If I opened up a thesaurus right now to look up a synonym for distraction, I'm pretty sure it would say Jesse Adler. There are actually a few other words he might be listed under as well.

Let's see. How about hot, athletic, handsome, funny, smart, and heartbreaker? He should also be listed as my-brother's-best-friend-who's-off-limits, but somehow I have a feeling there is no entry for that.

"Hey, Dylan!" I sit up straight at the sound of my name, hoping Jesse didn't catch me staring at him. "Wanna come down to the beach with us?"

Just then I notice that my twin brother Alex and his girlfriend Avery are standing next to Jesse, and all three of them are staring at me.

"Yeah." My brother yells from the other side of the pool. "Give your poor brain a break. You've had your nose stuck in that book for hours. That can't be good for anyone." He chuckles and Avery giggles next to him. Good thing they don't know that I'm still on the same page I started on. Thank goodness for sunglasses and their concealing magic.

"Sure. Why not?" I shrug my shoulders and grab my cover-up from the back of the lounge chair. I follow the three of them down the private stairs that lead to a quiet part of Malibu Beach. The Californian weather hasn't disappointed us yet again, and the sun is beating down on us with its blistering heat.

My brother, Jesse, and I have vacationed here every summer for as long as I can remember. As always, we stay at this beautiful house sitting right on top of the Malibu cliffs, overlooking the ocean.

It belongs to Jesse's uncle, who's some big-shot entertainment lawyer in LA. He mostly lives in the city, because it's more convenient for his job. That means he doesn't use his beach house a lot, and he always keeps it empty for us during the summer months.

Usually someone else from one of our families is with us, even if it's just Jesse's older brother Camden. This year all the adults are super busy though, so we begged to go by ourselves. I mean, we all turned 18 in the last half year and will be off to college once the summer is done anyway.

We've been here for only a few days now, but I can already see how different it is this year. Not only being here without the parents and Camden, but also because Avery is here.

Avery is my brother's first serious girlfriend, and they try to spend as much time together as possible. I really like her, but I can't deny that I'm a little sad about the dynamic change it has caused between all of us. I'm slowly getting used to it though, especially since I've always known that it was going to happen eventually.

"Dylan, come on." Jesse's voice is coming closer. I look up and see him running back to where I'm still standing at the bottom of the stairs. When he reaches me a moment later, he's a little out of breath. Looking over his shoulder I can see that Alex and Avery are out in the ocean.

"You're zoning out a lot these days. Everything ok?" His green eyes bore into mine as if he could find the answer to his question in them. I love his eyes. They make me think of nature and being alive. Sometimes I feel like he can see right through me and my pretense of -

"You're doing it again." A shiver runs down my spine when I feel his hands on my upper arms, shaking me slightly. "You have a tendency to zone out, but these last few weeks have been extreme. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

My eyes widen at his words. His lips move up into his heart melting smile that I've dreamed about so often. He's still touching me, and my heartbeat is so off the charts that I'm afraid my heart might break through my chest.

One of his hands suddenly drops to his side, while the other one moves up my arm to casually swing it over my shoulders. If that boy only knew what he does to me, he wouldn't chance my impending cardiac arrest that will probably happen at any moment now.

"Seriously though, are you alright?" The concern is back in his eyes and voice. I give him a small nod as we slowly start walking down the beach.

"Yeah. Just thinking about everything going on, you know? This is our last summer together. Alex and I are going to USC, and you got accepted at all of your dream schools on the east coast. Speaking of, you're still not telling us where you're going? I don't get why you're keeping it such a secret." We both stop again and I study his face, hoping to be able to discover something I've missed before.

"I know you don't but that's ok." He gives me a small grin and gently taps my nose with the tip of his index finger. "You don't always have to understand everything."

I stick out my tongue like I've done a million times before, and the familiarity of it makes me feel a bit better. "You know I'm not a big fan of change. I like things to stay the way they are. Once the summer is over nothing will ever be the same."

He frowns at my words, and I have no idea why. I thought he'd make fun of me and my anxiety as he's done so many times before.

"Dylan, how can you be such a big dreamer, yet be so afraid of change? There are so many good things waiting for you, some right in front of your eyes. You can't seem to see them though, because you're hiding in that shell you built around yourself."

This isn't the first time someone has said something to me on the matter. My family and friends know all about it, but for some reason it has never made as much sense as it just did when those words came out of Jesse's mouth.

A very soft and delicious looking mouth.

My thoughts suddenly clear for a beautiful moment, and I crash my lips into his. All of my concerns and worries have vanished, and I feel like I can breathe again. The sigh that leaves my throat vibrates through our lips. We still haven't moved, and I don't ever want us too. This is already so much better than I ever thought it could be.

Avery's high pitched laughter suddenly penetrates my thoughts, and I pull back slowly. Our lips make a small pop sound when they separate, and a small smile forms on my face. I thought I'd be afraid to look at him, too afraid of what I might see on his face. Instead, I look him straight in the eye and simply say "Thank you."

I'm not sure if he knows what I just thanked him for, but it doesn't really matter. I just realized that this amazing guy who has been around for such a big part of my life, will leave us in only a few weeks. He's my brother's best friend, not mine. Despite that, I can't help but feel a connection between us that I've never felt with anyone else before. He still hasn't reacted to what just happened, but I can't help and laugh quietly at the lost look on his face.

Before either one of us can say anything else, Alex comes jogging toward us with a beaming Avery on his back.

"How lazy can you guys possibly be? Seriously." He looks back and forth between Jesse and me, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Anyway, Avery just said she hasn't seen the Santa Monica pier at night yet, so I thought we could get cleaned up and head over there for dinner and some games."

I shake my head. "You guys can go ahead. I don't really feel like going out tonight. I'll just stay here and watch some TV or something." Crowds aren't really my thing and everyone knows that.

"What a surprise." My brother winks at me and turns toward Jesse. He tilts his head slightly as if that would allow him to get a better look at his best friend. "Hey, are you ok man?" Alex takes a step closer, and Avery slides off his back. "You look a little sick."

Jesse's head snaps up to look at my brother. This is his first real reaction since our kiss. "What? Me?"

I have to agree with Alex, Jesse does look a little sick. Well, if that doesn't make you feel good after kissing your longtime crush for the first time, I don't know what does.

"I think I just need a shower and something to eat." He mumbles and starts walking back up the stairs that lead to the house.

"What's up with him?" my brother asks, studying me intently.

I only shrug and try to not look suspicious. I have no clue how that's supposed to look like though, so they might just think I'm constipated.

My brother rolls his eyes and goes after Jesse, pulling Avery with him.

***

When I walk into the kitchen after my shower, I find my brother and Avery all ready to leave.

My brother's gaze lifts from his phone when he hears me walk in. "Oh great, there you are. We're heading out now, and won't be back til tomorrow, ok? We just booked a hotel room at the beach there for the night. That way we don't have to deal with driving back in the middle of the night. Are you two ok with that?"

"Yeah sure, no problem at all. You guys have fun."

I jump a little at hearing Jesse's voice from behind me. I didn't notice him coming into the room.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow then." With that and a small wave from an excited Avery I watch them walk out the front door.

All the anxiety that was absent before comes back with a vengeance. I'm afraid to turn around and face Jesse. I'm afraid to see the rejection on his face or worse pity, when he explains to me that this should have never happened.

"What do you feel like having for dinner?" The casual tone in his voice surprises me enough to make me turn around.

I'm met with an amused grin, as he slowly takes a few steps in my direction. He stops a couple feet in front of me, waving around a few restaurant menus in front of my face.

"Want to be lazy with me and order something? And maybe we can watch a movie?"

I can only manage to nod. I think this is the first time that we're really truly alone for more than just a few minutes. Slowly, nerves start to mix with excitement, and my brain starts to reboot.

"You order the food, I'll pick the movie." We've spent plenty of movie nights together with my brother and our friends to know each other's likes and dislikes.

"Deal." He spreads out the menus on the kitchen bar, while I head over to the entertainment center in the living room.

It doesn't take me long to pick a movie, so when I'm done I go back into the kitchen to get something to drink.

"I kept it simple and ordered some pizza. Which movie did you pick?" Jesse asks, already taking care of our drinks.

"You'll just have to wait and see." I smile at him, happy that my nerves have calmed down some.

"Ah, I see how it is. What if I don't want to wait and see?" His gaze is on me and it's intense. He abandons the soda bottle and glasses on the counter and makes his way around the bar to where I'm standing. "What if I want to know it right this second?"

"Wait. Are we still talking about the movie?" Apparently my brain is going straight from not saying a word to blurting my thoughts out without a filter. Great.

"What if I'm not? What if I want to know what that was earlier? What if I want more of it, Dylan?" He stops right in front of me, leaving only a couple feet between us.

I blink a few times, not being able to believe what he just said. Is he saying what I think he's saying? My brain starts to yell warnings at me. Don't be fooled, this would just be a summer fling! Soon you two will be on opposite sides of the country, barely ever seeing each other! He is leaving at the end of it summer!

Before I can make any sense of my thoughts, I already know what my heart wants. It is fluttering in its cage, excited at the possibility of getting what it has longed to have for so long. I want this boy with a passion I've never felt before, and I'd rather have him for only this summer than not at all.

I smile at him tentatively and study his handsome face some more, trying to memorize every little detail. I don't ever want to forget the sparkling green eyes, the straight nose that's covered lightly in freckles, the full lips, or the strong jaw. He pushes his hands through his light brown hair, which he does so often when he's nervous.

"I'd say what are you waiting for?"

The words are barely out of my mouth when he closes the distance between us to push his body against mine. His hands find their way into my hair this time, as he devours my mouth. After a few minutes, he pulls back slowly and whispers "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this."

Before I have time to process his words, his lips are on mine again. I arch into him, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

Without a doubt, this is going to be the best summer of my life.

~~~~

I hope you liked my first try at a one shot. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. And don't forget to vote if you liked it, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much for reading! ❤❤❤