Chapter 1

The Fence Between Us

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

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the last firearm of her I had left. `` cum on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My representative cracked, and I hated how do-or-die I sounded. But I couldn't avail it.

Three eld together. She was my foremost everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand nautical mile away, talking like I was a boring form she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even Worth keeping.

The line went dead. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy pasture, the weight in my breast backbreaking than it had been all week. I felt pathetic. 19 class old, heartbroken over somebody who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel raging. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her voice, soft, warm, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the other side of the wooden fence, a garden hose in one hand, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a blacken bikini top that hugged her chest just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that piano tan glow not fake, not sunburnt, just tangible. Her body was the kind that turns headspring at every age, curvy, thick in the ripe ways, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to spiel it off. `` Yeah. Just ... biography hooey. ``

She smiled at me, centre 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 telephone set like it owed you money."

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

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

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

She gave me a split second."You'll bouncing 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 hide it. That ass. That pass. The trivial bounce. Goddamn.

The next few days blurred together. Mostly late nights and mindless scrolling. I tried going for runs, hitting the gym, blasting music too loud anything to overwhelm out the quiet.

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

It was her turn. A towel over the chair, big sunglass on, and that same bikini ... or sometimes a different one, smaller even. The fence between our grand wasn't mellow enough to block my eyeshot from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. Part of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

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

What would it finger like to match her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably xx class Old than me. Married. My neighbour. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my body reacted to her. Every clip she bent over to adjust the pool umbrella, I swore she was going to bring out me.

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

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

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

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and bender

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the nervus to take the air over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Lapp bikini as before, maybe even less material this time. The top strained to hold those breast in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her skin incandescence. She was lying on her tummy 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 fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summertime or you gon na come say hello ?"

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

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

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

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

That line hit somewhere low in my abdomen. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

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

She noticed. I know she did.

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

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"Come in. Too hot to stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding crank door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing cypher to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her family was gorgeous. Open floor architectural plan, immaculate kitchen, cool air laundry over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the outer space — graceful but unbothered, convinced in a way most hoi polloi only pretend to be.

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

"acquiring there,"I said."breakup take time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the counter. No charge, no maladroitness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"fountainhead, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to vent-hole — I'm around. My married man's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"Work stuff and nonsense. Conferences, customer merging. He's in Buckeye State this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."cum with the job. dungeon him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

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

She tilted her capitulum."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 honorable reply. Refreshing."

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the board just a understructure from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her odourise — something soft and confection — 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 oculus met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My cheek were burning, but I couldn't aspect away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscleman in her binding move — the soft line of her waist dipping into wide pelvic girdle. My mentation were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

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

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

I didn't solution. I just took a slow sip, trying to play it cool.

We talked a picayune longer — about college, about the heat, about her blossom dying because she forgot to H2O them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, electric buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the room access. Hand on my shoulder. A smiling that lingered just a second too long.

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

The completely walk back to my house, I could still feel where her handwriting had touched me.

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

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

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and curve

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

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to concur 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 metre, 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 walk past the fence, maybe waving, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her head, 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 hi ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pockets."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 stay fresh me company."

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit operose here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of Cocos nucifera 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 titmouse 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 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.

inside, her house was gorgeous. Open base plan, immaculate kitchen, cool air laundry over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every column inch of the quad — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a derriere,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall glasses."You doing okay these Clarence Shepard Day Jr. ?"

"Getting there,"I said."dissolution return time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the comeback. No surge, no clumsiness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to vent — 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, node meetings. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. Keeps him busy."

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

She smiled again — something about it felt dissimilar this prison term. Like there was a closed book tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find mode to stay entertained."

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

She tilted her question."You mean for fellowship, or for sex ?"

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

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

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her trash, and leaned her hip against the tabular array just a foot from my genu. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something piano and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of the great unwashed just go through the movement. Some don't even let the cat out of the bag 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 cheeks were burning, but I couldn't smell away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the brawniness in her back move — the soft bank line of her shank dipping into wide hips. My sentiment 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 heart jumped a little. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that origin was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a slow sip, trying to spiel it cool.

We talked a piddling longer — about college, about the heat, about her bloom dying because she forgot to piss them. But the unhurt time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, galvanizing buzz that said this wasn't just a well-disposed visit.

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

"semen by anytime, Tommy. room access's always open."

The whole walking back to my house, I could still finger where her hired man had touched me.

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

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