23. Friday Night Week Eight (pt2.)
Feeling dejected after my fight with Eli, I decided to head home. Tori was sober and wanted to leave so she dropped me off on her way home.
"Thanks, Tor," I told her through the window, she smiled at me and made my way to the house.
It was only 12 pm and my Nan was a heavy sleeper so I made my way to my bedroom with relative ease, tripping once or twice along the way. I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted after the whole evening. A thousand and one thoughts were floating through my head, about 999 of them were centred on Eli.
My Eli oriented brain was interrupted, however, when there was a knock on my window. My eyebrows scrunched together as I contemplated who it was and to my complete and utter shock, Eli stood there with a black sweatshirt on. He motioned for me to open the window and so I did.
"What are you doing here?"
"Come with me."
"What?!" I exclaimed, "No! I can't just come with you," I whisper-yelled.
Eli rolled his eyes and held his hand out for me, "yes you can."
Huh, I cocked my head to the side, "fine," I huffed out but inside I felt butterflies pooling in my stomach. Eli led me to his car, opening the door for me before jogging around to his side of the car and getting in.
"Where are we going?" I asked him, "and don't say it's a surprise."
"But you love surprises," Eli was smirking as he said it because he knew he was right; I did love surprises. I rolled my eyes before leaning my head against the window and in no time, I was fast asleep.
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It was still dark out when Eli shook me awake. I peeled my eyes open and stretched out in his car, "where are we?" I asked him in a sleepy voice
"Come on," he pulled me out of the car and I shivered in the night air, only just realising that I was still wearing my outfit from the club, goodness sake.
"What time is it?"
"3:30"
"In the morning!" I exclaimed, "why the bloody hell am I here," I motioned around me to all the trees, "at 3 in the fricking morning, Eli!"
Eli didn't respond, he just grabbed his backpack from the boot of his car, intertwined my fingers with his and tugged me along into the forest.
"It's freezing, Eli," I told him through shivers
"We're almost there," he replied pulling me along a little faster. I glared at the back of his head as we walked, he could've offered me his sweatshirt at least, prick.
We had been walking for about ten minutes when I again, tripped on something which was inconveniently protruding out of the forest floor. Getting annoyed I complained for about the tenth time, "this is stupid, Eli, I'm cold and tired."
Eli growled, "for fucks sake, Rei, we're almost there" he gave my hand a sharp tug in an attempt to right my footing.
"What! It's not my fault that you decided you wanted to take me hiking in my freezing club clothes at bloody three in the morning!" I yelled at him, annoyed. Eli stopped in his tracks, turning to face me. He dropped my hand and his backpack and he then proceeded to take off his sweatshirt.
"Arms up," he grunted out, I did as he said and he tugged the sweatshirt on over me, "if you wanted it, you could've just asked Rei."
I narrowed my eyes at him but I didn't say anything because he was right. "Thank you," I mumbled out.
Eli grunted in response as he strode in front of me. I chased after him, reaching out for his hand in the dark â sue me, this place was creepy.
After around twenty minutes of Eli walking and me stumbling along behind him the forest cleared out to showcase an enormous lake.
"Woah," I breathed out. I dropped Eli's hand as I stepped forward towards the lake.
It was a rippling expanse of water, shining with the reflection of the night sky. A night sky which was painted in blues, purples and oranges as if it was a canvas, blanketing the lake and the luscious green forest which surrounded it in its beauty. The stars twinkled in the sky like diamonds shining brightly. A wooden jetty stretched out in front of me, it was swaying in the gentle breeze off the night, caressing the water with every movement.
"I wanted to show you it at night," Eli's voice sounded from behind me.
I turned to face him, "it's beautiful, Eli," I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, placing a soft kiss against his lips, "thank you for bringing me here."
Eli's arms hugged me closer as his lips twitched into a smirk, "we're going in, tigru."
The happy smile on my face fell right off at his words, "I'm not going in."
Eli began undressing in front of me, stripping down to his boxers. My heart raced in my chest, only now it wasn't because of the terrifying prospect of going in the water. Inch by inch of tanned skin was revealed to me, tattoo by tattoo.
When Eli was finally stripped down to just his boxers he held his hand out for me, "come on."
I shook my head, both to clear the haze which had settled following the sight of Eli and also to say no, "I don't have a swimsuit."
"You don't need a swimsuit, tigru."
"I am not going in there naked," I pointed at the lake as I spoke.
Eli's laugh surprised me, but I loved that I was able to coax it out of him. "Do I look naked to you, tigru?" Unfortunately not, no â okay, where had that thought come from?
After he had stopped laughing, Eli picked up his backpack and pulled out a pair of my black jogger shorts, "you left these at the gym," he threw them to me, but I obviously didn't catch them so they just hit my chest and fell to the ground.
Picking them up, I exclaimed, "I've been looking for these!" Eli didn't comment so I took a moment to contemplate in my head. I wanted to go in the water and because I was wearing a sheer top (from clubbing), I actually had on a black bralette that wasn't too revealing or too grandma-ish.
"I'll go in, but you need to turn," I made a swivel symbol with my hand, Eli rolled his eyes but obliged. I stripped down to just my bralette and underwear before tugging on my shorts. Eli turned. "Eli! I'm not done!" I yelled just as I pulled my shorts over my waist.
"You look done to me," he grabbed my hand and tugged me down the jetty, me grumbling the whole time about how inconsiderate he was.
When we reached the end, Eli wasted no time, diving in headfirst, he emerged from the water and just floated there, staring at me, his necklace was bouncing in the water in front of him, glinting in the light. Then out of nowhere, he stated, "you're stunning."
My arms crossed in front of my chest, I arched a brow, "I'm in shorts and a bra."
Eli didn't respond, just smirked at me from in the water, his eyes challenging me to jump in, so I did.
My hair whipped around me one second and then the next everything went silent as I sunk into the water. I let myself float under the surface for a moment before breaking free with a laugh. Eli swam over to me, pulling me into his arms, a smile present on his face as well.
"Hey," I whispered to him, reaching up to push his hair back out of his eyes. Eli's eyes fluttered closed at the feel of my hands brushing through his hair, he let out a soft groan as I gently tugged on the roots.
But then, I pushed away from him, splashing the water and swimming off with a laugh. I heard Eli's laugh close behind me before I too found myself being soaked by a rain of water. I turned in the water to see him swimming towards me causing me to let out a squeal and try to swim away.
I don't know how long we were in the water for, swimming around, splashing but I loved every second of it.
Eli's arms were wrapped around my waist under the water, mine around his neck whilst my legs cinched around his waist. We were both panting heavily as we stared at each other. I smiled at him before tilting my head back, placing my arms out either side of me and looking up at the stars, my upper body floating peacefully in the water whilst my lower body was tangled up with his.
"This place is twenty minutes from my Gran's house," he informed me.
I rose from my float to meet his gaze, putting my arms around his neck again, "really?"
"That's how I found it, during one of the summers I stayed with her." My hands started unconsciously playing with his hair as I felt his thumb rubbing my bare skin under the water.
But all my movements froze with his next statement, "I want you to come with me to see her."
â â â â â â â â â â
1547 words^
The next chapter isn't a part 3 of this chapter^ so I'm not sure when I will write and upload it xx
Alsom this is how I envisioned the lake.