***
Whoops and cheers echoed down the dirt path as the boys raced each other towards the secluded swimming hole down the bottom of a rocky incline. I could hear the distant thundering of the waterfall clearly, even though it was still a fair distance off.
Ellie and I lagged behind as we climbed out of Ringer's car, shaking our heads as we secretly wondered who were the teenagers among us.
"Are we okay?" Ellie asked as we shut the boot and carried our borrowed towels.
I bumped her shoulder. "Of course."
I could make out her brilliant white smile in the moonlight.
As we neared the path, our attention turned toward the slamming of a car door, where Toby stood leaning against his ute.
"You not swimming?" Ellie asked.
"Nah, I'm just the ideas man."
"Cool, well, I better go make sure these fools don't kill themselves." Ellie flashed me another smile and ran after the boys.
Toby pushed off from the door, hitched himself up onto the back of his tray and made a place on one of the rugs. He casually patted the space next to him, and I attempted not to smile too broadly at the relief of such a small gesture.
"Unless you wanted to swim?"
Before he could even finish his sentence, I chucked the towel into the tray and climbed up and over to sit next to him.
"I guess that's a no then?"
"It was a terrible idea, I can't believe they're all down there." I laughed.
Toby lay back, linking his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.
"A terrible idea, or a brilliant idea?" He peeked an eye open before closing it again with a smile.
I was suddenly very aware of how alone we were. The distant yells and cascading water were a million miles away, or so it felt.
I picked at the frayed edge of the rug. "Thanks for fixing my bike."
"Oh," he smirked, "that."
"Yeah. I'm back on the road again."
"Yeah, I was kind of pissed at my dad," he said, his eyes still closed.
"Why?"
"He didn't ask me. He just thought he'd do me a favour and deliver it for me."
"Well, that was nice of him."
"I guess. It's just ? I wanted to deliver it myself."
Relief flooded me. In a moment of panic, I had feared the worst, that he was avoiding me. But he wasn't.
"Well, it was a good effort to fix it while you were hungover."
Toby's eyes opened as he frowned at my words; he straightened.
"The boys said you were hungover today."
He still looked confused. "Oh! I didn't fix the bike today."
Now it was me who looked confused.
Toby fiddled with the frayed edge of the rug, his hand close to mine as he spoke, not looking at me. "I fixed the bike the day you gave it to me, Tess."
My frowned deepened. "Why didn't you tell me? You know ? give it back?"
He looked at me now. "Remember I said, 'what if I didn't want to fix your bike?'"
I remembered. "Yes ?"
"I didn't want to fix it, because I liked driving you places."
I stared at him, unable to believe it was true.
"Not that I was the most reliable taxi service." He rested his elbows on his bent knees.
"Oh, I don't know," I said, "you were there when it counted. Saved me from perishing on the Horseshoe Bend. Took me on my first drive to the Point to watch the fireworks, it was only last night ?"
His eyes flicked up to mine as I broke off at the last two words. Last night.
"Yeah, last night," he repeated.
"Guess you won't be drinking Coronas again anytime soon."
The corner of his mouth curved up. "Not if I can help it, no."
He regretted drinking the Coronas; I wondered if he regretted anything else as well.
I shifted to sit next to him and leaned against the cabin rear window.
Don't jump in the deep end, Tess, play it cool.
Pulling back and taking it slow was good advice. That's what I decided to do.
"Am I just the rebound girl?" I asked. That didn't last long.
Toby stiffened, his scowl deep and so penetrating I had to look away from it.
"What makes you say that?"
Now I was uneasy. Me and my big mouth.
"Because we are sitting in probably the same place you sat a week ago when you broke up with your girlfriend."
I regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth. I could feel Toby's anger pouring off him in waves. Suddenly going for a swim seemed like a great idea.
"I see," was his cold response.
I cleared my throat, finding myself utterly fascinated with the edge of the rug I fiddled with. I couldn't take my eyes off it, couldn't look at him.
"I'm just saying that you don't have to worry about me expecting anything more. I know last night was just a bit of fun, and that if you had any regrets today, to not worry about it. It is what it is, and I'm cool about it."
Stupid words. Stupid words coming out of my stupid mouth.
I expected his shoulders to slump in relief or his icy exterior to thaw, but it didn't. He seemed more agitated as he ran a hand aggressively through his hair.
"Is that what you think?" he said. "That I regretted last night?"
I looked at him then, trying to hide the hurt in my expression.
"Don't you?"
He sat up straight and grabbed my hand to stop it from fraying the edge of the rug.
"I may have been buzzed last night, but I remember everything. I can't promise you that I won't want to drive you home, or kiss you like crazy again. Because I will. I do." His eyes shifted towards my mouth and then back to meet my eyes.
"I like you, Tess."
I was supposed to act cool and indifferent and hold back from falling in too deep right now.
Take it slow, Tess. It's good advice - take it slow!
I kissed Toby for the second time. I pushed him to sit back against the window as I straddled his lap, feeding the hunger, living for the moment. We weren't coy and polite this time; Toby's hand slipped under my shirt, his fingers skimming my bare belly, his mouth catching my exhales as I cupped his face and tilted his head to the side for better access to his lush mouth.
Toby nipped playfully along my neck, which made me giggle. He grasped the curve of my knees and drew me closer. I felt the unmistakable evidence of his desire pressed between my legs as his hands slid up my bare ribs and pushed under my bra to touch my breasts. I rocked slowly on his lap pressing into his touch, never feeling more alive than with the new sensations that tingled in foreign places. Never before had I wanted Scott or any other boy to touch me as I wanted Toby touching me now. I relished in the brush of his work-roughened fingers gliding over my skin and the way he moved under me. His hands suddenly bunched my skirt up in his fists as his tongue filled my mouth to duel my own.
I braced myself for the hand that was sliding along my thigh, daring to delve between my legs to explore me like no other had. But just as his finger pulled the elastic of material he froze and panic shot through me at the thought that all of a sudden he had come to his senses, that he thought it - us - was a bad idea. I breathed hard, tried to catch my breath as his head tilted to the side, listening for something. That's when we heard it, the incoming laughter and voices of an approaching stampede of swimmers.
I slid off Toby's lap and worked at adjusting my skirt and fixing my hair. Toby had a far worse problem as he pulled on his shirt to hang over the large tent in his shorts. We sat apart and cast knowing smiles to one another as we both tried to gather our breaths and look casual, like we were just hanging out, not dry humping in the back of his ute.
Toby looked around and feigned surprise at the disheveled, soaking figures that approached.
"Back already?"
"Tobias! That was the worst idea you have ever had." Sean shivered.
"I take it you didn't have fun, then?"
"Ffffucking f
fffreezing," he stuttered.
Toby flashed a grin towards me. "I guess we had a better time?"
I blushed and glanced away.
A better time? Oh yeah we did.