"You're mad."
More fallen leaves had carpeted the walkways and lawns as the tree branches shook from the howl of cold wind and the rain.
Squirrels scampered across the wet grass and leapt branch to branch to get back to their dreys.
They should move to the covered pavilions, but she chose to stay in the rain with Blake.
Cathryn shook her head and chuckled to herself, but she couldn't stop.
"What would people think if they saw two teenagers in the park and staying in the rain without purpose?" She asked between uncontrollable giggles.
"To be honest, I think they wouldn't give a damn," Blake responded with a smile, just a glimmer of one, but it took her breath away. "Nobody gives a damn about people these days."
She smiled back as her gaze locked on his blue eyes.
Cathryn backed away slowly from Blake, cackling from the absurdity of the situation.
Blake wasn't right in the head, and so was she.
He was also roaring with laughter now.
Blake's happiness must have been so shallow.
Maybe, her laughter had been contagious.
The realisation that they were both mad was a comical relief.
Cathryn's cackles had slowly declined into giggles until only a smirk prevailed in her amusement.
This was precisely why she shouldn't have that glass of wine.
The alcohol took longer to take its effect, but it was working now.
She was sleepy as fuck, but Cathryn didn't want to go back yet.
"I dare you, Blake." She pressed her hand to her mouth, ashamed that this was what had suddenly caught hold of any of her working brain cells that weren't currently bobbing in a pool of merlot.
"What dare?" He questioned, his eyebrows rising in curiosity.
Cathryn smirked as she bent her body into a ninety-degree angle and removed her doll shoes, her bare feet shuffling through the expanse of grass and toeing the dirt.
Her eyes widened when she saw Blake did the same.
She began to take her jacket now.
Blake's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then he smirked back, gripping the hem of his knitted long-sleeved shirt and lifted it over his head.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice tight and a little bit squeaky now.
Blake didn't listen.
All the colour drained from Cathryn's face as she clamped a hand over her mouth, staring at his naked chest in awe.
Blake didn't need to do that.
"What are you doing?" Cathryn demanded, raising a hand to stop him. "Blake, No!"
That wasn't her intention at all.
"You didn't have to do that, Blake." She stammered in a voice that came out shamefully husky, as she avoided looking at his half-exposed body. "That wasn't part of the dare."
Blake stepped forward without warning.
There was less than a foot between them.
She saw how Blake's eyes held a glimmer of lust as they lock on hers, his closeness making her step backwards timidly.
"But you look hot, though," Cathryn mumbled under her breath, making Blake snicker.
Her eyes widened with embarrassment when she realised she had said that out loud.
"Why did you take the jacket just now, then? I thought you wanted me to take my shirt off, too." Blake's voice broke her concentration from ogling his sexy abs too much.
"I liked what I see right now." Blake's gaze lingered a little on her body before he stared deep into her eyes. "Your every shape and curves. All wet in the rainstorm."
Understanding, she hugged the jacket back to her body, lengthwise as a shield.
Showing him her body wasn't part of Cathryn' s plan.
Cathryn took the jacket's sleeves and tied them around her neck—tight enough that it would hang around-- to cover her front.
"Well, it's sad that you were blocking the view now." Blake shrugged and raised his arms in surrender like she was a cop and he was a criminal, his lips curled up in a mischievous grin.
The longer Blake stared at her like that—his big light blue eyes heavy-lidded--the more she was aware of the warmth flushing through her cheeks.
Cathryn sighed as she ran her fingers through her messy hair, sticking into her face. "We are already here drenched in the cold rain shower, so we might as well stay."
It was dark, and she almost stumbled over a jagged rock when she walked towards the direction of the park bench--being eight in the evening.
'Why was she so clumsy?' Cathryn mentally chastised herself.
Cathryn looked over her shoulder to see if Blake had trailed after her.
He did, but he still didn't wear his sloppy shirt back.
If females would accidentally pass by in the park, they probably might drool over his chiselled abs.
They would recognise Blake from Mild Savagery, dragging her name again through the mud over the threesome issue.
Argh.
Well, good thing there were no other souls here except them.
They both sat on the bench.
It was an incredible feeling to soak in the rainstorm without any care in the world.
She wouldn't look too crazy if she had a companion.
If only it didn't rain today, Cathryn might have enjoyed the park scenery at night.
She changed her mind.
It must be better to walk in the park as she basked her face in the early morning sunshine.
She closed her eyes and envisioned herself sitting on a warm blanket as grass prickled against her skin, a sensation of complete relaxation as one was resting.
With the amount of alcohol flowing through her veins, her inspirations for her new painting started to form: birds splashing in the fountain, kids and laughing and yelling, butterflies flitting among the flowers, ducks and swans paddling in a pond.
"What are you thinking about?"