Page 71 of This I Promise You
“Tell me if you need me to stop, okay?”
“Okay.”
While keeping eye contact, Easton takes me into his hand and licks the tip. I lace my fingers through his hair so that I can see his face. He slowly goes deeper and deeper until he gags a little. He eventually closes his eyes and I do the same. Easton wraps one hand around my thigh as he uses his other hand to help. It’s wet and sloppy and I swear my eyes roll so far back into my head that I see my own soul. A soul that is slowly opening up to another human being. A soul that is brighter and more at peace with its path than it’s ever been. A soul that finally feels seen and heard.
Time escapes me in a bubble of euphoria. Easton hasn’t stopped and I don’t want him to, but if something doesn’t change soon I’m going to bust.
“Easton. Easton.” I grab a handful of his hair to pull him back so he’s looking up at me. “I’m close,” I whisper breathlessly.
“I want it.”
I hum, “Where?”
“In my mouth.”
“Okay. Come with me?”
“Always.”
Easton
Road Trip
“Don’t forget to pack sunscreen.”
“Duh.” Aidan pulls the can out of his suitcase and shows it to me.
“Wouldn’t want your boyfriend going up in smoke,” I giggle. It’s an ongoing joke.
Tyler is meeting us at the beach house. It didn’t make sense for him to drive over three hours to get here, just to drive another three hours to the beach, when he could literally get to the beach from his college in the same three hours.
Something solid hits my arm and then topples onto the floor. I look to find a wadded-up pair of socks. Aidan’s socks.
“He’s notthatpale.” Aidan groans and picks up the socks.
“Did you throw your nasty socks at me?” I try to act offended, but I can’t do it.
“They’re clean, bitch.”
“Sure.” I put on an exaggerated grin. “I still can’t believe you’re older than him.”
It just looks the opposite. Ty is taller by a few inches, nothing massive, but it’s there, and I guess Aidan just puts off this younger vibe. I don’t know if it’s the wildness of his hair or something about his dark brown eyes. They’re adorable honestly. Maybe it’s the freckles.
“Just because I’m shorter doesn’t mean I’m younger.” Aidan stuffs another pair of pants and trunks in his case.
I convinced him to take his swimming trunks. Sure, it’s not going to be warm. I think the weather is calling for a max of sixty-five degrees this week, so I can only imagine how cold the water is going to be, but I’m so stoked about swimming in the ocean. I don’t care if I freeze my ass off, and I’m making A get in with me.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’ve said it a hundred times.” I put the last of my toiletries in a little bag and stuff it near the top, above my t-shirts and flannels.
Aidan’s all excited about the miniature golf places. Apparently that’s what his mom and grandparents do when they go down, hit up every single one throughout the week. I mean, that’s sort of like my family in a way. Sure, we live literally half an hour fromabeach, and less than two hours from the OBX, but it’s still not somewhere we go a lot. But for us, instead of hitting up all the mini golf places, we stop at every single beach merch store. They’re all basically the same, but you never know what little thing you might find in one.
“Promise me you’re not going to work on your book while we’re down there.” I turn and look him right in the eye.
“But…”
I put my hand up, index finger in the air. “No but. Just yes. That’s it. Period. Full stop.”
He giggles at that, and I lose my stoic composure. Aidan has a tendency to not know when to stop working, especially when it’s about his book. So the reminder is key and not totally selfish.
