Offline/Admit to liking Nicole
"Of course I like Nicole. She's funny and pretty and smart... I'm lucky just to know her let alone spend time with her. There's a lot of people that suck in the world but Nicole helps make all that go away."
Not the most eloquent speech, but at least it's an honest one. And in response Nicole flashes you a quick smile before she slips her hand back into yours.
"Yeah, so go away," she repeats. "You're just jealous that no one likes you." Geez Nicole. Harsh maybe? Or not harsh enough as Brayden isn't even phased.
"I still wouldn't hold my sister's hand on purpose,"
"Then you're a wuss and a pussy," you flatly fire back, getting annoyed.
"Am not!" Finally, something got to him.
"Okay Brenda, go take your pussy somewhere else."
He suddenly looks fuming mad, clenching his fists like he wants to punch you. You're just about to walk away when he yells, "Uncle Mike! Justice called me a pussy!"
Goddammit. You turn half expecting this to be a bluff then see Uncle Mike carrying a cooler down to the beach.
"He started it!" you yell in self defense.
"Did not!"
"Guys! C'mon!" Mike shouts back, not bothering to stop. Although he is carrying a cooler. "Can't you just get along for one more day? Then you never have to see each other again."
"But he said I was a wuss! And he wa-"
"Brayden, drop it. Whatever it is, it's not worth it. Go bug your sister."
Brayden shoots angry eyes at you two once more then stomps away muttering, "I'm not holding her hand..."
Crisis averted, Nicole now tugs you toward the treeline, hurrying toward the river. You weave your way down between the edge of the water and the trees, but opposite of the direction you trekked a few days ago. You tell her to slow down but she doesn't answer. The terrain here isn't much better but Nicole doesn't seem to care. In fact she seems weirdly determined. She drags you behind her for a couple minutes then arbitrarily stops and ducks into the trees. Only a few steps into the woods, she turns around and hugs you, practically jumping on you.
"I really like you Jay," she blurts out. "I don't want to never see you again."
You pull her closer, your arms wrapping behind her back. "I like you too. So much."
"I wish we had another week."
You both pull back a little, staring into each other's eyes. "I'll come see you. I... I don't know when."
A glance back through the treeline lets you get a glimpse of the diving rock from your secluded spot but not much of anything of the rest of the beach. It's good to know that you're hidden, even if it's by a thin margin. You're way closer to everyone than if you had ducked off to your cabin, but Nicole dragged you over here kind of impulsively.
When you turn back to your cousin she surprises you with a kiss, short but passionate.
"I... I love you, Jay."
A pulse of adrenaline courses through you. It's so scary hearing her say this, but it's as equally exciting. It must be just as scary for her, openly sharing her feelings for you. Tears are welling up in her eyes. Emotions finally spill over and neither of you hold back. You kiss in short bursts, a frenetic and desperate energy fueling your desire. You paw at each other, tugging at clothing and groping at privates, but it's too frantic to be effective, because before you're able to get anywhere she buries her head into your neck and hugs you tight like before. You sink your nose into her hair and breath deep, a chill running through you as you squeeze her slight figure.
"Nicole... I love you too."
You just hug for a bit, your heart trying to beat its way out of your chest. It's terrible to think that you may never see Nicole again. Surely you have to see each other eventually, but it's been years before this week. You live so far away and with so few gatherings like this that there's no telling the next time you'll meet.
Nearly a minute passes before Nicole pulls back hesitantly. She looks different all of a sudden. Her face is beet red, her eyelashes fluttering behind her glasses.
"You... you can eat me now. If you still want to."
Wow. She's straight up offering. Not that you had actually wanted to before, your sex-addled mind had just thought it would help make her 'ready'. As if you have any real idea how that all works anyway. But it's certainly an intriguing invitation now.