Chapter 1

The fencing Between Us

I did n't know heartbreak could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, speech sound pressed to my ear like it was the last piece of her I had left. `` Come on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My voice cracked, and I hated how desperate I sounded. But I couldn't aid it.

Three yr together. She was my firstly everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand miles away, talking like I was a boring phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even Worth keeping.

The course went utter. Just silence.

I stood there for a spell, staring at the patchy grass, the weight in my pectus heavy than it had been all week. I felt pathetic. Nineteen years old, heartbroken over soul who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel tempestuous. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her interpreter, soft, strong, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the former side of the wooden fence, a garden hosiery in one hand, sunglasses pushed up on her read/write head. She was wearing a total darkness bikini top that hugged her chest just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that soft tan glow not misrepresent, not sunburnt, just tangible. Her organic structure was the kind that turns heads at every age, curvy, thick in the best ways, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to act as it off. `` Yeah. Just ... biography stuff. ``

She smiled at me, eyes kind. `` Breakups suck. But trust me you'll survive. ``

I laughed awkwardly. `` Is it that obvious ? ``

She nodded with a smirk."You were yelling into your phone like it owed you money."

I rubbed the back of my neck."darn. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I've got a son about your age. I know how rough it gets. Look, if you ever wan na public lecture, or just hang out, don't be a unknown. We're neighbors now."

I looked at her, really looked and for a second, I forgot how shitty I felt."Thanks. That ... actually means a lot."

She gave me a wink."You'll bounce back. And in the meantime, lemonade's always cold over here."

Then she turned around .... and yeah, I absolutely stared. I didn't even try to obliterate it. That ass. That manner of walking. The little leaping. Goddamn.

The next few daytime blurred together. Mostly previous nights and mindless scrolling. I tried going for rill, hitting the gym, blasting music too flashy anything to submerge out the quiet.

But every good afternoon, like clockwork, Katherine would fall out to the pool.

It was her subroutine. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that same two-piece ... or sometimes a unlike one, pocket-sized even. The fencing between our one thousand wasn't high enough to block my sentiment from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. section of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, reach in mode that had me holding my breathing spell. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the former. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her bureau rising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my boxers and the Lapplander question running through my mind over and over :

What would it feel like to touch her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty old age older than me. Married. My neighbour. But none of that stopped the sentiment or the way my body reacted to her. Every time she bent over to adjust the kitty umbrella, I swore she was going to break me.

She was a woman, not a girl. And somehow, that made everything worse.

One evening, just before sunset, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a prompt glance. But it happened. My heart jumped. Did she know ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

I ducked away from the blinds, suddenly embarrassed, but something in me buzzed with something else too.

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

It was just after noonday when I finally worked up the nerve to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even lupus erythematosus fabric this time. The top strained to sustain those tits in, and her coxa curved like something out of a dream. The sunshine made her skin glow. She was lying on her breadbasket this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to block what day it was.

I didn't plan on saying anything. I was just going to walk past the fencing, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her question, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summer or you gon na fall say hello ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pouch."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglass up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. seed keep me company."

I hesitated. My heart was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"semen on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That origin hit somewhere low in my stomach. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my representative cracked.

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The oestrus hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of Cocos nucifera oil and sun-warmed cutis drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those titty were half out. My middle didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"seed in. Too hot to stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding glass threshold. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her house was gorgeous. spread out flooring programme, spic-and-span kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every in of the quad — graceful but unbothered, convinced in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a seat,"she said, pouring lemonade into grandiloquent glasses."You doing okay these days ?"

"getting there,"I said."detachment take time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the tabulator. No rush, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to venthole — I'm around. My husband's out of townspeople again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"oeuvre stuff. conference, guest meetings. He's in Ohio this hebdomad, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. Keeps him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get drilling ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this time. Like there was a secret tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stay on entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must facilitate. You know ... always having individual there."

She tilted her fountainhead."You mean for company, or for sex ?"

My mouth opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an honest reply. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationships just had ... more of that poppycock figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her ice, and leaned her hip against the table just a foundation from my articulatio genus. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something balmy and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprise,"she said."A lot of people just go through the motions. Some don't even talk about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her center met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My brass were burning, but I couldn't look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to scare you off. I just like honest conversations."

I nodded slowly, my throat dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the swallow hole, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her game move — the soft line of her waist dipping into astray pelvic arch. My thought process were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a separation ?"

I looked up.

"beingness wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My heart and soul jumped a little. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that lineage was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't solvent. I just took a slow sip, trying to meet it cool.

We talked a little tenacious — about college, about the heating plant, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water supply them. But the solid metre, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, electric car bombilation that said this wasn't just a favorable visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. hired hand on my shoulder joint. A smile that lingered just a endorse too long.

"seed by anytime, Tommy. Door's always open."

The completely pass back to my house, I could still experience where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sweet on my glossa, but not as sweet as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how loose it'd be for it to fall.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and curve

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the nerve to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Sami bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to hold those tits in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunshine made her skin glow. She was lying on her stomach this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to forget what day it was.

I didn't plan on saying anything. I was just going to take the air past the fencing, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her foreland, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na take the air past me all summer or you gon na come say howdy ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my sack."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to mellow out. Come sustain me company."

I hesitated. My heart was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"seed on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That furrow hit somewhere low in my tummy. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my articulation cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The aroma of coco oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those mamilla were half out. My eyes didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"seed in. Too hot to stomach out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding looking glass threshold. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing naught to enshroud it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her firm was gorgeous. exposed floor architectural plan, spotless kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the distance — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most mass only pretend to be.

"Have a prat,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall field glass."You doing okay these days ?"

"Getting there,"I said."separation take time, I guess."

She handed me a chalk and leaned against the rejoinder. No rush, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to ventilate — I'm around. My husband's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"Work stuff. group discussion, guest get together. He's in Ohio River this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. Keeps him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get boring ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt dissimilar this clock time. Like there was a surreptitious tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help. You know ... always having somebody there."

She tilted her head."You mean for company, or for sex ?"

My mouth opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an reliable response. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationships just had ... more of that stuff figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the table just a foot from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprise,"she said."A lot of hoi polloi just go through the apparent movement. Some don't even talk about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her heart met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My impertinence were burning, but I couldn't flavour away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to frighten you off. I just like honest conversations."

I nodded slowly, my throat dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sinkhole, and I caught myself watching the muscularity in her back move — the balmy descent of her waist dipping into wide hips. My thoughts were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"being wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My spunk jumped a little. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that crinkle was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't response. I just took a slow sip, trying to act it cool.

We talked a slight longer — about college, about the oestrus, about her efflorescence dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this flow running under it all. A pipe down, electric bombination that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. manus on my shoulder joint. A smile that lingered just a second too long.

"ejaculate by anytime, Tommy. doorway's always open."

The unscathed walk of life back to my house, I could still finger where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sweet on my tongue, but not as sweet as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how easy it'd be for it to fall .