I pull the fishing rod back and heave it over my shoulder. The fishing float zips through the air and hits the middle of the lake. I sit back in my little camp chair, listening to the sound of dragonflies and crickets.

I shouldn’t have walked away from both of them. I shouldn’t have let them get on my nerves like that.

It was only teasing, I remind myself. I need to get a better grasp of my emotions.

Sometimes I don’t even understand what’s going on. I’m not usually like this, so in tune with my feelings and thoughts. And I certainly don’t broadcast them to Blake or any girl that I’ve been with for that matter. But this time it feels different.

I’ve known Rose for a couple months now. And I still can’t get enough of her. I don’t want this to end between the two… three of us. The thought of sharing her with Blake is growing on me, especially after the other night. It worked out a lot better than I’d hoped.

I pull on the reel, the fishing bobber skipping along the water. I was never much of a fisherman, but I always liked the peace and quiet of it all. Out here I can think things through, not like in the city where everything is always on the move and loud.

The tall grass behind me rustles and I get up from my seat. I’ve heard that there are wild bears around these parts. I tighten my fists and get ready to fight when Rose’s head breaks through the tall grass, her plush cheeks coming first and that grin of hers.

My cock throbs at the mere sight of her. She’s still wearing the short shorts and white shirt, although they’re a little dirtier since I left the campsite.

“So, this is where you ran off to?” She takes a step forward and trips over a branch. I run forward and grab her before she falls on her face, her cheeks turning a rosy red. “Thanks,” she mutters, her hands gripping hard onto my biceps.

She looks up at me with those milky chocolate eyes and I get lost in them. I pull her into me until I can almost feel the beat of her heart against my chest. She’s so small and fragile against me. And all I can think about is wanting to be with her and protecting her for the rest of my life.

“Woah, you guys need to slow down.” Blake’s voice breaks through the moment. Rose pulls away from my touch and grabs the fishing rod off the ground. She eyes it for a moment, turning it to the side. “Or at least make room for me.”

I ignore Blake and turn my attention to her. It’s almost picture perfect. Her standing by the side of the lake with the fishing pole in her hand, the sun setting out in front of her. I take a mental picture of it and take a step forward. “Have you ever fished before?” I ask, taking up my spot behind her.

“No, but I’ve always wanted to learn.” She pulls on the reel at the end; the fishing bobber sinks under the water. “Oh, did I break it?” She looks up at me and my cock hurts as it pushes against the inside of my jeans. She couldn’t have been more adorable with her question.

Adorable. A month ago that word would have never crossed my mind to describe a girl, but a lot has changed in the last month.

“You’re fine,” I answer. I take her small hand into mine and help her reel the fishing line in. I clean the seaweed off the hooks and grab a couple of kernels of sweet corn from the can. “You’ll need to put these on the hook.” I lay them in her hand and hold the rod while she tries to get them on without poking herself.

Blake leans against the willow tree behind me, watching us work. For the first time in a long time, he’s being quiet. I’ve never seen him like this before. He smiles at us while Rose finishes putting the corn on the hooks.

He’s also changed in this last month. He’s more in control of his emotions and more sure of himself than ever before. I look down at Rose and it’s all because of this amazing woman right here. Of that I’m sure.

“Done,” she announces and turns to look up at me. She holds the bobber up in the air in front of her for me to see. Her lips are plush and her cheeks are red. Her eyes are shining as the sun sets across the lake.

“Okay. The next part is a little tricky.” I give her the pole and stand next to her. “You want to lean back with the string behind you and throw it over your shoulder as hard as you can.” I do a couple of demonstrations for her with an imaginary pole before she nods. I take a step to the side and she looks at me, nervous.

“How do I know if I did it right?”

“You’ll hear it.”

She looks at the pole in her hand and leans back. Her little hands grip hard onto the end of the pole and she lurches forward. The whizz of the fishing line coursing through the air sounds off. The fishing bobber lands at the far end of the lake.

“Is that it?” she asks, holding the pole and jumping in the air. “Did I, do it?” She eyes us, her eyes sparkling.

“You did it,” Blake says behind me.

“What now?”

“You can reel it back or wait for the line to grow rigid,” I answer and get close to her, already missing her warmth.

She nods at my words and sits down in the chair. I kneel beside her and let my hand linger on her thigh. She looks straight ahead; her full concentration is on the fishing bobber in front of her. We sit in silence for what seems like forever before Rose sits up in her chair. Blake and I lean over as her hand takes hold of the reel.

“I feel it. I feel it,” she mutters under her breath. Her hand spins the reel slowly and the bobber dips into the water a little.

“You’ll want to be slow with it. Make sure that the fish is hooked on properly,” I whisper and watch her nod.

She spins the reel and bites down on her lip. Behind me, Blake chuckles under his breath and I throw him a look. I don’t want her to break concentration, even if she looks cute as hell right now.

She reels hard and leans back into her chair, the top of the fishing pole bending. “I got something,” she yells. A nearby flock of birds fly off the nearest tree as she continues to shout.  

It takes a couple of swear words and a couple drops of sweat before Rose can get the bobber close to shore. She grabs hold of the fishing line and leans over.

“What did you get?” I ask and watch as she dips her teeth into the water. She holds the pole in one hand while the other pulls up on the line. A small catfish pops its head out of the water, the hook caught in its lip. It stares at us and opens its mouth slowly before its tail splashes in the water.

“It’s so small. Can we put it back?” Rose looks at us, then back at the fish.

I nod. Blake kneels over and takes the hook out of the fish’s mouth before putting him in Rose’s hands. She runs her fingers down his spine and nearly drops him when he swipes with his tail. She holds him for a second longer, turning him toward her so that they are face to face. She looks at him before she leans over and drops him into the water. All of us watch him swim away, before Rose jumps into the air and throws her hands around us.

“What’s this for?” I ask, my hand running down the side of her back.

“It’s a thank you for this,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy before.” She gets up to the tip of her toes and kisses us on each cheek. Blake pulls away and throws a hand behind his head, running it through his hair. I can’t tell if it is the sunset or if his cheeks are red, but I don’t say anything.

We stand there for a couple minutes, watching the sunlight arch through the trees. I pull Rose harder into me and she holds onto my shirt. I can feel my heart hurt as I look down at her.

Is this what love feels like?