The Forever of Ella and Micha

fingers along the back of her thigh and give her ass a squeeze. “Am I making you wet right now?”
    She looks like she’s going to cry, which was not the reaction I was expecting. “How can you joke around with me? After what I did?”
    I shrug, tug my pants higher up onto my waist, and step into water, which fills up my boots instantly. “Fuck, that’s cold.” I wade out to one of the various streams of water that surround two angel statues slanted together with harps in their hands. Water soaks my jeans as I set her down in the middle of it, letting her get drenched.
    She squeals, panting from the cold. “You are the meanest guy I’ve ever known.”
    Water rivers from the fountain and down her rock-hard body. It takes me back to the time in the shower when I touched her all over for the first time. God, I fucking miss touching her like that.
    “You know that’s not true.” I step forward, to the edge of the stream, and take in her wet clothes. “In fact, I think you know I’m the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”
    She doesn’t argue, just moves out from the water, and wrings out her hair. “I think we need to talk.”
    A weight falls from my shoulders and I open my mouth to tell her we should go somewhere to talk, when someone screams. Our eyes dart to the edge of the fountain where Lila is sitting in the water, her clothes and hair soaked, and Ethan is standing on the marble step, laughing hysterically.
    Ella busts up laughing as Ethan steps into the pool of water that surrounds the fountain and we end up having a full-on water fight. We stop only when security shows up and we run into the nearby park in our wet clothes. I’m not much of an artist, only with lyrics, but if someone were to snap a picture of us in the fountain, I’m sure they would see a rare moment of perfection.

Ella
    I haven’t had a night like this since I was fifteen and Micha and I spent the entire day out at the lake on a small raft we “borrowed” from the neighbors. It was one of those days of simplicity, but it meant everything because there was no darkness, only light.
    We get a lot of glares as we walk through the lobby of the hotel in our sopping clothes, leaving a trail of water along the tile floor. The guys didn’t get their own room and apparently they’re too broke, so Lila and I decide to let them stay, even though it makes me uneasy.
    When we get up to the room, Micha peels off his shirt and chucks himself onto the bed, while Ethan kicks his boots off by the door.
    Ethan rubs his hands together. “Who’s up for a community shower?”
    “Are you including Micha in your request too?” I joke maliciously as I shut the bedroom door.
    He scowls at me, pulling a disgusted face. “Shut up.”
    I stick out my tongue as Micha shakes his head disappointedly. “Pretty girl, you took it one step too far.”
    I laugh, grabbing some pajamas out of my bag and running into the bathroom. “Since you’re the one who threw me in, you can take the shower last.”
    He starts to run for me and I close the door, laughing. Once I’m alone, I assess the night. I don’t understand. Why is he being so nice to me? Does he… did he figure out I was lying?
    I strip off my clothes and toss them in the corner, then turn on the shower, waiting until it warms up before I step in. I’m washing my hair with the hotel shampoo when the lock on the door clicks.
    I know who it is because he taught me how to pick a lock. “Seriously, Micha, no more for the night.”
    “It’s me,” Lila says and something lands on the counter with a clank. “I just needed to brush my teeth. I think I got fountain water in my mouth.”
    Soap stings in my eyes. “Did you pick the lock?”
    “No, Micha did it for me.” She turns the water on briefly, but it’s enough to make the temperature change.
    I shiver as I rinse the rest of the shampoo out of my hair. The sink turns off and then it turns quiet. “Lila?” I wonder if she left.
    “Are you ever planning on telling him the truth?” Lila finally asks. “That you didn’t cheat on him, but that you had a…”
    “Nervous breakdown—you can say it.” My hands remain in my hair and soap drips down my face. “And I don’t know if I’m going to tell him.”
    I hear her sit down on top of the toilet. “Can I ask why not?”
    Swallowing hard, I peek out from the curtain. “Because he seems happy, and if he is, then I don’t want to ruin it for him. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for