Chapter 1

The fencing Between Us

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

I was leaning against the fencing in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the live piece of her I had left. `` cum on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My interpreter cracked, and I hated how desperate I sounded. But I couldn't help it.

Three years together. She was my foremost everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand mil away, talking like I was a boring phase 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 grass, the exercising weight in my chest heavier than it had been all hebdomad. I felt pathetic. Nineteen old age old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel angry. Just… hollow.

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

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the early side of the wooden fence, a garden hose in one hand, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a smuggled bikini top that hugged her chest just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her cutis had that indulgent tan glow not misrepresent, not sunburnt, just actual. Her body was the variety that turns top dog at every age, curvy, midst in the secure ways, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to meet it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life-time 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 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 rough it gets. bet, if you ever wan na lecture, or just hang out, don't be a unknown. We're neighbor now."

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

She gave me a jiffy."You'll bounce back. And in the lag, 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 walk. The short saltation. Goddamn.

The next few twenty-four hour period blurred together. Mostly late nights and mindless scrolling. I tried going for runs, hitting the gym, blasting medicine too aloud anything to drown out the quiet.

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

It was her routine. A towel over the chair, big sunglass on, and that same bikini ... or sometimes a dissimilar one, low even. The fence between our yards wasn't high enough to block my perspective 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, stretch in way that had me holding my breath. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest rise and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard trouble in my boxers and the same question running through my idea over and over :

What would it finger like to touch her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty years elderly than me. Married. My neighbor. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my organic structure reacted to her. Every clock time she bent over to adjust the pocket billiards umbrella, I swore she was going to go me.

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

One eve, just before sunset, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a quick 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 noon when I finally worked up the nerve to take the air over.

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to moderate those tit in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her struggle glow. She was lying on her stomach this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to draw a blank what day it was.

I didn't program on saying anything. I was just going to take the air past the fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her headway, 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 derive 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 disappear. seed keep 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 stomach. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my vocalisation cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coconut oil and sun-warmed hide drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those bosom were half out. My oculus 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 chalk door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing zilch to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her house was gorgeous. Open floor plan, spick-and-span kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the outer space — graceful but unbothered, surefooted in a way most citizenry only pretend to be.

"Have a hindquarters,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall glasses."You doing okay these twenty-four hours ?"

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

She handed me a methamphetamine hydrochloride and leaned against the counter. No rush, no ineptness — just Katherine being Katherine.

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

"Where does he go ?"

"piece of work clobber. conference, client meetings. He's in Buckeye State this workweek, I think."She sipped her lemonade."come with the job. keep him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

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

She tilted her headway."You mean for ship's company, or for sex ?"

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

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

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up human relationship 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 invertebrate foot from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her odor — something soft and confection — wrapped around me.

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

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eyes 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 look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to scare off 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 sink, and I caught myself watching the heftiness in her back motion — the soft dividing line of her waist dipping into all-inclusive rosehip. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

"organism 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 line was meant for herself. Maybe both.

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

We talked a little longer — about college, about the heat, about her peak dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this current 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. helping hand on my shoulder joint. A grinning that lingered just a second too long.

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

The wholly walk back to my house, I could still palpate where her script had touched me.

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

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

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

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

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even to a lesser extent fabric this clip. The top strained to hold those knocker in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her tegument luminescence. She was lying on her stomach this meter, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to blank out what day it was.

I didn't plan on saying anything. I was just going to take the air 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 summer or you gon na come say hello ?"

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

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

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of Cocos nucifera oil and sun-warmed tegument drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those teat 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."

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

inside, her house was gorgeous. Open floor program, spick kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the distance — graceful but unbothered, surefooted in a way most the great unwashed only pretend to be.

"Have a rump,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall glasses."You doing okay these 24-hour interval ?"

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

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

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

"Where does he go ?"

"study stuff. league, client get together. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. living him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find ways to stick entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help. You know ... always having someone 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 honest answer. Refreshing."

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the mesa just a understructure from my genu. Her two-piece top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"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 eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My impudence 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 sink, and I caught myself watching the sinew in her second movement — the soft argument of her waistline dipping into wide pelvic girdle. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

"existence 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 line was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a dull sip, trying to recreate it cool.

We talked a little long — about college, about the heat, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water supply them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A tranquil, electric automobile bombilation that said this wasn't just a well-disposed visit.

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

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

The unscathed walk back to my household, I could still feel 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 blockade picturing how prosperous it'd be for it to return .