You should get to choose what you do. Not to mention, he got the last seventeen. The rest are mine."
"Owen-"
"They are. You're with me now. Your family can get the fuck over it."
That was the end of their conversation though as they could see her parents pull up in the driveway. Owen shifted away from Annabel slightly. It was all talk after all, that getting the fuck over it stuff. He had no problem with fighting with her father, but only as a last resort. They were in no way in need of that kind of thing currently.
"Late night, kids?"
Annabel just smiled at her father as he came into the living room. "Owen bought me pizza."
"With more of those pineapples."
"That's how I like it, Dad," she said as her mother headed upstairs, more than likely to her bed. "How was dinner?"
"Fine," he told her as he headed into the kitchen, quickly returning with his own plate of pizza. "You want my pineapples, Annabel?"
"I think I have enough, actually."
"Suit yourself," he said, going to sit in the chair. "You're a baseball guy, Owen?"
"Yeah," he said. "I can't ever watch the Diamondbacks though, since we're all the way out here now."
"Here, toss me the remote."
Curious, Owen did as the man said. "What are you doing?"
"I've got the package, Owen," he said, flipping through the channels. "Here. Arizona's playing-"
"You get all the teams?" Owen shoved the plate of pizza he and his girlfriend were sharing into her hands, now hunching forward to get the maximum baseball experience. "Like, all of them? American League and National League or-"
"Most of them. It depends."
"Wow." Owen glanced over at Annabel. "Why didn't you ever mention it?"
She blinked. "I don't even know what a Diamondback is."
Sighing, Owen reached over and squeezed her thigh, forgetting for a moment that her father was in the room. It was a quick gesture though and he was pretty sure Andrew didn't even notice.
"I'm not much of a Diamondback fan myself," Mr. Greene told Owen when the inning ended. "I've never really followed them."
Annabel by this point had finished her pizza and was texting Kirsten, telling her what a horrible person their dad was for stealing away her boyfriend. Kirsten, of course, responded by saying their father was a horrible person, but for a completely different reason.
"No one does," Owen admitted. "Unless you actually, you know, live there."
"Ah, but you like it better here, huh? Less hot."
"It can get cold down there, at night. It's just desert. It's a dry heat."
"Grew up in Texas, myself," Annabel's father said. "That's a humid heat. The worst."
"I've never been there."
"New Mexico can get kind of hot too," Andrew went on, which of course made Annabel groan.
"Dad," she complained. "Owen and I were bus-"
"Shhh," Owen shushed. "Top of the 6th is starting, Bell. Be quiet."
Annabel shoved his shoulder slightly before getting up and walking out of the room, into the kitchen. Andrew laughed at that while Owen just shook his head.
"That's how it starts, Owen."
"What starts?" he asked, hardly listening.
"The abuse. A small shove here, a hit there. Then she's full on beating you."
Owen laughed slightly. "I think I could take her."
"I don't know, she's kind of squirrelly."
"You'd know."
"What?"
"I've never slapped her before."
Owen knew before he said it he shouldn't have. He couldn't help it though. It was staring him right in the face. It was what had kept him from getting along with Andrew these past few months. Besides, wasn't Owen Mr. Honesty? At least it was all out on the table now, right?
Andrew cleared his throat then, pretending that he hadn't heard Owen as he turned back to the television. Whatever. Owen didn't care. Annabel was fine now, she was mostly over what had happened. Now he had to focus on his Diamondbacks.
"So she jerked you off?"
Owen nodded slightly, not looking away from the road. "Yeah."
"And you…fingered her again?"
"Yes, Rolly."
"And that's it?"
"Rol-"
"All these months and that's all you get? A handjob?"
"That's all I wanted," Owen insisted. "I didn't ask her to have sex with me. I'm not going to. I'm just shocked she actually jerked me off."
"Oh, yeah, like little miss blonde's never touched a dick before."
"She's not blonde right now. And besides, she hasn't."
"Aw, you fell for it."
"Fell for what?"
"The whole 'You're my first' thing. God."
Owen huffed, gripping the steering wheel. He spends one day with Rolly instead of Annabel and what happens?
"I am her first."
"Sure, Owen."
"I am!"
"Calm down." Rolly reached forward, adjusting the volume on the stereo. "This is the first time she's gotten you off?"
"What do you mean?"
"Back when you used to just, you know, be the one to finger her, did you ever, like, hump her leg or something?"
"I'm not a fucking dog."
"Yeah, but you had to get, like, hard, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"What would you do?"
"I'd finger her and then go off into the bathroom."
"Seriously?"
"…Shut up."
Rolly was snickering now. "You'd go jerk off in the bathroom?"
"Shut up."
"So you seriously never humped her?"
"Rolly-"
"It's a question!"
"No, I've never humped her. God."
"Not even a little?"
He groaned. "One time, right after I started doing that to her, I just kind of…rubbed against her and came in my pants."
"God, you guys are freaking immature."
"How is that immature?"
"You rubbed up against her to get off?" There was that annoying snicker again. "God, that's like freshmen stuff. 8th and 7th grade, really."
"You were not doing that in 7th grade. You were probably just learning to jerk off."
"I was an experienced kid, Owen."
"Yeah, shows why the only girl's pants you're getting in now is Clarke's."
"That is by choice. And what about you, Owen? You and Annabel haven't even seen each other naked yet, so I'd shut up. I mean, God, have you ever seen a naked woman? Other than, like, porn?"
"Shut up. No. Shut up."
Another snicker. "Told you. You're a 7th grader."
"No one does that shit in 7th grade!"
"The losers like you were sure don't, I'm sure. I bet you hardly even talked to girls back then. All obsessed with, like, your Pokemon cards or Yu-gi-oh or Digimon or Beyblades or some shit like that."
"I did not do any of that in the 7th grade. I played videogames."
"So much better."
"Would you just shut up? At least I'm with someone I love, someone I really want to be with. You hardly ever want to be with Clarke."
"Uh, yeah. She's a bitch half the time."
"Well, you know, maybe you shouldn't date her then."
Rolly scoffed. "You know what Clarke likes, Owen?"
"What? You?"
"No. I mean what she likes to do."
"Likes to do? What do you mean?"
"She likes to give me blows, Owen."
Bad mental picture. Bad mental picture. Owen shook his head, turning the music up.
"And? I don't care."
"You do though. I can tell. Jealous, huh? You're jealous. You wish Annabel would suck you off, don't you?"
He shifted. "I wouldn't hate it, no, but…Annabel's not a slut."
Rolly took offense to that. "A lot of girls do that. Are they all sluts? Huh?"
"In high school? Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's the consensus."
"Maybe she likes blowing me. Ever think of that? Why can't she do something she likes?"
"Because it's…that's porn stuff, alright? That's like a girl liking anal or something. It's either for old people that are trying to spice up their marriage or for porn. Not high school stuff. Only whores do that in high school."
"What about the guy, huh? What does that make me?"
"An asswipe."
"Fuck you dude."
Owen shook his head. "You're just mad that I'm telling the truth."
"If you and Annabel were making out or whatever and she said she wanted to do that, would you turn her down?"
"I don't…I don't know. No, I guess not, but she would never do that."
"You'd never think she'd want to jerk you either, but look where that ended up."
Owen growled. "Annabel's not like that. She's…a virgin."
"Bullshit."
"She is! She's, like, pure."
"God, you're like an old man. Pure? She's pure?"
"She is."
"My God, Owen, you are obsessed with her."
"I am not."
Rolly shook his head. "You have her on, like, this pedestal or something, like she really is perfect."
"That's 'cause she is."
"Owen," Rolly sighed. "What do you think will happen when it wears off?"
"When what wears off?"
"This…feeling."
"What feeling?"
"The way you feel about her. When you start to realize that she's not perfect. Then what?"
"She is perfect. For me. You guys just don't get that."
"You're gonna crash bro, when it happens."
"No, I'm not. She's going to be perfect forever."
"You sound like a stalker or serial killer or something." Along came another snicker. "Like, if she broke up with you, you'd go on a killing spree and kill all these blonde women that looked like her. Then you'd get caught and given the death penalty and die."
"…Why are you laughing about that?"
"I'm not sure. It's just so funny."
Owen sighed. "She's not going to break up with me anyways, so that was a stupid thing to say."
"Do you get like this with all the girls you date?"
Owen was silent.
"Oh, right, she's your…first."
"Shut up!"
Another snicker. "God, you don't think, like, when she goes away to college that she'll wait for you, do you? I mean, that's assuming you guys make it through senior year-"
"We will. We're together forever."
"You sound like a chick, dude. No wonder you never hangout with anyone else."
"Shut the fuck up."
"Oh what? You're mad now?" Rolly sat up straighter. "Look, I like my lunch without conflict, so leave that out here when we get to World of Waffles, huh?"
"Whatever."
"You look hot, working with your shirt off."
"Ha ha." Owen glanced back at his girlfriend who was lounging on a pool chair. "Very funny."
"You did a good job on the yard though," she said, smiling at him. "If you go put the lawn mower up, you can swim now."
"Is that all I get? A chance to swim?"
"Mmmm…yep."
"Bella," he grumbled, pushing the mower over towards their tool shed. When he offered to mow the Greene's grass, it never really registered in his mind how long that would take. Their lot size doubled his, at least.
When he came back though, Annabel had apparently gone into the house. You couldn't tell from the fact she was in the exact same position as she was before, but there was a glass of coke on the patio table and a plate of watermelon.
"Where'd you get watermelon?"
"Dad cut it last night," Annabel told him, her sunglasses on now as she settled in on the chair. "I thought you'd like some."
"Thanks," he said, taking the plate and his coke over towards the chair next to hers. "Black."
"Hmmm?"
He nodded at her. "Your bikini."
"This is my newest one. You like it?"
He shrugged, still just watching her. "I like the color red."
She snorted. "And?"
"I was just saying." He ate another piece of watermelon. 'I ate lunch with Rolly today."
"I know."
"You know, since tomorrow is your birthday and I won't be able to hang out with him."
"Mmmm. So are you going to dinner with us, Bear?"
"Yep."
"Good. Dad said we can go anywhere I want."
"So World of Waffles it is."
"Bear."
"I'm just joking." He kicked at the ground. "You tell him I was going?"
"Mmmhmm. Whitney's coming too."
"Where are we going?"
"I want to go to some Italian place."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
He kept eating his watermelon. "I work, but I get off at eight. Is that-"
"We'll wait for you." She smiled over at him. "Of course. Besides, Dad works tomorrow too."
"So what are you going to do all day? Alone?"
"Mom wants to take me shopping."
"Sounds like fun."
"I guess so." She sighed slightly. "Dad said we can go out after dinner to hangout, me and you."
"Is your curfew still midnight?"
"Two."
"What?"
"He said that I can stay out until two this summer, since I'm eighteen now." She smiled over at him. "Isn't this great?"
"What about when school starts?"
"It goes back to midnight."
They looked up as her mother came outside, going to take a seat at the patio table. Owen smiled at her, but she didn't smile back. Grace hadn't been looking well recently nor feeling too well. Owen, of course, had no idea what was wrong, but assumed it had to do with what was going on with her and her husband.
"And you are aware, Annabel, that the first sign of abuse, even a hint of it, you'll be right back at your old curfew," Mrs. Greene went on. "No breaking it, no coming home…intoxicated-"
"Mom-"
"-and I had better not catch the two of you doing anything inappropriate. That will be an immediate nine o'clock curfew."
"Mom," Annabel hissed as she sat up now to look back at her. "Stop it. You're embarrassing me."
"Do not tell me to stop doing something, Annabel."
She groaned. "Dad already talked to me about-"
"And I'm telling you again."
"In front of Owen? I have guest."
"And? This is my house, Annabel. If I want to say something to you, I can."
"Why are you even out here? Just to bother me?"
"Watch your tone."
"Make me."
"Welp." Owen stood up suddenly. "I'll, uh, go wash off this plate, huh, Annabel? Can I use your bathroom too? Gonna go change into my trunks, to go swimming."
Neither of the women spoke to him though as he headed back into the house. Letting out a long breath, Owen shook his head before going to wash off the plate like he said he would. He had never seen Annabel fight with her mother, but he had never doubted that she did. He had seen enough fights between Mallory and his mother to know that mother and daughter could go from zero to a hundred in nothing flat.
Owen took his time upstairs. All he really needed to do was put his jeans somewhere, as he had his trunks on under them, but he went ahead and washed off his face, took a pee, and killed some time sliding around on the tile floor in his socks. Their bathroom was huge. It was great.
Andrew's voice could be heard from upstairs before Owen even left the bathroom. Owen didn't really feel like going back downstairs into the fray, but knew he couldn't hide out forever.
"-talk to your mother that way."
"Dad, she-"
"I know. Just…calm down. Where is Owen, anyways?"
"He went upstairs to put on his swim trunks. Mom said that he can't stay though now."
"She's just mad right now. It's okay. He can stay."
Owen was at the bottom of the stairs now and could see the father and daughter pair in the kitchen, Annabel's back to him. Still, even from behind, he could tell she was upset from her posture. …Not to mention, the bottom part of her bikini was ridding down and he got some nice butt cleavage…not that it mattered…to anyone, but him…
"But Mom-"
"Annabel, I said he could stay. Just chill out." Andrew took a step towards her then, pressing a kiss against his daughter's head. "And what is this?"
"What is what?"
He gestured to what she was wearing. "This. Who said you could wear this?"
"I bought it with Whitney and Mom last weekend."
"And? I didn't approve this. Annabel, this is very-"
"I wear bikinis all the time."
Her father groaned and Owen knew it was his time to walk into the room. He didn't want Andrew ruining his view for him. No way, no how. Owen liked his girlfriend's pool, sure, but part of the reason he wanted to use it so much was because he wanted to see her in her swimsuit. Who wouldn't? Andrew apparently, but that was his problem. Not Owen's.
"Ah, Owen," Andrew said as he came out of the shadows and into the kitchen. "Annabel here was just telling me about how you mowed the grass for us. Thank you."
Owen just nodded at him, going to stand next to his girlfriend. She was still upset, though really, Owen couldn't really see where the problem lied or why she and her mother had just gotten into it.
"I have a tee time to make, Annabel," Mr. Greene said to his daughter now. "I had just come home to change. Are you going to be okay with your mother or do I need to ask her to come in here?"
"It's fine, Dad."
"Good." He kissed her on the head again. "I love you."
"I love you too, Dad."
He didn't move then though, just stood there, one hand on his youngest shoulder. Owen was beginning to feel awkward and went to go get another soda.
"Uh, Dad? What are you doing?" Annabel was staring up at him, frowning slightly.
"I don't know what time I'll get home tonight or if I'll even see you before tomorrow."
"So?"
He smiled at her then. "I'm just looking at you for the last time as a kid."
"Dad-"
"You'll be an adult tomorrow. You know that?"
"Of course. I can buy my own cigarettes now."
"You joke, Annabel, but you know you're excited." Andrew shook his head, kissing her one last time. "When I see you again, you'll be an adult. I'm just…I love you, okay?"
"Alright."
He stroked her arm before heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "No more fighting with your mother."
"Okay, Dad."
"And these few clothes you have on right now? This is as close to naked as you're getting with this boy over."
"Dad!"
He was already up the stairs then and didn't respond. Then it was just Owen and Annabel, both dressed for swimming, but neither really feeling like it.
"I'd kiss your head, but I don't want to get your dad's spit on my lips."
"Shut up, Owen."
He just laughed, heading towards the backdoor once more. "Your mom still out there?"
"Yeah."
"You ready to go back? And swim?"
"No," Annabel sighed, following him. "But I know you are."
Honestly, Owen could just stand inside, sip his coke, and stare at Annabel in her bathing suit. If she wanted to add the greatness of a swimming pool to that, who was he to stop her?