The sliding patio door made a loud noise, catching our attention. Dr. Johnson went outdoors, holding a pitcher and two disposable cups.

David beamed and questioned his father, "What's that?" in a playful tone, as if it were a joke I hadn't gotten.

Dr. Johnson responded swiftly, "Fresh orange juicy." A little too rapidly.

In this case, David chuckled. Perhaps I should walk over and inform her that you find orange to be a particularly unpleasant flavor. Those cookies would be easy enough for her to bake again. The brownies, perhaps? The acclaim they received was well-deserved.

My brow furrowed in bewilderment. Swimming beside me, David encircled me with his arms.

Our next-door neighbor just went through a divorce and is now romantically interested in my father. To this day, she has been attempting to woo him with sweet treats. Constriction set in as he tightened his grip. "Hey. Why have you stopped making baked goods for me to enjoy?

It's probably because I'm so busy and we seldom get to hang together. My intended tone wasn't as sharp as it came out.

Dr. Johnson carried the pitcher and glasses over to the glass table situated beneath the umbrella. In any case, take it easy and have fun.

Do you believe she threw a roofie? Even if it was mentioned in jest, Dr.suspicions Jonson's about the pitcher were piqued by his son's remark.

I think it's safe to go back in there," he replied.

What a ringing recommendation," David said jokingly.

His hands started to fiddle with the cords around my hips while we were submerged. I tried to move away from him, but he didn't understand, and my annoyance level quickly rose to a boiling point.

I came over here not to have sexual relations with you.

He gave me a befuddled expression. Which begs the question, "Then why did you?"

What the heck.

The remainder of my heart was shattered by his one inquiry. He couldn't fathom why I'd be interested in being here for any other purpose. After that, he no longer considered me a buddy but just a convenient object for rubbing his dick against. Truth hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. My tone became weak. David, I've reached my breaking point. "That was a waste of time; now it's finished."

"What?" His shoulders jerked and he turned into a block of wood. However, he obviously heard me, as shown by his response.

A new you has emerged. Now that time has passed, we've changed.

His face froze in a permanent look of astonishment. The only sound was the soft slap of water against the pool's edge, and the tension was palpable. Until the second time the sliding patio door bell chimed.

No, he barked at his dad.

Dr.productivity Jonson's was unaffected by this setback. There was a cordless phone in his hand. It's the boss calling. According to him, you're not picking up your phone.

David swam to the edge of the pool and whispered, "Fuck." "My power supply gave out." He extended a hand and snatched the phone from the operator. "Hello?"

He stopped to hear the other side, his face crunching up in an irritated expression.

In other words, I won't be in today. I have till Wednesday off.

My eyes met Dr. Johnson's, and the realization seemed to strike both of us simultaneously. This day was Wednesday.

David screamed "shit" into the phone and hurried for the stairs. Indeed, of course. I really apologize. It will take me around fifteen minutes to get there.

He quickly climbed out of the pool, leaving the phone on the seat cushion, and reached for the towel lying nearby. Given that he failed to provide a towel, I offered him mine.

Scrubbing the water from his body, he murmured, "I have go." Maybe he was talking to his dad and I didn't get it. I've already been running behind schedule.

David saw Dr. Johnson's displeasure, shown by the way he crossed his arms over his large chest.

He responded, "Yeah, I know," before wrapping the towel around his hips and dashing out the patio door. I made a boo-boo. Sorry."

Another mystery unsolved: who these apologies was meant for. When my blood started to boil, I was relieved to be in the refreshing water. He hadn't considered sticking around to chat. Without even a farewell, he avoided any verbal contact with me. Physically and emotionally, I was left to float as he disappeared inside the home.

I lost my cool out of sheer exasperation. I can't believe he didn't realize it was Wednesday.

He'd messed up for the summer, but he had to get things done. David behaved as if having spending money for his approaching sophomore year was a matter of life and death, despite the fact that he knew that waiting tables wasn't.

Dr. Johnson let out a deep sigh. I'm very sad for his loss. You may remain as long as you like.

Maybe not... "Thanks."

There was a pause in his actions. Also, "we have homemade lemonade."

I responded, "I see what you're up to." "I know you want to dump it on me," he said.

With a grin and a nod that suggested he knew he was in trouble, he seemed to admit his guilt. I feel terrible letting all this out. Assuming your taste runs toward lemons, I can assure you it will be delicious and safe from any illegal drugs.

I forced a grin and looked into his eyes. We looked at one other for what seemed like forever. It took that long for the laughter to stop and something else to take its place. His eerily identical gaze from before had my heart racing.

How bizarre! I looked down at the ocean and blinked fast at the waves. This may mean I wasn't hallucinating.

Does it sound good? He asked a question in a low voice that sounded shaky, and it caught me off guard.

Specifically, what was he providing? "Some?"

"Lemonade."

Right. I was completely wrong to assume anything. "Oh. Sure."

While he was filling a cup from the pitcher, my attention was pulled to his hands. In addition to their stunning appearance, they also had considerable skill and economic value. With that, how many peoples' lives had he managed to save?

We heard the garage door open, vehicle tires peeling out, and car rolling backwards down the driveway on the other side of the house.

Here you go," he replied, handing me the cup from his crouch at the pool's edge.

"Appreciate it." First, I sampled it to see how he'd do with my opinion. To express my disapproval, I pursed my lips. "Ugh. It's okay to let it all out. To put it bluntly, it's overly sour.

I put the cup down on the pool deck and looked down at the stairs. As much as I wanted to, I had to go. As Dr.Jonson gathered the cups and pitcher, I climbed out of the pool.

He stopped when he saw me at the railing with my arms folded. The air was warm, but the wind made it seem cold. After becoming completely soaked, I refused to go back inside the home to change until the drips had ceased.

You didn't bring a towel out, he gently questioned.

I said, "No." Yes, and David stole mine in the process.

He took the disgusting lemonade inside with him as he shook his head and mumbled something under his breath. Thirty seconds later, he returned and handed me a folded towel.

I just said, "Thank you." If I went in there, I would have dripped all over your carpet.

"Since you can consider others' needs before your own."

It was obviously a jab at David, but I had no idea how to respond. I pushed my lips together, wrapped myself in the towel, and tried to relax.

Dr. Johnson didn't appear too frustrated; he seemed to be trying to say something more but was restraining himself. There was dismay in his dark eyes.

He hovered uncomfortably and said, "Can I get you anything else?" It was almost as though he was hoping I'd strike up a chat. I tried to remember something, but came up empty.

I managed to mutter, "I'm good."

In other words, "Okay. Let's go inside, shall we?

Because of how quickly he turned and retreated inside the home, he didn't catch my gaping mouth as it opened. The guy had surgical training. He exuded assurance and never looked rattled by tense situations. David's father was worried when he wrecked his vehicle two years ago, but he kept his calm through it all.

Observing Dr.uncertainty, Jonson's what do you make of it? Honestly, that gave me the willies.

My hair was down, my phone was in hand, and I was shivering as I made my way back inside to the warmth of my abode. The huge television was on and the level was so low I could hardly hear the news program that was playing on it.

Dr. Johnson didn't seem to be paying attention.

He slung his arm over the back of the wide sectional sofa and stared vacantly at the coffee table in front of him. The way his torso was angled and the snugness of his t-shirt highlighted his muscular physique. His pants clung to his muscular legs as I stood in the doorway, staring at him oddly as my toes dug into the soft carpet.

I really wanted to speak to him but knew that I shouldn't. It was he who fathered David. I mean, I couldn't exactly go to him for guidance on what I should do right now, could I? I wrapped the towel around my waist even more tightly and went into the guest room to change.

After closing the door, I walked slowly as my disappointment weighed on me. I groaned as I set down my phone next to my pile of laundry. I didn't know what to do. Let David call me, please. The deed was technically completed. I told him it was finished.

Cracking sounds of knuckles hitting wood. "Jessica?"

My heart rate increased and I became immobile. "Yeah?"

"I.. need to make a comment," From behind the closed door, Dr. Johnson's voice could be heard. 'May I come in?'

I gripped the edge of my towel with all my might. Yet though he had seen me in my swimsuit only a minute before, that had been by the pool, and I hadn't even begun the process of changing. I knew it was silly, but as I set foot inside the home, I immediately felt more vulnerable. This idea was immediately dismissed by me. "Yeah."

He came in, closed the door, and turned to face me with drooping shoulders. Apparently, whatever it was he was about to say was of the utmost importance to him, and he had given it much thought.

We need to know, "What's wrong?" I had to lower my voice.

This is none of my business, and I feel terrible saying it, but David-" He knitted his brows together thoughtfully. In other words, "You need to cut ties with him."

The thought of standing up so quickly made me dizzy. "What? Why?"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke up. To make matters more challenging, his chest rose and fell with each breath, making it more difficult for me to ignore his movements. In my head, I ran a number of possible explanations for why he might ask such a question, and one of them was completely out there.

'Cause,' he explained, 'I've seen the way he treats you, and it's not right. He has reached a stage in his life where he is completely self-centered, and this is not going to change. That won't be happening anytime soon. Dr. Johnson looked as though he had given up. I speak from painful experience when I say, "Not until he learns to stop taking things for granted. This describes me perfectly when I was his age.

I had to take a moment to process everything, and my throat got very thick. You couldn't focus on anything when he was in the room. Perhaps there was something in the lemonade that made people feel woozy.

To tell him I had ended things with David five minutes ago, I opened my mouth, but he kept talking.

I realize how terrible this may sound. But what kind of a parent am I to suggest that you end things with him? In response to his own query, he shook his head. Regardless of what you do, I fear that one of you will be hurt. This is on him, not you; I'm probably going to leave this room regretting anything I said.

He scratched himself on his defined jaw with his hand, irritating the whiskers.

You deserve more than my son can give you at the moment because you're a wonderful girl, Jessica.

"Wow." As opposed to a spoken word, it was simply a breath.

Dr. Johnson's shoulders tensed up and his face contorted in embarrassment. I apologize. I apologize for saying what I did.

I shouted, "No, wait!" as he started to walk out the door. "I just broke up with him."

"You did?" He stilled. "Why?"

I dropped my gaze to the carpet. It was too hard to look him in the face as I told him his son was less than perfect, even when Dr.Jonson seemed to know David was human. "For the same reason you just said. David and me, we're different people from who we were three years ago." My gaze crawled up Dr.Jonson's body until I could meet his eyes. "I'm not sure the new me likes the new him all that much," I admitted.

"I get it," he said, and he genuinely seemed to. There wasn't defensiveness or anger in his eyes. It looked mostly like relief. "I grew up a lot when I was in school. I did stupid shit until I figured out how to be an adult, and I'm guessing that's where he is right now."

"Still figuring it out?" It was a half-question, half-statement, because I knew it was true. David couldn't get a handle on all the freedom of college life, and he'd gone overboard.

"Yeah. He's got a ways to go," his father said.

"I'm sorry."

Confusion flooded Dr.Jonson's face. "For what?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. That I couldn't make it work."

He looked at me like I was being silly. "Don't do that. This isn't your fault. Things don't work out sometimes, and that's just life."

I inhaled deeply. It seemed uncomfortable to discuss it with him, but also pleasant. It was good to know I wasn't at fault. I was already feeling down, but thinking about how he always seemed to know just what to say or do made me even more so. It's terrible. Even after we split up, I still feel like we're not together.

As soon as it left my lips, I regretted it. His irises sprang out in shock

Because," I said, "we'll never see one other again." Do we, like, part ways?"

When I left, I left a big hole in David's heart. Pictures of my boyfriend and I were all around the home. Indeed, I spent last summer's vacation with the Lowes.

I didn't get too choked up, but I did blink away the tears that threatened. Can I mention that I'm going to miss you without seeming weird?

Dr.expression Jonson's and voice had a similar gravelly quality, making it difficult to listen to. Absolutely not. It's not only you that I'm going to miss.

He came toward me, arms outstretched for an embrace as I cleared my throat of the lump. I quickly entered in and let him to press his chest on mine. He obviously didn't mind that my bikini was damp, so I decided to stop caring about it, too.

It was easy to feel safe and secure with him.

Tears threatened again as he held me in his increasingly tight embrace. The status quo was OK with me. Not wanting this ###Chapter to end.

I put my face on his chest and could feel his pulse racing. As his fingers calmly combed through the hair at the back of my head, I closed my eyes, fighting back the tears. If I stayed like this, how long would he stand for it?