Niall

Lynn Mercury loved camping. When Jamie and Jace first brought up the idea of a couples camping trip about a month ago when they came to visit us after our engagement, Lynn was all over it. She immediately started planning; thinking of things to do, where to go, and creating a list of things to bring. She spent hours on hours on the computer looking things up, making sure they wouldn't forget anything and to have extras of everything they brought just in case. She doubled up on food, sunscreen, bug spray, and mini games in case it rains and we're stuck inside our tents.

A month later we stood isolated on the Angel Island State Park campgrounds.

I however hated camping. One time before my parents were divorced and my brother and I got along fairly well, we had gone camping. It was Dad's idea, his notion of "making the family whole again" and I might have only been ten-years-old, but even I knew that wasn't going to happen.

And I had been right. Since this was before cellphones were a big thing, instead of spending all her time on one, Mum spent the weekend complaining how she was missing phone calls and that work needed her and that this was a waste of time. Dad brushed that off though, determined to make it a weekend we would never forget. He ended up getting what he wanted, but it wasn't in the way he would have thought.

"Will you stop slumping around and help me pitch the tent?" Lynn asked from a few feet away. She was on her knees with the tent flat in front of her, a pole in one hand and a corner of the tent fabric in the other.

"I thought you were the Girl Scout," I reminded her. "Can't you do it on your own?"

Lynn didn't seem to bat an eye at my attitude. "Yes, but it will go a lot faster if you help. Besides, you should learn how to do this just in case."

I laughed bitterly and swatted a mosquito away. "In case of what? After this, I'm not leaving a city ever again."

"Oh, for Christ sakes," Jace snapped from beside their tent that was almost put together. "Would you stop being a bitch and help her?"

I glared at him for a moment, which he returned with a scowl just as hot. There really wasn't away around this and Jace knew that. He would make sure I sucked it up for the sake of Lynn's (and theirs, for that matter) sanity.

Groaning, I stood up from the log I was sitting on and walked over to Lynn. I didn't say anything and neither did Lynn as she handed me one of the rods and pointed to the other side of the tent. Putting up a tent seemed self-explanatory as I threaded the pole through the sleeve for Lynn to grab and secure it on her side. After that was done and the tent was now standing, Lynn threw me some stakes and told me to start pushing them into the ground so the tent stays in place.

Eventually, after some grumbling and more complaining through the whole thing, our tent was up. And it was fucking tiny.

"We're sleeping in here?" I asked, looking at the girl beside me who was admiring our work. "Is it even safe?"

Lynn laughed. "As safe as it can get. We're not going to get attacked by a bear if that's what you mean."

"How do you know?"

"I guess I don't know that," Lynn confessed. "You're the statistic guy, you tell me the odds of that happening."

Jamie walked up to us then, the bright yellow tank top she was wearing nearly blinding me. "You'll be more likely to be mulled by a bear outside the tent then in, so this argument is pointless, isn't it?"

I gestured to the redhead. "See! That brings me back to my first point: I hate camping."

Lynn rolled her eyes and unzipped our tent, throwing the luggage inside. I realized I needed to chill out on the complaining if I wanted to keep that ring on Lynn's finger. I may have bad memories on camping, but I didn't want to be the reason why she will too.

That's when I made a promise to myself: I'll complain only once an hour. That's it.

"So, what's the plan now?" Jace asked, taking a seat on one of the logs facing the fire pit. "We got camp ready, we ate before we got here. What do you have on that list of yours, Lynn?"

Lynn took a seat beside him. "Uh, hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, biking, and relaxing at the beach..."

"Let's go to the beach!" Jamie shouted.

"Yeah, because you don't do enough of that at home," I muttered under my breath.

It wasn't intended for her to hear, but when I felt her small hand shove against my shoulder, I knew she did. "You're an ass." Then she turned to Lynn. "No offence, but I'm really not liking your fiancée right now."

From the word fiancée, Lynn's fingers went to the ring around her finger and I couldn't help but notice. She was looking at the band as she twisted it, the diamond gleaming from the sun high above us. I watched her closely, taking note that she didn't look very happy, or even a little content, because the smallest of frowns tugged at the corner of her mouth and my heart started to pick up speed.

Was she having second thoughts? Did I fuck up somehow? Surly my complaining didn't completely steer her off course. We've only been engaged for a month!

"I'm going to change into my suit," Jamie said, interrupting my thoughts.

I watched as Jamie and Jace unzipped their tent and went inside, closing it up behind them. Now that we were alone (or as alone as we could get with only a thin piece of fabric between us and our other companions), I wanted to ask what she was thinking. But the next thing I knew Lynn was on her feet and heading toward the tent.

As she passed me, I grabbed her hand and pulled her against my chest. Her mouth opened to say something, but it got lost in her throat as I closed the gap between us and pressed my lips against hers. When I pulled away, I felt my heart nearly break out of its cage. I never want to see that look on Lynn's face again as she looked at the ring on her finger.

"I love you," I whispered, making sure it was only heard between the two of us. "And I'm sorry for being a dick. I'll stop complaining and try my best to enjoy myself."

Lynn's hand that wasn't in mine went up to the back of my neck and carded through the dark hair. "Thank you," she said with a genuine smile.

Then she stood on her tiptoes and gave me another kiss, and then another one and another until a voice inside the tent made us break apart.

"Are you two done out there?" We heard Jamie ask. "We've been waiting for you to finish but I'm starting to think there's not an end."

× × ×

I've been to a lot of beaches in my life time, but even I had to admit that Perle's Beach was breathtaking. Not only was the sand smooth between my toes and clean of any litter, but beyond the surface of Raccoon Strait stands the San Francisco Bridge and skyline. It also helped that it was a perfect late September afternoon with just enough breeze to keep you cool and sun at its highest peak where you had to soak yourself in sunscreen or pay for the consequences.

Lynn and Jamie were taking advantage of the empty spot of beach with the hot sun to get some tanning in. Lynn had been complaining to me that since moving to Ireland, her tan has gone away, so I wasn't even a little surprised that this was the first thing she would do when she got to the beach.

Jace and I sat a few feet away from them, people watching and making sure the seagulls didn't steal the snacks we brought along with us.

"How's Jemma doing?" I asked into the silence.

"Good!" Jace said excitedly. He always gets enthusiastic when talking about his little girl. "She's starting to walk and talk. Getting into everything, too. I already know she's going to be a handful."

"Where is she staying while you're here?"

"With Jamie's mum. It's hard on the both of us for leaving her. We've done it before, but this will be the longest we've been away from her."

As much as that feeling must suck, I wanted it. I had to admit that I was a little jealous of Jamie and Jace. Okay, maybe more than just a little. I've seen them interact with Jemma, seen her from the very first day she was born and watched her grow up into a nearly walking tornado according to her father. I wanted that. I wanted that so bad. But I had to take it slow. I managed to get Lynn to say yes to marry me, but even though we've talked some about having children in the future, the topic was still very taboo to her.

"Hi!"

Jace and I turned at the same time to find a petite woman standing beside us, her long, blonde hair blowing softly behind her with blue eyes squinting through the sun at us.

"Hello," Jace answered kindly.

Suddenly, the girl's blue eyes went wide. "It is you! Jace Layton!"

At this point, the newcomer drew the attention of Lynn and Jamie who sat up on their elbows to watch the exchange. Lynn was eyeing the girl suspiciously while Jamie was watching Jace like a hawk.

"My buddies and I weren't sure if it was you so they made me come over and see," she explained. I looked behind her and found a small group of people watching us and figured those were her friends. "And it is you!"

Jace laughed and squinted up at her. "Yeah, it's me."

"We're about to go on a yacht, how about you join us?" she asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Free alcohol and food."

"Uh..." Jace trailed off, looking at me and the two girls on the towel.

"Bring your friends!" the girl expressed. "There's plenty of room!"

I looked at my friends, waiting to see what they thought. We've all known each other long enough to read each other without even saying a word. And from what I was gathering from them, they seemed to be okay with it.

Jace stood up and smiled at the girl. "Lead the way."

× × ×

I've been on a yacht once or twice for one of Mum's business vacations when I was younger, and this one was significantly smaller. It was still big; the inside was a split-level with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a grand kitchen, and a living room bigger then my first flat. The first level outside was pretty basic with some sitting areas and a place to lay and relax. However, above all that is where Lynn, Jamie, Jace and I sat talking to people we didn't know.

"I can't believe I invited one soccer player and got two more plus a former player," the blonde girl expressed excitedly from beside Lynn. Then she looked over at me and sheepishly smiled. "No offense, but I wouldn't even know who you are if it wasn't for Lynn."

I smiled reassuringly at her and took a drink of my beer. "No worries, I get that a lot over here."

"So how come you quit soccer?" the lad steering the yacht (I think his name was Chad) asked Lynn, turning around in his seat. Normally I would be concerned that he should be watching what he was doing, but since we were only going five miles per hour, I was safe to think that we would be fine. "You were really good at it."

Lynn shrugged, running her fingers along the edge of the solo cup in her hands. "Found something I liked better."

Chad nodded and then looked over at Jamie and asked her a football related question. I stopped paying attention when Lynn stood up from beside me and walked away. She dropped her cup into the trash and went up the little set of steps to where the hot tub was located and leaned against the back railing of the yacht, looking out at the water.

I knew why she left. People outside of friends and family only ever talk to her about football, and as soon as the conversation changes, they don't seem to care anymore. It may have been selfish of her, but I understood where she was coming from. It sucked to only be remembered by something you once did and not what's going on now.

The moment I was about to get up and join her, I was sucked back into the conversation. But not before I saw someone hop out of the hot tub and position himself beside my fiancée.

I wasn't someone who got jealous easily, but seeing the way he leaned into Lynn to talk to her, and how his hand was dangerously close to hers on the railing, kind of made my insides burn with detest. It didn't help that Lynn was wearing a bikini top and denim shorts that hugged her ass nicely.

But what really made it worse was that Lynn wasn't doing anything about it. Not when the wanker's hand went on top of hers, not when he whispered in her ear, and definitely not when he brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering just a little too long.

Not being able to sit there any longer, I stood up and made my way over to them.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked once I was on the other side of Lynn.

The lad looked over at me, eyes scanning me up and down. "Could ask you the same thing."

I reached over and grabbed Lynn's hand that was under his and held it up. "I'm the man who put the ring on her finger."

He didn't look fazed by the sight of the diamond. In fact, there was no way he didn't know she was wearing a ring when his hand was literally right on top of hers.

"Hmm," the lad scuffed. "You should keep better track of your woman then. Never know what kind of trouble she'll get herself into."

As much as I wanted to punch the smug look off his face, I decided to let it go as he gave Lynn one last look and backed away, not uttering another word.

I turned to Lynn. "What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?" she asked, looking rather irritated.

I didn't understand. I was clearly the one who was supposed to be angry in this situation.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered under my breath and stepped away, running my hands through my hair. "First it was the fucking bugs biting me, then I nearly break my leg walking to our campsite, then it's the sunburn I already have from the beach, now I had to watch you flirt with some wanker right in front of me!"

"Then leave!" Lynn shouted, drawing attention from Jamie, Jace and the people around them. "No one wants you here if you're going to complain the whole time!"

"That's not the point, Lynn! You were flat out flirting with someone as I watched!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I laughed humorlessly and shook my head in disbelief. "Unbelievable," I muttered, my hands on my hips now.

The fight had left me then. How could she flat out deny what I saw right in front of me? It's one thing to flirt behind my back, but something else to do it knowing I was watching. It was like she wanted to hurt me, and for what? I had no idea.

"Do you really want me to leave?" I asked, looking her dead in the eyes. "Is that what you want?"

Lynn stood with her arms crossed, lips pursed, and eyes hard. "No, but if you're going to whine every chance you get, then you're making this whole trip miserable for everyone."

With that, she walked away and out of sight.

I knew it was partially my fault for Lynn's outburst, I had the feeling she wanted to say that since the first complaint out of my mouth, but I had the right to be angry about this, too.

Jace told me to let her cool off, so I stayed sitting beside him while Chad and that blonde girl I still don't know the name of and some other random people chatted our ears off.

It wasn't until the sun was starting to set did I finally go and hunt Lynn down. After looking inside every room inside the yacht, I went out to see if she was at the stern but only found a couple in the middle of a heated make out, and then finally at the bow where I find her alone at the very tip, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon of the ocean.

"The first and only time I went camping, I found out my parents were getting a divorce," I started as I went up beside her, looking out ahead at the sparkling water.

Lynn didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. I knew she was listening and I knew she wouldn't interrupt until I was finished.

"At first I just thought my dad wanted a family vacation to reunite us or whatever, and in a way that was true. He wanted to win back Mum," I continued, gripping the railing in front of me until my knuckles turned white. "At first it was fun, he would do all kinds of stuff with me and Greg like canoeing, going on hikes, and climbing up the fire tower that was located a few miles away from the site. Every time, Dad would invite Mum to join, but she never did. I didn't understand why since there wasn't anything else for her to do, but I also wasn't surprised. The night before we left, I found out Mum wanted to leave Dad."

I paused and looked over at Lynn. She was looking down at her hands that were holding onto the railing, face covered in shadows.

"It's not an excuse for the way I've been acting, and I'm sorry," I apologized. "Camping triggered that memory and..."

The diamond on her ring sparkled off the water as well as the band around her neck that she hasn't remove. Seeing the ring, I was reminded about my outburst in the first place.

"Why were you flirting back with that lad?" I finally asked.

Finally, Lynn looked up at me, her face twisted in confusion. "I'm not sure what you heard or saw, but I wasn't flirting with him - I was pushing him away. His breath smelled like beer and he had a pushy attitude that was instantly off-putting." She stopped and turned toward me, her hand coming up to cup my face. "Niall, I'm engaged to you."

I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of her hand against my cheek. Then I remembered her frown when she was looking at the ring and I wasn't so sure I believed her.

"Then why did you look sad when Jamie called me your fiancée?"

Lynn's brows furrowed, and then suddenly a small smile broke out on her face. "Not sad, Niall. Scared. I'm terrified of the future and what's going to happen. But I'm committed to this and I don't regret saying yes. You out of anyone should know that I don't take that lightly."

Hearing her say that made my heart swell. I knew I was taking her frown way out of proportion but I just needed to be reassured. Back in college, Lynn was a flight risk; I had to make sure she was here for the long run. And she was. If I didn't believe it when it came out of her mouth, then I did from the look in her eyes that she meant every word.

I also believe Lynn when she said she wasn't flirting with that lad because truth be told, I could have easily imagined it. I was feeling insecure about our engagement and I was creating a fight where a fight wasn't necessary.

"Niall, I love you," she said confidently before leaning up and placing her lips against mine. "No one else."

I let out a sigh of relief as my hands found their home on her waist, her lips moving on mine with such recognition and purpose that it made me rethink every worry that was running through my head.

By the time the four of us got back to our campsite and made dinner over the campfire, we were exhausted. At eleven in the evening on the dot, we all agreed to call it a night and start a new adventure in the morning.

The moment the sun had gone down it instantly got chilly, and as the evening progressed, it just got colder and colder. So inside the tent, instead of having two sleeping bags rolled out for each of us, Lynn and I shared one to capture each other's body heat inside because despite Lynn being on top of everything, she forgot to bring extra blankets.

"You know," I whispered in her ear. "If you wanted to have a cuddle, you didn't need to make up an excuse."

Lynn laughed softly. "It wasn't my intention to forget extra blankets."

I shook my head and smiled into the dark. "I don't know... You have everything prepared but forgot the blankets. Seems kind of planned out, don't you think?"

She didn't say anything after that, but I knew she was smiling, too. As if to emphasize on the topic, she shivered and I didn't hesitate to pull her closer to me and wrap the one blanket we did have around us tighter. I kissed the top of her hair and took in the smell of peppermint before muttering an I love you and closed my eyes.

The campsite all around us was silent; the only noise was from talkative crickets, the rustle of leaves against the wind, and the soft sound of the distant waves lapping up on the shore. It took almost twenty-four hours, but I think I was going to enjoy this trip after all.

× × ×

The next morning was a bright and sunny day; the cold from last night was like it was never there as the sun beat down on the four of us eating breakfast.

Hiking, biking, and walking was the plan for today. My legs already hurt just thinking about all the moving around. We were going to find a trail through the woods and follow it and pretty much hope there's an ending to it somewhere. If not, Lynn would have to put her Girl Scout skills to the test and find our way back to camp. Then we were going to rent out some bikes and find yet another trail and hope for the same outcome. And finally, walking. Just looking around the campsite and see if there were any other activities we could do.

"Ni?" I heard Lynn say as she stepped out of the tent.

"Yes, love?"

She handed me a ponytail holder and stuck her bottom lip out, already beginning the pout before she even asked the question. "Can you please braid my hair?"

I laughed and put down the now empty paper bowl of Lucky Charms on the log beside me and gestured to the spot between my legs. Lynn instantly smiled and settled herself on the ground in front of me.

"You know how to braid hair?" Jace asked from the other side of the fire pit.

"I know how to French braid, too," I added as I pulled all of Lynn's hair from her shoulders in my hands and got to work. "Grandma Nona taught me how against my will and now Lynn takes advantage of me."

"That's not true," Lynn disputed. "I only take advantage of your body."

"Yeah, I figured as much," I teased back. "Good thing I do the same with yours."

Jamie slapped Jace's arm. "You should learn how to braid hair."

Jace laughed mockingly. "Or I could, you know... not."

Their bickering quickly steered off into something else and they truly looked like a married couple. They argued until I was done with Lynn's hair and a little through the hike until we came across some incredible views, and then they decided to shut up and take in the scene.

The bike ride wasn't bad either, actually I preferred it over hiking because the mosquitos and flies were less likely to bite. However, no matter what we did, the chances of getting ticks were always going to be there. Suddenly, I lounged to go back on that yacht.

After a long day of leg work which I only complained about twice during the whole day, we finally got back to the campsite at around eight in the evening. We instantly started up the fire and got to work on dinner.

"What are you making?" I asked Lynn as she grabbed something that looked like a roasting stick with a square end to it and stuck it into the fire.

"Grilled cheese," she explained, flashing me a smile.

I didn't ask any more questions and instead continued eating my hotdog and watched as she proceeded. Lynn then removed the stick from the fire and walked over to the portable table she had brought that held all the food and necessities and let it sit on the table. After getting it all ready with the bread, cheese, and butter, Lynn took a seat beside me again and held the stick out over the fire and slowly started rotating it.

Jamie and Jace sat across from us making their own dinner and payed no attention to her, but I was too busy watching everything she did because this was all so new to me. I had no idea you could make grilled cheese on a fucking stick.

After a few minutes Lynn stood up and went to the table again and lifted the squire up a little to see inside. When she was satisfied, she grabbed a plate and popped the sandwich out onto it before grabbing it and resuming her seat beside me.

"Uh..." I said, looking at the grilled cheese in her hand. She had taken the first bite and a string of cheese followed its wake. "Can you make me one?"

"Oh, so now you'll eat something I make?" she laughed.

"In my defense, you're a terrible cook. But that looks fucking delicious."

"He's right," Jamie said, joining the conversation. "You're good at a lot of things, but cooking is not one of them. Unless it's your omelets. I'd travel to Dublin any day to eat one of those."

Lynn made no comment, but I knew she agreed. That's why I did most of the cooking at the house when I was home because I knew when I was away for a game, she'd be getting take out or eating food that was made in the microwave.

After she was done eating hers, to my amazement, she made me a grilled cheese and one for Jace and Jamie as well who had also asked. She had a natural talent and roasting things just right until they were nice and crispy, or in the marshmallow sense, nice and golden.

The latter was proven that night as the sky got dark and the stars came out. The four of us sat around the fire roasting marshmallows (or for Jamie's sake, lighting them on fire), drinking alcohol, and playing guitar, and doing a drunken sing along to a song we had grown up on.

"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand," we shouted at the top of our lungs as I strummed the guitar to the best of my ability with a hazy mind. "When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

When the song was finished, Lynn removed the guitar from my arms and replaced it with herself as she settled between my legs.

"Niall, truth or dare?" Jace suddenly asked as the silence took over.

I rolled my eyes and placed the beer to my lips and took a sip. "Really? We're twenty-nine and ya want to play a primary school game?"

"Yes. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," I sighed.

Jace thought for a moment. He was sitting on a log with his elbows on his knees and a beer bottle in his hand. Jamie was beside him with her arm around his and leaning into him, her head on his shoulder. She had Dr. Pepper bottle with a splash of rum inside, much like Lynn had. We've been drinking for the past hour and we were all long passed a buzz and full out drunk. I'm waiting for any nearby campers to come over and tell us to shut the fuck up because we were being loud even to my own drunken ears.

"I dare you to sleep outside the tent tonight," he finally said, a smug look on his face.

"What? No!" I shouted.

Jace shrugged. "Sorry, mate. You picked dare."

Lynn leaned back and tilted her head so she could look up at me. The fire was dancing in her blue eyes and it brought me back to the time in college when she was afraid of the flames. Now she was sitting only three feet away from them like it was nothing.

"It's okay, Ni. I can stay with you," she assured me. "Sleeping under the stars... so romantic."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in closer, leaning my nose into her hair and closing my eyes. If it was up to me, I would have ripped Lynn's clothes off the moment the tent was set up, but I couldn't do anything about that because I was sure Jamie and Jace wouldn't like it very much if we had at it in the tent next to theirs. So maybe sleeping under the stars with the one I love will have to suffice for now.

"Alright, fine," I gave in, looking at the black haired boy. "I'll do it."

"Great. Then it's your turn."

I looked at the redhead, freckled girl next to him who was starting to look a little tired. "Jamie, truth or dare?"

She perked up then, but continued to keep her head on her husband's shoulder. "Um... let's go with truth."

I traced my fingers up and down Lynn's arm and thought for something to ask. This might be crossing a line but I was drunk and frankly getting board. "Have ya ever kissed a girl before?"

"Yup," she said without hesitation.

From in my arms, Lynn broke out laughing. She leaned forward and placed her head in her hands, the amusement literally shaking her body. The contents in the Dr. Pepper bottle started to spill and I quickly reached over and grabbed it before it could dump completely. From the sound of Lynn laughing, Jamie broke into a fit of giggles as well and soon enough Jace and I joined in even though we didn't know what the hell was happening.

"Alright," I finally said over the laughter. "Clearly Jace and I are left in the dark in this. What happened?"

Jamie sat up on the log she was sitting on and wiped at her tearstained eyes. "Yeah, I've kissed a girl before," she confused again through the grin on her lips. "And it was Lynn."

My eyes went wide. "Are ya fuckin' shittin' me?"

Lynn shook her head. "No, she's telling the truth," she said, leaning back against me and moved herself so she could look at me without tilting her head. "Second semester of our first year of college. We were at a party and I had ended a shitty relationship and I needed a drink. One drink turned into more and well... you know how I got when I drank back then."

"I was her target," Jamie giggled. "And frankly, I was wasted, too, so..."

"It just kind of happened," Lynn concluded.

Jace and I were clearly speechless from hearing this. We were either married or engaged to these girls and we had no idea this happened. Granted, this isn't something you just tell someone out of the blue, but I was surprised this hadn't been brought up before.

"Are you two imagining it now or something because you just got really quit," Jamie noted with a laugh.

Jace looked at her seriously. "Was there tongue?"

"Oh my God," Lynn expressed, her hand coming up to run down her face. "No, there wasn't. It was just a peck-"

"It was longer then a peck," Jamie argued, looking a little insulted. "It was more like a minute or something, give or take. But no tongue. We laughed about it in the morning, something to cross off the bucket list, I guess."

I leaned down and whispered in Lynn's ear. "I'm a better kisser then her, right?"

"I don't know..." she said, her voice rising teasingly. "It may have been an innocent kiss, but it still raked high on the list for me."

"As long as I'm on top of that list."

Lynn scooted closer, wrapping an arm around my neck and placed a kiss to my jaw, and then to my cheek, until she got to my ear. "You're at the top of many of my lists."

Smiling, I pulled her face to mine and kissed her.

"Alright, that's enough of that," Jace said and stood up, turning to Jamie. "Do you ever wish they never got together so we could have been spared by their annoying couple shit?"

"Hell no," Jamie responded offensively as she stood up on wobbly legs. "I did not endure Lynn's endless complaining and bad mouthing Niall for nothing. I did not bust my butt over the two of them to not end up together. So I'll take their annoying couple shit any day."

I held my beer bottle out in a toast. "Well said!"

Lynn's arm loosened around my shoulders, but she didn't go very far. "It's not like you didn't have your times," she said, eyeing the married couple knowingly. "I remember visiting home a few years after graduation and you two couldn't keep your hands off each other. I've also caught you, not once, but six times in the midst of very exhausting activities. One of those times was even in my old bedroom!"

Jace rolled his eyes and held his hands up in surrender, Lynn clearly winning the fight.

"I guess you're right," he confessed. "And I'd go through all the frustration all over again for you two to be together. Because if you haven't of found each other after those six years, who the fuck knows were anyone of us would be right now."

As Jamie and Jace gathered their toiletries and headed toward the bathroom and showers, I thought about what he said.

Where would we be if I never ran into Lynn at that bar the night before my wedding? Jamie and Jace would probably be exactly where they were despite what they might think, but Lynn and I...? Would I still be married to Elise? Would Lynn still be traveling the world? Would I have kids by now and living the mediocre life I've always dreamt of? Would Lynn have a steady partner or still be off having one night stands? Most importantly... would we be happy? Maybe, but it would have never been to the extent to how we felt right now at that very moment.

Despite mine and Lynn's petty fights for the past year and a half, I've never been happier. And I know she felt the same way. No one in my life has ever made me feel so strongly. Whether that was hate, love, or everything in between... nothing was ever half-assed with us. It was all or nothing.

Suddenly, Lynn stood up, grabbed the blanket from beside her, and held her hand out for me to take.

Without thinking, I took it and followed as she started walking away from the campsite. It wasn't until we were completely out of the trees did I grow suspicious.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I tried my best to keep my balance and not trip over any branches or rocks.

Lynn didn't say anything, which was expected. We continued down a hill and to a path that led to the beach below. The moon was nearly full and it rests high in the starry sky, beaming down and reflecting off the ocean's surface. I looked around and saw that no one was on the beach, just the two of us as our trainers landed on the soft sand.

She continued to pull me along the shore, and I did little to stop her. She had drunk a lot tonight that it surprised me that she was so composed walking on the soft ground where I could barely keeping up with her pace without tripping over little sand hills.

After walking for another three minutes, we went around a wall of rocks and found ourselves in a little secluded part of the beach, completely cut off from anyone who was to walk by.

I opened my mouth to ask what she had planned, but instantly stopped myself when Lynn started to remove her shirt. I wobbled slightly in place as she continued to remove her clothes, completely dazed to even move a muscle.

As Lynn unbuttons her shorts and kicked off her shoes, she finally turned to look at me. "Well?" she asked, brows rising. "Are you going to join me or what?"

"What?" I mumbled like the idiot I was.

She only laughed and gestured to the water a few feet away. "We're going skinny dipping! So get naked, Ireland."

I took a quick glance around to see just how secluded we were, and with the boulders and large rocks, trees, the bluff, and the late hour of the night, I was pretty confident we wouldn't be seen. So I quickly followed Lynn's instructions and with fumbling fingers, removed my clothing.

The next thing I knew, we were in the water splashing and calling each other names like we were back in secondary school. The little tiff we had yesterday was long forgotten.

I wasn't sure how long we stayed in the water, but the moon was gradually moving along the sky and the alcohol was quickly diminishing from my bloodstream as the time passes.

Swimming up from behind Lynn, I wrapped my arms around her waist and placed my lips against her shoulder. From the feel of my touch, she tilted her head back and let out a soft sigh.

It had been a while since we've slept together. Ever since we came back from London a month ago I've been busy training and leaving town. And whenever I was free, Lynn was stuck at work or doing something at home like the laundry or cleaning. That was half the reason we wanted to take this vacation, to get away from everything once again and enjoy ourselves together. We didn't really think it through, however, because private time in the tent is never really private when your friends are only a few feet away.

But we were alone now, and I'd be lying if I said I never dreamt of this exact scene before.

"So soft," I mumbled into her neck as my hands went up her waist to her breasts and gently squeezed. "So fuckin' beautiful."

Everything below our shoulders was completely submerged in water, so when Lynn pressed her arse into me, it created a subtle ripple in the water around us. I bit my bottom lip from the sudden contact, not wanting to get ahead of myself. We were under the night sky and with a soft blue hue surrounding us, I didn't want to ruin the moment by being hasty.

Lynn turned in my arms so she was facing me, hands coming up to card through my wet hair. She was watching me closely and I held her gaze, waiting for her next move.

"Can we...?" I trailed off, feeling like it's my first time all over again.

To my surprised, she shook her head. "Not in the water."

My brows creased. "You brought us here to skinny dip and didn't expect anything would come of it?" I asked, only slightly amused. "You fuckin' tease."

"Not in the water, Ni," she said again, a small smile on her lips. "It hurts the lady bits."

"Well I'm not fuckin' doing it on the sand and I'm not leavin' until somethin' happens!"

At this point, Lynn was full on laughing at me. Normally I'd relish at the sound, but at the moment it was like a stab in the back. She honestly didn't come down here just to skinny dip, did she?

She leaned forward, her lips dragging across my jaw and up to my ear. "That's why I brought the blanket."

Then she finally kissed me, and I wasted no time wrapping my arms around her to puller her impossibly closer. My hands moved to her bum and lifted, her legs wrapping around me in seconds. I walked back to the shore as best as I could against the calm currents against me and went on my knees to lay the blanket out all while Lynn was still holding onto me like a koala.

"You're really not helping," I laughed as she continued to attack my neck with kisses.

She responded with a soft bite against my skin. "If you get this blanket down, I'll make sure to thoroughly help you," she said with a clear smirk in her voice.

Once the blanket was down, I swung her around and gently placed her on the fabric as a string of giggles left her mouth. I knelt between her legs and spread her open slightly, watching as her chest rose up and down. When my hand ran down her stomach, she sat up and looked at me.

"Lay back, love," I urged. "Want ya ready for me."

But Lynn wasn't having any of it as she grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down so our chests crashed together. "Am ready for you."

She arched up to kiss me and I held her there. My mind floated away when Lynn's hands started to wonder my body. One of Lynn's hands left my body and went to her shorts a few feet away. She brought them to her and she dug in the back pocket, retrieving a condom.

"You've came prepared, haven't you?" I smiled down at her.

"Been planning this since yesterday when we got to the beach," she explained as she opened the condom. "When I went to the restrooms yesterday, I saw a couple making out down here and thought it would be the perfect spot to get some real alone time."

I could feel myself hard and ready on the inside of Lynn's thigh and it was getting difficult to keep control. She must have seen it, too, because right then she reached down to take me in her hand, eliciting a groan from my clenched teeth.

"Fuck..." I hissed as she continued to stroke, my eyes falling shut. "Ya gotta stop, Lynn."

Lynn let out a breathy laugh and slowed her hand, gently wrapping the condom around me. She drew me in closer and dragged my tip along her entrance. I leaned down and kissed her lips once before pushing myself inside her.

I kept my pace steady and matched my own breathing with Lynn's. Her arms tightened around my neck, nails digging into my shoulder blades. I anchored my lips to her throat, sucking and biting as I whispered words I wasn't even sure I understood.

Brushing a strand of wet hair out of Lynn's face, I looked down and watched her face and scrunched up. I ran my thumb over her cheek and coaxed her to open her eyes and look at me. When she did, I grabbed her left hand and placed the knuckles to my lips.

When Lynn started meeting my thrusts, I picked up speed. The sound of our moans carried away in the current that was washing up on the shore. I felt my arms begin to shake and I cursed knowing Lynn still wasn't ready. She didn't seem to mind, though, because she wrapped her legs around my waist, pushing me further into her.

Her hands cupped my face, forcing me look at her. "You're close," she whispered. "Wanna feel you come."

I shook my head. "You know the rule," I groaned out. "You first."

"It's okay, I just- shit!"

Lynn's hands flew to grip the blanket she felt my fingers massage her clit. Her legs squeezed my hips as my tip hit the spot inside of her as she let out a low moan. "Niall! I'm gonna- you're gonnamakeme- ohhh fuck...."

The moment I felt her start unraveling underneath me, I let go as well. My grunts and groans cut through the sound of the waves as I collapsed on top of Lynn's wet body and buried my face into her neck. Something about doing it in a public place, not to mention only just gone skinny dipping, made it all the more pleasurable and I was feeling the orgasm all through my body.

Lynn shook under me and I wasn't sure if it was from the aftermath or the chill in the air, but either way I wrapped my arms around her the best I could and refused to let go.

Once our breathing slowed and our hearts stopped pounding in our ears, I felt Lynn kissing my neck and face, whispering praises and words of adoration.

We were exhausted, wet from both the ocean and sweat, and I was slightly sore from all the activities today as I'm sure Lynn was as well. I had contemplated just staying the night there on the sand, but with only one blanket against the wind coming off the ocean, the two of us would be ice cubes by morning.

So I removed myself from on top of her and grabbed our clothes. We got dressed in silence, simply enjoying each other's company.

We started making our way back to the campsite, the blanket wrapped around the both of us as we climbed the hill and maneuvered around tree after tree. When I thought we had gotten lost, Lynn took a left turn and we found ourselves only a few feet away from our tents. I guess being a Girl Scout had its advantages after all.

Honoring Jace's stupid dare, we set up our beds outside. We still only had two blankets, but at least we were sheltered by the trees to keep the wind a little bit at bay anyways.

We talked for a good half hour, watching the stars and sharing childhood stories. It amazed me how long I've known Lynn and I was still learning things about her. Like how she broke her arm at the age of seven when she was in gymnastics. Or the time when her friends carved her phone number into a table at a café and had strangers calling her for dates. And I loved learning all this stuff about her, I wanted to know everything she has ever done, ever dreamed, and ever wanted.

And as I held her hand up between us, I looked at the ring on her fourth finger and knew that I had a whole life time to do just that.