Girls of Summer(82)



They stood on the brick sidewalk with waves slapping their ankles and Beth started to speak. Instead, she leaned forward and vomited out a stream of water. Her entire body shuddered. She stood up, wiping her mouth with the tail of her wet shirt.

“Theo!” she cried. “I love you!”

“I love you, too,” Theo said.

He took her in his arms and held her tight as she broke down and sobbed with relief. His fractured humerus hurt like the devil but Theo held Beth tight and wouldn’t let her go.

“I’m okay now,” Beth said.

“Let’s get out of here. I’ll hold on to you. Tell me if I’m pulling you too fast.”

Theo grasped Beth’s hand and began slogging through the high water. Beth kept up with him, but several times she was seized with a furious cough that shook her body.

They reached Union Street, where only an inch of water covered the bricks, and hurried to Theo’s car. Once inside, Theo set the heat to high. A line of cars still clogged the street heading into town. They had to wait until ten cars passed before someone let them out onto the street.

   Theo looked over at Beth. Her hair was plastered against her face. He gently removed a small leaf from her cheek.

“I need to go to Ryder’s garage to get some dry clothes,” Beth said.

“And there it is, my favorite sentence in the world,” Theo muttered, not joking.

“Theo, Ryder doesn’t ever come into the apartment. He’s letting me use it so I don’t have to make it impossible for my dad to have your mom over for…dinner.”

“I still don’t like it,” Theo said, staring at the cars in front of him.

“Really?” Beth cocked her head and made her eyes wide and innocent. “I can’t imagine why.” Her hair was plastered against her face and she was shivering.

“Because, I told you, I love you,” Theo said.

“Oh, Theo,” Beth began, and then sneezed, a long, involved sneeze that made her shudder.

They parked in Ryder’s drive, as close as possible to the garage, and Theo followed Beth up the steps and into the apartment. Theo scanned the place for signs of male habitation, but the rooms, although attractive, were spare.

“I’ll be right out,” Beth called, shutting the bedroom door.

“You know that with your clothes sticking to your skin, I’ve got a fairly good idea of what you look like,” Theo called. “Why don’t I come in and help you change?”

Beth laughed from the other side of the door. “No, thanks. You’re all wet yourself. Want to borrow a sweatshirt of mine?”

“Right,” Theo said. “Because it would fit so well.”

Beth came out of the bedroom wearing a baggy sweatshirt and jeans. “I should take a shower and wash my hair, but we need to get you to your house for dry clothes.”

   We, Theo thought. She’s thinking of us as a couple. He touched her cheek affectionately.

Beth pushed him away lightly. “Dry clothes.”

“Yeah,” Theo said. “That would feel good.” He glanced at Beth. “It won’t take long. Will you come with me?”

Beth reached out and put her hand on his arm. “Of course I’ll come with you.”

Her touch, that gentle touch, broke something open inside him. He drove to his house very carefully, swallowing his emotions, working to keep his breathing light, but something mixed with fear and hope kept punching his heart.

He parked on the street so his mother could have the driveway. He left the engine running. He turned to Beth.

“Did you mean it when you said you love me?” he asked. Doing this took more courage than riding the fiercest wave.

“Of course I meant it. Don’t you know? Haven’t you always known?” Beth’s eyes shone like jewels as she spoke. “I loved you in high school, but I was afraid of upsetting Atticus, and you were dating so many awesome girls.”

Theo shook his head impatiently. “But now. Not love in a high-school-crush way, but in a grown-up way? Because, Beth, I love you. In a very grown-up way.”

“I love you like that, too, Theo.” Leaning forward, she kissed his lips solemnly.

Then she pulled away. “You know, you are still wet and you smell a bit from the water.” Seeing his expression, she smiled. “But if you want to make out right now in the car, I don’t mind getting damp.”

“No,” Theo said, “I’ve got to shower and change, but I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want not to be with you every second.”

Beth touched his cheek. “Tell you what. I’ll stand right outside your shower door.”

Theo thought of his bedroom, which was, as usual, a chaotic mess. His dirty laundry was flung in one corner of the room, his work pants tossed over a chair. “Maybe just wait in the living room?”

   “Fine.”

No one else was in the house when they entered.

“I’ll make coffee,” Beth said as Theo went up the stairs.

Theo quickly washed his hair, showered, and dressed, not in work clothes but in khakis and an old button-down blue cotton shirt.

He found Beth sitting at the kitchen table. She handed him a mug that was wonderfully warm on his hands, and the hot liquid slid down his throat, smoothly reviving him.

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