The Way You Said Hello ~ Chapter Twenty-Two

The sun beat down, hot, relentless. That was one reason why the cool water felt like soothing relief on my burning skin - and you would think that in December, the temperature would go below eighty degrees. That's Florida for you.

"Becky!" I paused in the middle of my stroke as I heard AJ call my name. I slowed down and started treading water, wiping the drops from my eyes.

"Yeah?" I called back to AJ, who was lounging in a chair by the side of my pool, catching some sun. Already I could see his chest turning red. "Baby, you're gonna burn if you don't put some suntan lotion on," I called to him while wading to the shallow end.

AJ's eyes remained closed beneath his favorite pair of dark sunglasses. "I'm not going to burn. I'm getting a tan." He shifted in the chair to get more comfortable, looking wonderful as usual in his black bathing suit.

"You're getting skin cancer," I muttered, pushing my dripping wet hair out of my face and squinting against the sun. I sat down on the steps in the pool and rested for a moment. I'd been swimming for a good while, always pushing myself to do just one more lap when I thought I'd had it. As long as I could keep my arms and legs moving, I could keep going.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Eva's going to drop by sometime this afternoon," AJ said casually, referring to the mysterious cousin who was stopping in from out of town. "I gave her directions to your house. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I told him, splashing the crystal blue water of my swimming pool with my feet. A slight breeze blew through the fronds of a palm tree above my head, creating a soft brushing noise as they rubbed together. I sighed and enjoyed my last day of freedom before I had to head back to school.

"Actually," AJ said, sitting up and taking his glasses off, "I think I'm gonna join you." He walked over to the edge of the pool and sat down, dipping his toes in. "Damn!" he exclaimed. "That water's cold! How can you swim in that?"

"It's really not that bad," I said, sliding back in. "You just have to adjust to it first." I swam out a bit and floated on my back, looking up at the expansive cerulean sky taking up my entire field of vision… my eyes drifted shut as I floated calmly, peacefully.

Suddenly everything disappeared as I was shoved clumsily under the water by a pair of strong, familiar hands. I broke the surface again, sputtering and shrieking, as AJ roared with laughter. I stood up in the water and pounded my fists on his chest playfully, trying to pay him back for dunking me under the water.

"That-" I growled, pointing a finger in his face.

"-was hilarious," he finished my sentence for me, grinning. He grabbed my finger and pulled me a little closer to him. Trying to be discreet, he swept his eyes over me, and I unexpectedly felt self-conscious in my tiny bathing suit. All of a sudden the mood took a sudden turn…no longer playful, but something else entirely.

"You look nice," AJ said softly, placing his hands on my hips cautiously. His thumbs moved in lazy circles over my wet skin, and my knees grew a little weak. My breath grew ragged…we were so wet and so undressed and so close together…I could feel him…so close…

"You look nicer," I whispered. A drop of water trickled slowly, agonizingly slowly down his muscled chest, and my index finger traced its path - I felt him shudder from this slight contact between us - I could feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath my finger.

"No," he whispered back to me, moving impossibly closer until our entire bodies were pressed together, wet and slick and warm. I could feel the heat rising off him, and my heart started pounding, started beating so quickly, and I couldn't slow it down. The feel of skin upon skin was making me lose my head…

"Yes," I breathed as the distance between our lips decreased rapidly - "Yes, AJ," were the last words I could say before his mouth claimed my own, passionately and ferociously, heart and soul. I was light-headed, I was drowning - the only things I could feel were his tongue and his lips and his wandering hands. I placed both of my hands on AJ's face, memorizing the feel of him beneath my fingers, caressing gently.

We slipped beneath the water, falling to our knees in the shallow end of the pool, still touching as much as possible. Our kisses increased in intensity and we were just starting to get really into it when-

"Hello?" I heard someone call from out front. I let out a small groan and pulled back from AJ. I couldn't tear myself away from his eyes…they looked deep into mine, searching, not letting go. In them I could see my own feelings reflected…my own soul. It was then I knew that he was my other half - he was what I needed in order to be whole.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the voice called again.

"Shit," AJ muttered, moving to get out of the water. "That would be Eva."

"It figures," I sighed under my breath, disappointed. I followed him to the steps and got out, picking up the towel I had laid in a chair and wrapping it around myself. I walked around to the front of the house and saw a strange girl standing at my front door. So this is Eva, I thought to myself. Very interesting.

It was hard for me to find her family resemblance to AJ. She was fairly tall - taller than me, anyway - and had jet black hair that was cut short and spiky. Her tan skin was flawless, and her thin lips were pursed together in a gesture of impatience. I immediately noticed her eyes: they were a striking shade of emerald green, and they bore into me when she cast her sharp stare my way.

"Are you Becky?" she asked me abruptly, looking me up and down. I pictured how I must look to her: wet and bedraggled in my bathing suit and towel. Oh well, I thought. I don't really care what she's thinking right now.

"Yeah, and I guess you're Eva," I smiled at her in an attempt to be friendly. "Would you like to come in?"

"No, thanks," she said, peering over my shoulder. "I'm just looking for AJ."

Suddenly AJ ran up from behind and jumped between me and Eva. He had thrown a shirt on but was still dripping wet. "Hey Eva! What's up, girl?"

"Not much," Eva replied listlessly, glancing at me. Those green eyes again…they unnerved me a little with their severity. "I just wanted to know if you want to go do something with me today." Her eyes flicked back to AJ's face, studying him intensely.

"Today?" AJ looked surprised. "Girl, I'd love to, but today I'm chilling with Becky. It's her last day of freedom before she has to hit the books for second semester."

Eva looked at me with what seemed like contempt. "I see." Her voice was icy, and it was clear that she resented my presence.

"Hey, I'll tell ya what," AJ said, fidgeting. "We can do something tomorrow afternoon. We have to go to the studio in the morning, but after eleven or so, I'm free. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Eva answered noncommittally, digging out her car keys. "I'll give you a call tonight, Alex." AJ gave me a funny look - he didn't usually like for people to call him that. Eva turned around to go back to her car, but hesitated and took a step back in our direction. "I'm not sure you're the ones to ask, but…does Kevin have a girlfriend?"

I unthinkingly shot AJ a look, unsure of what to say. Our minds were both on one thing: Anne.

"Uh…I'm not sure, Eva," he stuttered. "You'll have to ask him that yourself."

"Maybe I just will," she said coolly, her arms crossed. "Well, do you know if he's free tonight?"

"I have no idea about that one, either," AJ answered a bit more forcefully. "He hasn't mentioned anything, though…" He shot me another sideways glance.Eva smiled smugly.

"Well then, I'll just be going." She slid back into her car, started it, and drove away.

AJ and I just stared at each other. "This could complicate things," I said.

"You got that right," he replied, shaking his head.

"Well, come on," I shrugged. "Let's go hop back in the pool."

"Good idea," AJ said, slipping his arm about my waist and guiding me around to the back of the house. "As I remember, we were interrupted…" He leaned over and started kissing my neck playfully. I just rolled my eyes and grinned.

"Alexander James, please remove your face from my neck NOW," I said, laughing, and jokingly pushed him off me. He stumbled a few steps to the side and made a face.

"Okay," he yelled as I walked inside the house, "but you owe me later!"

I rolled my eyes again as the door slammed behind me. I walked to the phone and picked it up, hitting my speed dial button.

"Hello."

"Ryan? Can you come over for a while?"

"Hey, Becks," she said cheerfully. "Can I bring Nick?"

"Most definitely. Wear a bathing suit."

"We'll be there in ten."

I hung up the phone and went back outside, where AJ was positioning himself in the lounge chair with the intent of working on his tan.

"Ryan and Nick are on their way," I called out to him as I slipped back into the water, "so don't get too comfortable." AJ grunted in response, and I smiled as I started my first lap. I quickly got back into my swimming groove, and before I knew it, I heard Ryan's Porsche pull into the driveway.

"That would be Ryan," AJ yelled to me. I slowed my swimming and made my way to the steps. A few seconds later, we heard the giant crash of things being dropped and the sound of a male voice yelling "SHIT!!"

"…And that would be Nick," I said, smirking.

Suddenly Ryan charged out of nowhere, running at full tilt toward the pool. Before I had a chance to even say hello, she leaped over my head and tucked her body into a cannonball before splashing into the water. She poked her head above the surface, grinning at me.

"I'm so glad you could make it," I said dryly, giving her a hug.

"You know I'd never miss the chance to jam at your house, AKA party central," she giggled, her blue eyes sparkling. "Hey, AJ," she called over her shoulder.

"Hey, Ryan," said AJ, still not moving, his eyes closed. He looked very peaceful and rested, lying there, and I felt tempted to crawl up there beside him and fall asleep in the sun.

Without warning, Nick appeared at the edge of the patio, carrying a giant cooler and some towels. "Hey, guys," he said. "We brought drinks!" He had a grin pasted across his face, like he was incredibly pleased with himself. However, he was so pleased with himself that he forgot to look where he was going and walked straight into the chair where AJ was lying.

"Ahhh!" AJ screamed as he was knocked out of his chair onto the ground. Nick looked down in shock at AJ, who was lying at his feet, and accidentally dropped the cooler.

"Ahhhh!" AJ screamed again as the giant cooler landed on his stomach, spilling ice and cold drinks all over him. Ryan and I looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.

"This is better than the circus," I whispered to her.

"Ooh, sorry about that, Bone," Nick said, helping AJ back to his feet.

"Jesus, Nick!" AJ yelled. "Look where you're going next time!" He calmed down somewhat and picked the drinks back up from the ground. He kept a Coke for himself and popped the top open, chugging the contents and letting out a pleased sigh.

"Nick, come on in," Ryan said, splashing a few drops of water in his direction. "It feels great."

"Okay, baby, but you'd better be ready," he said mischievously and grinned. He quickly rid himself of his T-shirt and headed for the pool. He dove in head first, swimming quickly to where Ryan was treading water. Without warning, he picked her up and threw her into the air, sending her crashing into the water a few feet away.

"This looks painfully familiar," I muttered, making my escape. I did not want to be around when Ryan and Nick got in the same mood AJ and I had been in earlier. I walked over to where AJ was lying and pulled up a chair next to his. I lay down, facing him, and started to slather sunscreen on myself.

"Can I help?" AJ asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Better not," I responded. "I know what's on your mind, and we have company." I shot him a grin, but my smile faded when I saw Ryan and Nick making out in the pool, just as I had predicted.

"Aw, jeez, you guys, take it somewhere else," I shouted disgustedly. "AJ and I do NOT need to see you two getting tongue-happy in our presence."

"Yeah, well at least I can get some action," Nick said challengingly, still with his arms around Ryan.

"Hey, I was getting plenty before my cousin showed up," AJ replied. "My woman knows how to hook me up!" He glared at Nick and went back to his silent tanning.

"Okay, I wouldn't go that far," I laughed.

It felt so good just to relax with the people I cared about most…my best friend…her boyfriend…AJ. I pushed the thought out of my mind that tomorrow I'd have a million worries again, that I'd have that familiar pressure on me like I'd always had before. It was the pressure to be the best, and it was a difficult ideal to live up to. It was always a struggle.

But right now I was just me, Becky, the crazy girl who was going out with one of the Backstreet Boys. Never mind that no one really believed it - I could care less! I had everything I needed around me. I was utterly determined to enjoy the last day of freedom I would have until spring break.

"I know!" Nick burst out suddenly. "Let's play Marco Polo!" He started splashing around in the pool, trying to get everyone excited.

"No," I said, and smiled.

~

Continue to chapter twenty-three

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