The sound of a door closing caused me to lean up on my elbows. Ana was skipping down her front steps heading for her mailbox. I sat up, wanting to get her attention but without scaring her.
I called out her name as softly as I could, but it didn’t work. She let out a shriek and dropped the envelopes she’d been holding.
“Shit, sorry,” I said, louder this time.
Her eyes scanned the yard. “Where the hell are you?”
“Up here. On the roof.”
Her eyes zeroed in on me. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry,” I said, laughing.
“What are you doing up there?”
“It’s my secret hideout. Want to come hang out? I’d be happy to share it with you.”
She scanned the patio beneath me and looked up to where I was laying, one eyebrow raised. “And how do I get up there?”
“Just climb. I’ll help you.”
At first the invitation to my quiet zone had popped out without much thought, but instead of regretting it, I liked the idea of sharing the space with her. She wouldn’t expect me to act a certain way. She wouldn’t come up here and force me back into any mold. I could be whoever I wanted with Ana.
“Okay,” she answered slowly, sounding hesitant about getting up there. She dropped the mail on her porch and then jogged across the grass.
“Drag that chair over to the railing and then climb on it so you can stand on the rail. It should get you high enough to where I can pull you up the rest of the way.”
She did as I said, and I rolled to my stomach to grip her hands. I tugged her up bit by bit until she got high enough to do the rest. She was still in her school skirt and it rode up, exposing the backs of her thighs in the process. My dick tightened at her bare skin. I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away. I wouldn’t be a creeper.
She rolled over, stretching her legs out in front of her and resting back on her hands. “Nice view up here.”
I mimicked her pose and looked up at the inky sky dotted with stars. “Yeah, it’s not too bad.” We sat there for a while, enjoying the warm night air. My eyes flicked to her every now and then, but she looked at peace with her head dipped back, her long blond hair flowing down her back. I was happy I’d shared my roof with her.
“How was your first day of school?”
“It was good. Probably better because of you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once I had your stamp of approval, I was brought right into the fold.”
“You would have been fine without me. You’re a cool chick.”
She turned to me with a smile. “Thanks. You’re a cool dude.”
“I do what I can. But seriously, you would’ve done fine. I may have sped up the process, but you would’ve been okay without my help.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“Have you guys all been friends for long?”
“Yeah. Some of us since kindergarten.”
“How long have you known Gwen?”
I noticed she was biting her lip.
“Probably since fifth grade.”
“Oh. How long have you been dating?” Her voice sounded tight, like she was uncomfortable with the question. The caveman part of me hoped she cared I was dating Gwen, that she was jealous. But I shouldn’t want to make any girl who wasn’t my girlfriend jealous.
“About six months.” She didn’t speak for a while after that. She just nodded and stared up at the sky.
“Do you have a boyfriend back in Tennessee?”
She snorted. “I can’t say that I do. There isn’t much in Tennessee for me anymore.”
I hated how sad that admission sounded. I knew her parents were divorced, but maybe it didn’t end well. “How long ago did your parents get divorced?”
She didn’t answer for the longest time, and I was about to move on, but then she spoke.
“Right before Christmas. They told me at Thanksgiving.”
“Shit, Ana. That sucks.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you plan on going back to visit often?”
“I don’t know,” she answered quietly.
“Won’t your dad want to see you? Or is he coming here to visit?” I looked over and saw her jaw clench, and I knew I asked the wrong thing. I might as well have stuffed my foot in my mouth and choked on it.
“I don’t know. On both counts.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”
She breathed out a laugh and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I just haven’t talked about it with anyone.” She turned to me with a lopsided smile. “Thanks for inviting me onto your roof.”
“You can come up here anytime. Next time I’ll move the table over so it’s easier for you to get up. And, Ana, you can always talk to me. Won’t tell a soul.” I mimed zipping and locking my lips.
“Okay.” She laughed. “So, is this your special space?”