The Understorey

“I know. I can feel it.”



I grimaced.



“Uh, can you feel anything else?” I asked, one eye closed and my nose bunched, already knowing her answer.



“Uh, yeah,” she blushed, nuzzling her face in my neck.



“That doesn’t help the cause princess,” I laughed. “Besides, it’s only natural Jules, you can stop blushing now. I like feeling attracted to you and I like you knowing that I am.”



“I like it as well. Quite the ego boost.”



I carried her in silence and we traded feelings back and forth. First attraction, love, more attraction, heat, embarrassment, awkwardness, back to attraction, then love again. All the while, she unknowingly bit at her lower lip to keep from laughing and I didn’t bother correcting it. I grinned like the overeager idiot that I was. God, but I didn’t care.



When we reached the bridge, I let her legs go but clutched onto her waist not letting her feet touch the ground. I kept my face next to hers and grabbed the basket to set on top of the natural rock bridge before lifting her up to sit on the surface next to it.



“Stay there,” I said.



I took the handkerchief that my mom always insists I bring to church out of my pocket and bent toward the water, soaking it in the chill spring before wringing it out.



“Finally a use for this ridiculous thing.”



I lifted each foot by the ankle and wiped the dirt from the bottom of her feet.



“Ssssttt, that’s cold,” she winced.



“Should have just let me carry you love.”



“And miss this? Never. If I had a camera you’d be immortalized right now. Never had such delicious blackmailing material before. It’s a shame,” she said over my shoulder while holding onto my back.



I laughed before soaking the handkerchief once more and wringing it out to continue wiping the dirt from her already clean feet.



“That tickles!”



She started wriggling her feet but I clutched harder at her ankle to keep her still.



“This is what you get when you don’t cooperate with me.”



“Okay, okay!” She giggled. “They’re clean enough! They’re clean enough!”



She fell back onto the rock and held her laughing stomach.



“I’ll stop if you agree to a condition.”



“What is it?” She desperately pleaded through chuckles.



I stopped only to state, “When I want to carry you. You must let me. No questions asked.”



“No way!”



I continued my torturous ways.



“Okay! Okay!” She pleaded. “I promise. I promise.”



“Good.”



I swung her legs over the rock and lifted myself next to her. I stood up and helped her to her feet, keeping my hands on her hips.



“You’re so much shorter without your heels on. I can see the part on the top of your head,” I teased.



“I’m five foot eight Elliott. That’s actually tall for my sex, though not all that unusual. You’re the only anomaly here.”



“Six foot four is an anomaly? What are you trying to say Jules? I’m abnormal?”



“In more ways than one Elliott Gray,” she teased.



I pulled her tightly into my chest, pinning her arms to her sides. I buried my face into the skin just above the shoulder and blew against her neck.



“Stop! Stop!”



“Take it back.”



“No,” she laughed.



I blew harder.



“Take it back Jules.”



“No,” she laughed again.



I blew even harder.



“Okay, I take it back! I take it back!” She laughed hysterically. I pulled away. “Eww, I can feel your saliva on my neck.”



I threatened to do it again by inching closer.



“No! No! Not again! Please! I’ll do anything!”



I raised an eyebrow, “Anything?”



“Anything. Just stop,” she exhaled hard, trying to catch her breath.



“Alright, I’ll let you go only if you agree to go with me to Matthew Tanen’s party on Saturday night.”



She pushed away, no longer being playful. Her eyebrows pinched together.



“No way Elliott. No way will I be going anywhere Taylor Williams or her cronies will be. How dare you even ask me that? You know how I feel about them and their cruelty.”



“Taylor Williams? Who the hell cares about Taylor Williams! It’s not even her party. She may not even be there.” She gave me a disbelieving, sarcastic look. “Okay, she’ll probably be there but come on! The whole team will be there as well. We can avoid Taylor like the plague that she is. We’ll pick a corner of the house, camp there, and laugh at everyone making fools of themselves. It’ll be fun.” I softened my tone and edged closer to her, “I’ll take care of you Jules. You know I will.”



She strained her neck to look up at me, “I’m a big girl Elliott. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. You forget. I’ve made it my entire life being ridiculed by Taylor. I think I can survive my senior year without any assistance.”



“I know you don’t Jules but I’ll do it anyway because it’s my job. I’m protective over the girls I’m in love with.”



“The girls? Plural? Nice,” she chided.



“Wait, wait, and wait. You know what I meant.” I exhaled gruffly, “How did this turn so quickly?”



“I don’t know,” she said, looking away.



After a few seconds, the electricity seemed to have calmed us both down.



“I’m sorry Jules. I just wanted you to come is all. After the game, everyone piles into Matthew’s parents’ lake house for fun. It’s actually a blast. Matthew is so hilarious. He keeps us all in stitches. I was trying to get you to see that they’re not all that bad.”



“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to at least make an appearance....,” she admitted.



“Yes! I know you’ll have fun babe.”



She pointed a finger at my face, “But if Taylor so much as breathes in my direction. I’m outta’ there, with or without you.”



“Deal! And Jules?”



“Hmm?”



“I would never let you go anywhere without me.”



She smiled up at me, stunning me speechless.



“My God Jules. You’re beautiful.”



The sun lit the natural red highlights in her hair. The laughing had made her cheeks flush and the fighting had made her eyes bright. Every part of her was just so alive.



She placed the back of her gloved hand against her forehead, gazed toward the sky and with a southern drawl said, “Oh Rhett, you’re sweepin’ me off ma’ feet!”



“Hardy, har, har. I’m being serious with you Jules. I have never in my life seen a woman as gorgeous as you. You take the cake buttercup.”



“Oh Gray, so many points for that one. Just for that, I’d let you carry me anywhere.”



Jules sat on the back of her heels and opened the basket beneath her. She had lots of awesome food in there and I wondered if she had made it herself. I didn’t get a chance to ask because she said she had a surprise for me.



“Ta daa!” She said and pulled a little portable mp3 player out. “I thought we could listen to music and dance and be silly. The rock bridge is like the perfect dance floor.”



She turned it on and fiddled with it until I heard Silverchair’s ‘Without You’ come on.



“Diorama,” I said.



She nodded and threw a flirtatious smile my way. I reclined back onto an elbow and watched her dance around while belting out every single word. I was mesmerized. When the song was over she collapsed on the stone, happy and out of breath.



“God, you’re adorable,” I said.



She just laughed and tried to catch her breath.



“Come here,” she said and patted the bit of stone next to her.



I got up and laid next to her.



“I have something I want to listen to with you. The melody does insane things to my heart and I want to see what it feels like while you hold me.”



She got up and flipped it to another song. It started and I recognized another one of Silverchair’s songs.



“Part one of ‘Those Thieving Birds’,” she said. “It makes me want to cry it’s so beautiful.”



I turned to my side and hovered over her. I studied her face for a moment then drug the tip of my thumb over her bottom lip before gathering her in my arms and kissing her softly.



“Hey Jules?”



“Yes, love?”



“I am so in love with you.”



She kissed me deeper in response.



“No one could love me as much as you love me,” she whispered.



“Nor could anyone love me as much as you do Jules.”



“I know.”



After Saturday’s game, as tired as I was, I felt like I was getting my second wind knowing Jules and I would be going to Tanen’s. I planned on introducing the team to how fun Jules really was.



“Good game, Gray.”



“Thanks mister Dorvey.”



“Good game, Elliott.”



“Thanks,” I said to the stranger who patted me on the back.



“Gray!” Jules called from behind me.



I spun around to find her.



“Stop! You’re under arrest!” I teased.



“For what?”



“For stealin’ my heart,” I joked with a crooked smile.



She moved closer to me and clutched the hem of my t-shirt. “Gonna’ frisk me officer?” She asked sarcastically.



“Are you carrying?”



“Hell yeah I am. A massive crush on this burdened heart.”



“Those are capital offenses Jules. How do you plead?”



“Guilty. Very guilty.”



“Well, I’m the law and the order in this town and as your judge I find you guilty as well. Now, for the sentencing.” I tapped my chin, “You are hereby ordered to kiss me. Right here.”



I pointed to my cheek. She went in but at the last second I turned and caught her mouth with mine.



“You’re a clever minx Jules.”



“You’re a flirt Gray and oh yeah, cheesy as hell. I can’t believe I went along with that. You’re a bad influence on me.”



“Cheese can be fun sometimes and yes, I hope to influence you severely. Time for Matthew’s party. You ready to go?”



“I’m more than ready. I’m eager to get this over with.”



“Oh Jules. It’s going to be fun. I promise you.”



“Okaaaay,” she said, skeptical.



I walked Jules to my truck and threw my pads in the back. I helped her into the cab and put her seat belt on for her like I did on our library date, except for the part where I lost my head and attacked her.



Matthew’s parents' lake house cabin was on an isolated strip of land on the east side of Bramwell Lake. We had to circle half the lake to get to it.



“We’re here,” I said finally turning into the entrance of the long driveway. “Can you see the lit windows through the trees? I can actually hear all the people.” We passed car after car on our way to the cabin. “Dang, look at all the cars.”



“Must have heard I was coming,” she teased.