Mismatched Compatibility (23)

I'm absolutely in love with this song (Say You Love Me - Jessie Ware) for Ethan and Dana. I think it's also perfect for the chapter so if you could, please do play it while you're reading. :)

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Ethan:

I stared at the beach house that I considered a sanctuary from my mother's high class parties. I loved coming here as a kid. But then my visits lessened the moment I started attending sports camps every summer.

“Who lives here?” asked Daniella, when we entered the house.

“My grandparents used to,” I answered, walking to the living room.

One of my favorite parts of coming here was drinking beer with Grandpa at the veranda, overlooking the gulf. We'd just chill there and talk.

“Where are they now?”

I dropped our bags by the couch, near the fireplace. I took my time before answering Daniella's question.

“Grandma passed a couple of years ago,” I started, keeping the emotion from my voice. “Grandpa would rather live in a Home than stay here. So he gave this house to my dad, but my mom didn't want it. They gave it to me, instead.”

It was just a simple two-story beach house by the gulf. Nothing too fancy. Just perfect for a small coastal town get away. I loved it.

“Do you want it?” she asked me curiously, a little skeptical.

My eyes wandered around the bright lit place, faintly hearing the ocean waves. My nose was practically rejoicing by the smell of the salty air.

I looked at Daniella. “I do.”

She smiled softly.

We stared at each other for a while. I suddenly had the urge to kiss her, my eyes focusing on her lips – those lips that I wanted to taste so bad again.

Her body shifted.

At that moment, I realized that she was waiting for me to make a move. Fuck, I wanted to. So I took a step closer, while I noticed she had an intake of breath.

I couldn't help it. I lowered my head to the crook of her neck, inhaling her flowery scent. This close, I felt her shiver. I smiled, and decided to tease her a little more. Slowly, I ran my nose from her collar bone up to her jaw.

“You smell so fucking good,” I murmured, my voice husky.

It took her a moment to answer.

“I thought we were going to swim?” she reminded me, breathless from the effect of what I was doing.

“We are.” But still I didn't move. Then, I sighed. “Change before I do something you're not ready for.” I straightened up and stepped back.

It killed me, not being able to do what I wanted with her. I wanted to touch her, worship her. But I couldn't. Not until she gave me full permission.

“There you go again,” she said, rolling her eyes. Her cheeks were still flushed, though. “Don't decide for me, Ethan. Stop underestimating me.”

As if proving her point, she suddenly leaned up and kissed me on the corner of my mouth. I swear I got a hard on right then and there.

“And I don't need to change,” she whispered, as she took off her summer dress.

I'm pretty sure she's doing it to spite me because she's taking a real slow time getting off her dress. She tried to appear bold and daring but I caught her hand shaking a little. That made me grin.

But those thoughts flew out the window the moment I saw that she was wearing a green bikini. Fuck me. My jaw dropped.

Good thing I caught myself and closed my mouth before she could notice. I smirked when an idea suddenly popped in my mind.

“You think you're so bold, huh?” I laughed easily. “C'mon, Howard,” I added, turning my back to her and headed out the back of the house. It took all of me not to run straight to the sea.

Don't be horny. Don't be horny. Don't be fucking horny.

I mean, I knew she was hot. But God damn! Those helluva curves! Shit, I gotta contain this raging hard-on.

As smooth as I could, I adjusted my soldier through my board shorts. I pulled off my shirt and threw it on the swing when I passed by it. I went to the shed and was glad to see that the kayak was still in one piece. I grabbed it and took it out.

“Grab the paddles,” I told Daniella, who was watching me.

She didn't protest, thankfully. She went straight to the shed, a little eagerly. When she came out, she was carrying paddles in each hand.

I knelt down and made sure that the kayak and the paddles were still in good shape. It could fit in two people so it was perfect. When I was satisfied, I nodded and stood up. I grinned as I looked at Daniella.

“Ready?”

“Absolutely!” she giggled excitedly.

I shook my head in amusement at her reaction. I liked seeing her happy like this, getting her excited, and introducing her to things. It was like a rush for me.

I carried the kayak as we made our way to the shore. It wasn't that heavy for me, so I decided that it'd be easier if I carried it out, while Daniella carried our paddles.

In no time, we were paddling in the sea.

I usually did this alone. Because seriously, who in the hell would I invite to come here and kayak with me? Although, I did that once in high school. I invited Aaron and the others to come spend the weekend here. It turned into a little bonfire party. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

For some reason now, I liked having company.

I liked having this particular girl with me. Here. In the middle of the sea.

I looked at her. Her back was turned to me, her hair was loose and curly. Even when she wasn't facing me, I still found her gorgeous.

The urge to pull her towards me and put my arms around her was too strong that I had to look away. I suddenly found my heart beating fast. How'd that happen?

I realized she stopped paddling, making me turn to her again. I was about to say something when she beat me to it.

“There aren't any sharks here, are there?” she asked anxiously.

I stopped paddling, too.

“Sometimes,” I shrugged.

“Sometimes?!”

I laughed. “Relax, I've never actually seen one. I just heard stories from the old folks when I was a kid. But I bet they were just trying to scare me so I wouldn't go night swimming.”

She looked over her shoulder. I was surprised to see a smile on her face.

“But that didn't stop you, did it?”

I grinned. “No, it didn't.”

She was really starting to get me.

“It's so peaceful out here,” she breathed out, her eyes closed and her chin up as if smelling the ocean air.

I watched her relax and quietly studied her features.

She wasn't wearing any make-up on. I didn't normally believe in that bullshit that girls were prettier without make-up on because who the hell were we kidding? Girls somehow looked better with it.

Who would've thought that I actually preferred this girl I was looking at without it? I mean, sure she was drop dead smokin' hot when she was wearing some. But when we were alone like this, I kind of liked seeing her bare face.

Her bare body is a different story, of course.

My eyes traveled from her closed eyes, to her cheeks, then her nose, and finally her lips. I gazed, enchanted – recalling that time we kissed in the airport. And I almost leaned closer. Damn. The sexual tension was getting heavier by the second.

I cleared my throat.

“Hey, I wanna show you something,” I told her.

She instantly opened her eyes. I froze when our eyes made contact. I wasn't sure but it was like she was holding me there. I knew that this was the moment where I should kiss her. It was the perfect time. But I held back.

I fucking held back.

“It's over by that cliff,” I said, pointing by the end of the gulf.

Stupid chicken shit.

She looked disappointed, making me cock my head to the side curiously.

She wanted to kiss me that badly, too? I mean, I knew she wanted to kiss me. But I was waiting for her to show me signs that she wasn't gonna regret it.

I wanted her to want it as much as I did.

“What's over there?” she asked, as she started to paddle again.

“You'll see.”

We spent the next few minutes in silence as we fought the current, making our way to that cliff. I wasn't usually this quiet, but I couldn't bring myself to speak. Today, I couldn't seem to make myself be the childish person that I typically was.

Finally, we passed the cliff and another shore came into view. It was a very small private shore that had tall rock walls instead of a land. It was like a little island on a corner, covered by cliffs on both ends so nobody could easily see it.

I heard Daniella gasp. I smiled smugly.

“Wow,” she mumbled, glancing at me with her awestruck face. “It's amazing!”

“I know.”

I've been just as shocked when I accidentally ended up here that first time, two years ago. I wanted to get away from everything so much that I paddled and paddled until I passed that big cliff and saw this. That was around the time when Grandma died.

We arrived by the shore and climbed out of the kayak. We pulled it to the sand so it wouldn't drift away. As soon as Daniella let go, she bounced around the place like a kid on Disneyland.

“This is so incredible!” she beamed, swinging out her arms as she ran.

Whoa. I didn't think she'd be this excited.

“I feel like we're in one of those films that was ship wrecked,” she giggled.

I laughed as I followed her upper in the shore. I sat in the middle of the sand and watched Daniella roam around the small beach.

I still had no clue how she could be so cute and gorgeous like that. I could watch her all day without getting tired of her face.

“I think I love this place already,” she said, turning to me and grinning.

I chuckled and laid my back on the sand, my head resting on one of my hands. The sky turned cloudy. It was good timing, because then I could gaze up at the clouds.

I was so fucking mellow today – and I didn't even know why.

“Ethan,” she called quietly.

“Yeah?”

“You haven't spoken a word since we got here.”

I smiled crookedly at her. “I just said 'yeah.'”

“Oh, ha ha,” she laughed sarcastically.

I didn't wanna tell her that coming to the beach with her got me like this. See, I didn't bring anyone here. This was my thinking place. This was the place I ran to when the real world got too unbearable.

Ah, fuck it.

“You're the first person I brought here,” I admitted.

“Oh.” She looked away. “Does that make you uncomfortable?”

“Yes.”

She bit her lip.

“No.” I groaned, sitting up. “I don't know. Being here with you like this makes me too comfortable that it's uncomfortable.” I frowned and looked at her. “Does that make sense?”

“I think so,” she replied thoughtfully. “In some way, I'm invading your privacy and you don't know how to deal with it.”

“That's the thing, I like sharing my privacy with you.”

I froze. My eyes widened at the realization of what I said.

Shit. I can't believe I just said that. No way! That sounds so fucking cheesy I can't even – Holy shit!

Daniella and I stared at each other for who knows how long, before she burst out laughing. And she was laughing her ass off.

That broke the spell.

“What the hell's funny?” I asked her.

“You are,” she laughed. “Your expression was beyond priceless.”

“Whatever, I'm going for a swim.”

At that, I got to my feet and –

“I'll race you!” exclaimed Daniella, whooshing past me.

My lips stretched into a smile. Who knew this girl could be fun?

I quickly ran after her and of course, without a doubt from my side, I splashed to the sea way before she did.

“Challenging an athlete to a race?” I snorted. “Real smart.”

“You won't be an athlete forever,” she said a-matter-of-factly, wetting her hair.

“I'm planning to.”

Her head whipped to me. She studied me, her sharp green eyes boring into my blue ones. I could practically see her putting the puzzles together in her head.

“You're going to be a professional athlete?”

I nodded. “That's the plan.” I hesitated, then added, “I'll be drafted this June by the Knicks. I already signed the contract. It's all for formality.”

That was one of the reasons why first thing Friday morning, I came by Aaron's house to tell him and Luke about the news. Between the three of us, I was the only one who originally wanted to go pro.

“Knicks, as in New York Knicks?” asked Daniella carefully.

I sneered. “I didn't think you'd get that.”

“I live in New York,” she countered defensively. “Of course, I'd know.”

“Whatever floats your boat, babe.”

Out of nowhere I felt splash of water to my face. I looked at her, shocked but amused at the same time.

“Getting childish, are we?” I teased.

“Look who's talking,” she scoffed.

I smirked. “I didn't say I wasn't.”

Then, I took my revenge and splashed her right back in her face.

For a moment, I was worried that she might choke from all that coughing. Maybe I went a little overboard with all that water. But then she glared at me. I took that as an okay to laugh.

It wasn't really a surprise when we ended up in a water fight. At some point, one of us called truce. We swam a little more, until she saw the kayak getting taken by the waves. She shrieked, panicking. I just laughed my ass off because her reaction was so funny. The current wasn't event that strong.

“Ethan! Stop laughing! Help me get it back!”

I laughed more at that.

“It won't go anywhere.”

She glared at me, and I pulled my hands up in defeat.

We swam as quick as we could to the floating kayak. Like I said, the current wasn't strong. So there was no problem getting it back to the shore. This time, we really made sure to push it way back from the water.

We dropped to sand, tired from all that activity – but I wasn't trying to catch my breath like she was. We were silent for a few minutes until she broke the ice. And before we knew it, we were talking as we sat in the sand.

She told me all about her school, her experience at the frat house. She hesitated before telling me the whole story. And when she did, I gritted my teeth.

Now I knew why she didn't like beer pong. Hell, no wonder. I clenched my fists, frustrated that I couldn't at least say that some frat houses weren't like that because I knew for a fact that things like that also even happened in ours. Some dickheads were just too fucking desperate for a lay.

When she saw my change of mood, she quickly changed the subject. She then talked about her sister and her dad. She looked so happy talking about them that I was a bit jealous that I didn't have that kind of family. When I asked her about her mom, I regretted it almost instantly.

“She died giving birth to me,” she answered quietly.

I seriously had no idea what to say. I mean, I've dealt with a friend losing his mom before. But I didn't know how to comfort him even then. We just drank beer and sat in silence that time.

With a girl, I didn't know what to say. So I went with my guts.

I reached out my hand and gently touched hers.

She looked down at our hands, but she didn't say anything. Slowly, as if taking her time, she intertwined them.

“Sometimes, I wonder what's it like having a mother,” she continued in that same quiet voice. “But then I think that it isn't fair to my father, because he tries very hard to be the best of both.”

I stared at the sea, my mind drifting to my own folks.

“Most of the time, I feel like I don't have any parents at all,” I whispered.

I felt her eyes on me.

“I kept telling myself that I got over it,” I added, the words just pouring out, “but sometimes it still gets to me, you know? Like a sucker punch.”

I didn't think I'd ever admit that to anyone in my whole life. It hurt to say it out loud, because that was the exact thing I tried to bury at the back of my head – something I didn't even wanna think about. But here I was, telling Daniella things that I wouldn't even admit to myself.

I think it's something about her being here with me . . . It's as if this little trip opened up possibilities and made things a lot more clearer with us.

She squeezed my hand, making me look at her. She didn't say anything. Her eyes, though. They were telling me it was okay, letting me know she understood.

As I stared at this unbelievably beautiful girl, strange new feelings came rushing through me all at once. It got me feeling all mushy and electrifying at the same time. My heart was beating fast and my stomach was going in knots. I couldn't understand it. All I knew was, it was consuming me.

And right then and there I knew.

My ass is fucking whipped.