Let's go.

Part 6: The Departure

"I'm going to catch breakfast," he says as I roll over onto my side.

"Oh yay, more trout," I say with a laugh.

He grins down at me as he pulls his jean shorts back on then shrugs into a flannel shirt that he leaves unbuttoned.

He winks at me before turning away to leave the cabin's bedroom. I hear the front door squeak then bang against the door jam as he exits. I roll over onto my back and stare at the ceiling. I am going to miss him and I don't want to admit that I love him, but I do. I know the reason why I have allowed myself to feel attracted to Layne is because I never wanted to fall too hard for Jerry--and I knew that falling for him would mean heart break.

But fuck, I am not going to miss this life style. I haven't bathed in who knows how long and I can feel his cum seeping out of me and running down my leg. There is nowhere to shower here.

I search around for my panties and clothes then remember that I stripped for him in the living room. I shrug on the sweatshirt he left lying on the floor next to the bed.

I make a pot of coffee and lean against the kitchen counter to watch him through the small  window above the tiny kitchen sink. He is standing at the end of the dock tying his fishing line. He has a backward cap on and his long hair has been tied back. The coffee maker finishes bubbling and I pour him and I each a cup.

I balance the cups, trying not to let them spill as I maneuver open the cabin door. I manage to close it with out it snapping back and slamming against the door jam. I don't want to disturb the peaceful morning.

The warm morning sun shines down on the lake making it glisten. The birds are singing their morning songs and the air is thick with the smell of pine sap and wild flowers. I pad across the wet dock barefoot and come to stand next to him. He looks down at me and the look in his eyes stills my breath. I see more than adoration, I see love in his eyes and I can feel it in the pit of my stomach.

"Is that for me?" He asks nodding towards the coffee as he reels his fishing line. I nod and hand it over to him. He takes a tentative sip to determine how hot it is then takes a deep gulp.

"Wow, that shit tastes like a boiled shoe," He says with a deep chuckle.

"I think this coffee has been in there since the cabin was built," I reply with a laugh and choke down another gulp.

He sets the coffee down on the dock then wraps his arm around my waist.

"You know, for a lawyer, you are a pretty easy going chick," He says with his deep chuckle.

I elbow him in the side and say, "has this been a test to see if I'm high maintenance?" I ask. He laughs and shakes his head "no."

"Nah babe, I just wanted to show you one of my favorite places," he says quietly.

Moved by this I wrap my arm around his waist and hug him to me.

He continues to hold his fishing pole in one hand with his arm wrapped around me as we stand at the end of the dock in silence. I let my mind wander in this serenity and I can't help but hear the sound of children laughing, and imagine him sitting on the porch with gray hair and a guitar in his lap. I sigh audibly, and think to myself, "if only."

I lean away from him and take another sip of the coffee.

"Babe, can you hand me the tackle box next to you?" He asks and gestures to the small plastic box at the side of the dock. I walk over to it and bend down to grab it when I  hear him make a low whistle and I remember that I don't have any panties on.

"Jesus fuck," He says with a thick chuckle and shakes his head. "I love you in those cotton panties I took from you but fuck, you in my sweatshirt without any panties has gotta be my favorite."

I pull his sweatshirt up and over my head.

"What the fuck?" He says with a thick chuckle as I stand in front of him completely nude. He looks around instinctually to make sure we are alone.

"Who you lookin' for?" I ask when he stops looking around and his eyes rest on my nude body again.

"Just wanted to make sure I didn't have to fight some hillbilly for looking at you," He says as a lascivious grin spreads across his face.

He reaches for me but I step out of his reach then dive off the dock into the cold, deep water.

The water is frigid and my lungs constrict from the cold as I kick from the dark depths back to the light of the surface. I breach the water and take a deep inhale, the cold morning air filling my constricted lungs. My body feels like it is being poked by millions of tiny pins as it slowly numbs to the cold.

I hear Jerry laughing from the dock as I breach the surface and begin to  tread water.

"Jesus, that's gotta be freezing!" He yells to me from the dock, a wide grin on his face.

"It feels amazing," I yell in return and float on my back as the morning sun warms my face and the cold water over my ears distorts the sounds around me into a muffled, peaceful ripple.

My tranquility is accosted by the sound of a loud splash. I lean up to see where it came from and I see Jerry's head breach the water's surface.

"Holy fuck, this is cold," he says as he runs his hands over his head to slick his long hair back. He treads water for a moment while his body acclimates to the stinging cold, then he begins swimming towards me. He reaches me quickly and envelopes me in his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. My naked core rests against his stomach and I can feel that he too is completely naked. His wet hair clings to his head and around his face and floats on the water's surface.

He outstretches his arms and begins to tread water to keep both of us afloat. He is smiling at me and I bend my head to kiss him. His lips are cold and wet, and he tastes like the terrible coffee I made and the cold brine from the lake.

"I think this is the cleanest you have been in a while," I tease him and his bright blue eyes shine back at me in good humor. The same look that I saw in those eyes the first time we were together on his bus. His playful spirit is one of the things I love about him.

"Hey, I could say the same thing about you, babe," he says and pinches my naked ass under the water. He drops his voice and his lips are against my ear when he says in a thick whisper, "but I love the way you taste, especially after a couple of days."

I chuckle thickly in reply and kiss him again.

"I love you," I say when I break from the kiss. He casts his eyes down and it feels like an eternity before he looks me in the eye again. His eyes look solemn when his gaze finally meets mine. He starts to say something and I put my finger to his lips to stop him.

I shake my head "no" and say, "please, don't, I just want you to know." He nods his head then reaches up and threads his hand under my hair to rest on the side of my neck. He looks deeply into my eyes as his thumb glides across my cheek bones.

"I love you too," He says quietly then kisses me. I tighten my arms around his neck as our kiss becomes more desperate, more emotional. He is matching my lust and need, and I feel my body warming in the frigid waters. He breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine. "But I can't be who you need."

"I know, and I  think it's time for me to go home." I finally say, my voice barely a whisper.

He nods and kisses me again softly on my lips.