Page 1 of Summer Heat

Chapter One

JILLY

I can’t believe it’s the first day of summer and I’m all alone. School was over last week, and I have two whole months before I leave for college. Someone might think that my summer would be filled with parties and saying farewell to friends, but they would be oh so wrong.

Graduating from high school was my first step toward a life of independence. The next step is going to college and getting the hell out of this town. It’s nothing but rich snobs that think everyone is beneath them. Lucky me, my parents are among the worst of them.

The people I went to high school with thought I had a dream life where I got everything I wanted. That was so far from the truth. My parents have gone out of their way to make sure I’m not happy and given me the bare minimum to get by. They made it clear from the time my brother and I were old enough to understand what money was and that they were the ones with money, not us.

It’s why I don’t have friends. I was busy working and studying the whole time so I could save up enough money for college and hopefully get scholarships. Thankfully, my hard work paid off, and I got a full ride in the fall. But now that high school is over, all I can do is think about how much I missed out on.

This year was harder than the ones before because my brother Easton was in his first year of college. We were always close, but he was like me: ready to get out of here as fast as he could. I don’t blame him for leaving me behind. I knew it would happen eventually. It’s just sad that I’m going to be stuck here in the house alone all summer now that I don’t have a job.

The restaurant where I had been waiting tables for the past couple of years knew I was leaving for college. They had someone come in looking for a job, and since I wasn’t going to be around much longer, they let me go. I had enough money saved up that I didn’t need to get another job, and I hated to go through the process of getting retrained somewhere else only to leave.

So here I am, twiddling my thumbs while my parents summer in Greece and my brother is off doing whatever it is he does. Okay, so maybe I’m jealous he’s finally out of here and doing what he wants, but I’d never admit that. I love Easton, and for so long, all we had was each other. I could never begrudge him his freedom, so I keep my misery to myself.

As if he’s reading my mind, my phone lights up with a text from him.

East: How’s my baby sis?

Me: Bored.

East: I thought as much.

East: Wanna hang out?

The question surprises me because his college is hours away. My parents were talking before they left, and I overhead them say that he was staying at the college over the summer and working. I remember my mother specifically saying he wasn’t going to be able to come home at all. She sounded relieved.

If he’s asking me to hang out, then maybe he’s on his way here?

Me: Um, YES!

East: Grab your bathing suit. I’ll swing by in ten.

Me: Are you serious?

East: Tick tock Jilly Bean.

I can feel myself smiling as I squeal with delight and rush to my room. Thank god I took a long bath last night and shaved everything.

When I get to my closet, I grab an old gym bag and then search for a bathing suit. As I look through the bottom of my drawer, I realize the only thing I have to wear is a white two-piece that I’m pretty sure I got secondhand in middle school.

“Shit,” I say when I pull it out and hold it up to the light. “Is this even going to fit?”

I double-check the drawer, and sure enough, that’s the only bathing suit I have. Deciding that I don’t have a lot of options, I strip down and put it on. When I look at myself in the mirror, I confirm that it’s indeed too small, but the most important bits are covered. Okay, maybe you can see a hint of my areolas, but my pussy lips don’t come out unless I squat.

Grabbing one of Easton’s old shirts, I pull it on along with a worn pair of cut-off jean shorts. Just in case, I toss a change of clothes into my gym bag and some sunscreen. Just when I’m sliding my feet into flip-flops, I hear a horn honking out font.

I’m giddy as I race down the stairs and see Easton open the front door. I don’t hesitate to leap into his arms, and he catches me like aways. I feel him press a kiss to my cheek and then to my neck as he nuzzles me there. He breathes deep like he’s inhaling my scent, and I snuggle closer.

“There’s my Jilly Bean,” he says into my hair, and I close my eyes, loving this connection. It’s been too long.

We’ve always been close—closer than our parents would like us to be. Too bad for them that never stopped us. We slept in the same bed until they forced us to separate and started locking me in my room at night. The worst was when they tried to stop us from taking baths together. As soon as they noticed Easton’s “excitement,” as they called it, they wanted to put an end to it. But they couldn't be with us one hundred percent of the time, and we found a way.

As he holds me now, I remember how good it felt to be in his presence, and I miss our private time. Our secret time that we never told anyone about.

“I missed you,” I whisper against his neck and place a kiss there. I feel his arms tighten around me and then one of his hands goes to my butt to hold me closer.