I realized, as I watched Clay tug off his shoes and shorts, revealing his trunks, that we always came back here. These trees, this water, had witnessed a lot of the Clay and Maggie roller coaster. Whether it was good or bad, we gravitated toward this space as though it were the one spot that was just for us.

Once again we were alone. Over the last year, I had found that less and less people used the old swimming hole, choosing the public pool instead. Fewer young kids even knew about its existence, thus making it feel even more like it belonged to the two of us.

Clay pulled me into the water and I let out a startled scream. I swallowed a mouthful of river water. “You are so going to pay for that!” I yelled, dipping under the water and pulling his feet out from underneath him. He couldn’t stay upright on the silt bottom and fell over. Laughing, he grabbed me and dunked me under again.

This went on for quite a while, reminding me so much of the first time I had brought him here, over eight months ago. It was unreal how much had changed but still stayed the same. We were two kids, who had been through the fire together, bruised and burned for it, but still going.

“I surrender! No more!” I held up my hands in defeat.

Clay swam over to me and scooped me up in his arms and carried me out of the water. He had laid a quilt down on the ground and pulled two towels from his messenger bag. Wrapping me in one, he patted me down until my extremities were dry.

“You hungry?” he asked, pulling out a bag of snacks.

“Sure,” I responded, reaching for some chips and a drink.

“So after this, you want to go buy some chewing tobacco and a Play Girl? How about some lotto tickets?” Clay suggested and I smirked.

“I’ll pass on all of the above. Though I did register to vote a few weeks ago. Woohoo for me!” I pumped my fist into the air and took a drink of water.

“Do not underestimate the value of civic duty, Maggie,” he taunted me and I went to punch him in the arm. He grabbed my hand and gave me a tug, pulling me into his lap. I dropped the bag of potato chips onto the ground as I bumped my chest into his.

Our noses rubbed against one another and he smirked as I realized how closely I was pressed against him. I was still bundled up in the towel, so Clay slowly reached up and slipped it from my shoulders, his fingers trailing down my back to settle on my hip.

“Happy Birthday, Mags,” he breathed as his hands gripped my skin, his thumbs playing with the string of my bikini bottom. I was suddenly aware of how alone we were and I knew I needed to capitalize on this situation before it slipped through my grasp.

Clay had been keeping the physical intimacy at arm’s length. I tried to understand his motives, but it mostly left me feeling extremely unsatisfied and more than a little rejected. But feeling him harden beneath me, I knew instinctively that he wouldn’t stop it this time.

I wound my arms behind his neck and leaned into him, our mouths furtively touching. My hands dove into his thick, wet hair and I gave it a little tug, making him chuckle beneath my lips. “Playing rough, huh?” he teased and I gave his hair another pull.

His teeth nipped at my bottom lip and I squirmed in his lap. There was so little fabric between us and his erection was very apparent. Clay’s hands came up my sides, causing me to shiver. “Is this what you want for your birthday, Maggie?” he asked breathlessly.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and rocked myself gently against him, causing his eyes to close and his head to fall back. “What do you think?” I asked, kissing the underside of his jaw.

Clay’s head snapped up and he grabbed ahold of my face and pulled me, almost roughly, to his mouth, where he attacked me like a drowning man. Our lips and tongues worked furiously at each other.

My hands couldn’t touch enough of him. My fingers clawed at his back as he pulled my bikini top down and cupped my br**sts. I moaned loudly and began to rock against him again. The friction between my legs was unbelievable.

“My God, Maggie, I need you so badly,” he let out in almost tortured anguish. He sounded strangled and afraid but so desperate for me that I could do nothing but comply.

With shaking fingers, Clay loosened the bikini tie around my neck, where it promptly fell to my middle. His hands were back on my br**sts, rubbing and kneading until I felt myself start to build toward the inevitable explosion.

I pushed his shoulders until he lay on his back while I still straddled him. He made quick work of my bottoms until I was completely naked above him. He pulled back, resting his head on the ground and looked up at with me such adoration that it made my heart clench painfully and my lungs squeeze tightly. What had I ever done to deserve this kind of love?

I suddenly remembered Rachel telling me after Clay’s parents had come into town and blown his world apart, that our love wasn’t one she would want. I had agreed at the time, so overwhelmed with the hurt and devastation that had been a constant side effect of loving him not so long ago.

Looking down at Clay, his dark hair slicked back, his eyes radiating warmth and devotion, I knew that now, this love that had taken me to the highest heights and the lowest depths, that had terrified me and filled me with hope. This love between us was something I wanted to feel for the rest of my life.

“I love you,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes. Clay reached up and cradled my face in his hand.

“I’ll love you forever,” he answered as he pulled me back down to his waiting mouth. He removed his swimming trunks, adding them to the pile of soggy clothing on the ground. When we were completely bare, we held each other tight, needing the press of skin to skin, no barriers.