17. Crossing the Line

It was long after Everest was gone that he swam out of the water and climbed to the banks, still tottering from the mortification. As if the first awkward encounter wasn't enough.

They said once bitten, twice shy. But, clearly, in his own case, his body had to be ridden with bite marks to learn his lesson.

True, he had tried to stay away from the lake for most nights, but he was just used to coming out here to cool off a long day at the ranch.

He sat in a pile of his denim clothes and squeezed at his hair to dry. His mind went back to the new neighbour. The girl was probably pissed at him now. If it were him, he'd be apoplectic as well.

A long exhale escaped from his lips as he laid back on his clothes and stared at the dark, empty sky. He was going to miss all this. Eventually, he had to stop coming here, he needed no telling. But the inevitability of it still weighed him down like metal kilo bars.

The back of his house was extensive enough, there was even a sunroom extension that us