As the weeks went by, me and Lydia got closer and closer by the minute. It made me realize how much I was going to miss her when she went to college. I didn't want to let her go and I knew I would have to in a few weeks.

Out of every girl I've dated in my life, there was no one like her. I never understood the phrase "lady in the streets, freak in the sheets" until Lydia. Just by looking at her, or even knowing her, you wouldn't expect her to be the way she was in bed. But it wasn't even about the sex anymore. She was funny and nice and smart. Not to mention gorgeous.

Every morning when I woke up to her, I couldn't help but think about how I wouldn't mind doing that forever. I wanted to eat breakfast with her, watch TV with her, go to sleep with her, shower with her, and watch her smile and laugh and cry, for the rest of my life. I wanted so much more. And I knew I wasn't the only one feeling it.

Maybe this was a situation of the right person at the wrong time. So much has gone down just because she was in high school and just because I'm her teacher. Maybe in a couple of years, we'll reconnect and it'll be perfect.

Maybe that'll never happen.

Maybe she'll get married to some guy she met at college and have kids with him. Maybe they'll be in love. They'll love each other, more than I love her.

That was a scary thing to think about, considering we'd only known each other for almost six months. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I knew exactly how I felt. I tried to give her the message in every kiss, every look, every laugh, every smile, every touch, every flower, and every gift I gave her. It was just another I love you.

I didn't know if she knew that, but I knew it and that was enough for me.

I didn't want to hold her back. I was her first but I knew I couldn't be her only. I wanted her to find other people and experience life with them. And if it didn't work out and she ended up with me, I'd be happy. If she ended up finding someone else, I'd still be happy, because she'd be happy.

I made sure not to take anything for granted. I took pictures any time I could. My camera roll was filled with pictures of us. She's photogenic even if she doesn't realize it. After I took a picture of her messily eating spaghetti she got mad and we made it a competition to take the most embarrassing photos of each other. No matter when I caught her she looked beautiful.

She had videos and photos of me singing in the shower, dancing in my underwear, eating, making a mess, on the beach, and more. I had photos and videos of her on the beach, in bed naked, making funny faces, and more. I vowed to myself I would keep as many of them as possible. At least until I found someone else. If I found someone else. I knew I would eventually have to let her go, but that was a long time from now.

Right now I would enjoy holding her close.

.

.

.

I woke up to find that Lydia wasn't next to me. I brushed my teeth and threw on some sweatpants. When I looked around the house, she wasn't there. I was starting to get worried. I called her phone, but it was in the bedroom.

Shit! Where is she?

I went to the backyard and saw her in a pink bikini and a loose, pink, long-sleeved blouse. She picked a flower off a tree and examined it as if it were foreign.

"Hey!" I caught her attention.

She smiled at me. "Good morning."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just enjoying nature."

"You look beautiful." She smiled and let her head drop. I got my phone. "Let me take a picture."

"What do I do?"

I walked up to her. "Stand in front of that tree and pretend to smell the rose."

She popped out a leg and posed. I took a couple of pictures to make sure there was a good one. But, I already knew they would all be good.

"Are we done," she asked. "I want to go to the beach."

"We go to the beach every day."

"I didn't say you had to come with me," she said with sass.

"Lose the attitude and give me a second. I'll put on my trunks."

"You're not my dad," she muttered.

"You're right. I'm your daddy," I winked. She groaned and rolled her eyes. "What did I tell you about rolling your eyes?"

"I don't care. I'm not scared of you."

"Just remember this when we get back."

"Whatever."

.

.

.

She pushed me into the water. She yelled at me. "I told you to stop doing that!" I kept pulling her hair so she wouldn't go too far and she started to get annoyed with me.

One thing I would never get tired of was Lydia's temper. She had patience...until she didn't. I always thought it was funny and cute until you could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears or she started crying. Both of those things had only happened once before. The time she cried was when she got so mad she cried over her dad. The time that there was smoke was since we came to the beach house. Luckily, it wasn't at me because I probably would've died.

Lydia had woken me up at three in the morning to tell me she was hungry and craving Krispy Kreme donuts. If it was anyone else, I would've been pissed. But, it was Lydia, so I got my sleepy ass up and got in the car.

She had previously warned me that if she said or did anything while she was half asleep, not to trust her or watch her closely. She was in trouble.

We got to a 24-hour Krispy Kreme and waited for the fresh donuts to be made. When we finally got the box, another woman grabbed it out of my hands and took it. She claimed it was hers since she got there first, but everybody in the shop knew we were there first.

Lydia said, "We were here first, so give me back my donuts."

I was shocked that she could speak in such a clipped tone, but I was tired and didn't think much about it. "No, these are mine."

"If you don't give me back my donuts in three seconds, I will..."

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" I interrupted her before she could say anything else. "Ma'am," I turned towards the donut stealer and tried to speak in a calm tone. "We were here before you. Any employee here could tell you that. We all want our donuts, and you stealing ours isn't going to make anyone happy. So, please hand them back."

"Me taking my donuts is going to make me happy. Control your bitchy girlfriend. Now if you'll excuse me."

Lydia pretty much pounced on the girl. I caught her and picked her up before she could do any real harm. But, it turns out the girl was wearing a wig because when Lydia pulled her hair it all came off. I took the wig out of Lydia's hands and dropped it on the floor.

"If you don't give me my fucking donuts, the next thing I'll snatch up is your bald ass head!" She kept squirming trying to escape my hold. Damn, she's strong when she wants to be.

"Umm," I said to the now bald woman. "I think you should go."

The other girl dropped the donuts and picked up her wig off the floor before running out of the shop. I will never forget the look of fear in her eyes. I picked up the box of donuts and handed them to Lydia.

"I don't want those donuts anymore, I want fresh ones. Her hands were all over that." I tried so hard not to laugh at the way she went from zero to a hundred so quickly.

We got our new batch of donuts and left.

"Quite the temper on you. Huh?"

She stuffed her face with donuts. "Don't talk to me when I'm eating my donuts," she said with a mouth full.

"Yes ma'am," I laughed. "Can I at least have one?"

"Why didn't you get your own box?" I shrugged. She rolled her eyes and handed me one. "Don't ask for anymore, that's all you're getting. You know I don't think it's too late to get the ones on the floor." I laughed and just drove off.

I laughed out loud at the thought of that memory. The funniest thing was she didn't remember any of it the next morning.

"What are you laughing at?" She walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me.

"You."

"What'd I do?"

"You just make me laugh."

She nodded. "I make myself laugh too. That's why I don't need many friends," she shrugged.

I picked her up and leaned in to pretend I was going to kiss her before I threw her deeper into the water. When she got out I said, "That's for rolling your eyes."

"You're a bitch." She splashed me with water before walking past me.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her in for a kiss. I could never get tired of those damn lips.