The Last

It was just past noon when the cherry red Volkswagen bug made its way along the gravel path to the lake house.

Valerie Wells peered out her car window at the two-storey wood and brick structure as if she couldn't believe that it still existed.

It was a little over six months since both her parents died in a car accident and left the lake house to her. Since then she had no plans of ever visiting the lake house again, but now that the house was being sold in two months, she wanted to have a week with it before it was gone for good. Before she could no longer visit her childhood retreat.

She got out of the car, leaned a hip on the door and sighed as memories overcame her.

At twenty-four, Valerie had spent many summers at the lake house with her parents learning how to swim, kayak, fish, you name it, she had done them all.

She ran a hand through her chocolate brown hair which ended just past her shoulders and which she had secured with a barrette and started opening the back door of her car. She pulled the twenty-inch suitcase out and pulled the handle bar up so she could roll it up to the house.

As she walked towards the door, her cell phone rang. She reached into the pocket of her white shorts and pulled out her vibrating phone.

"Val, are you there yet?" a concerned, male voice asked.

"Zack, I told you, I've driven this route hundreds of times. I'm fine." Valerie stated as she searched her other pocket for the house keys.

Zack was Valerie's boss at the Auditing Firm she worked at. He was only eight years older her senior and even though he'd never come right out and flirted with her, his concern towards her was usually more than friendly. It sometimes made her uncomfortable. Like right now.

"I know hon, but with your parents' death still being so new, I just wanted to make sure you were okay being there by yourself."

Valerie paused in the act of opening the door and closed her eyes for a moment. She didn't constantly need the reminder that her parents were dead. They were coming to see her for Christ sakes, when the drunk driver broke the light and hit their car head on.

"Like I said Zack. I'll be fine. Thanks for your concern. I'll call you if I need anything okay?" She tried to control the frustration that was creeping into her voice.

Zack heard it nevertheless and backed off.

"Okay hon. Take Care"

She ended the call and slipped the phone back into her pocket, before crossing the threshold, rolling her suitcase behind her.

It looked exactly like she remembered it.

The living room that was directly in front of her had two huge sofas that were brightly colored to match the curtains. She remembered reading on those sofas or cuddling and watching movies. Behind the living room was the dining area and to its right, the huge kitchen, her mother's favorite place. The four bedrooms were upstairs, with Valerie's room being the last one down the hallway. She wanted to be closer to the lake, where at night; she'd look out the window to watch the moon's reflection on the lake.

She walked into her room, with its simple four-poster bed, chestnut dresser and wardrobe and sat at the bay window over-looking the lake. She reached out and opened the window to let the fresh air in. The only thing missing at that moment was the smell of her mother's cooking wafting throughout the house from the kitchen.

She wasn't sure what she was hoping to achieve by coming back here for a week. Maybe she needed closure from her parent's death. Or maybe she needed a break from the job that was starting to grind at her. The constant, high stress, monotonous job with her over-zealous boss was starting to become an annoyance that she could do without. The fresh air and quiet might help her clear her head and figure out what her next move was going to be.

She looked out at the lake again and the sparkling water seemed to call to her.

She bent to retrieve her suitcase, opened it and rummaged around until she found her swimsuit. She changed quickly and grabbed a towel from the closet in the hallway that was always stocked with linens, before heading out to the deck at the back of the house.

As she passed through the living room, she grabbed the sun block that was always kept in the cabinet and headed out back where the lake shimmered against the mid-day sun. The back of the house had a long, wooden deck accompanied by a patio set and two lounge chairs.

Valerie spread her towel out on one of the chairs and sprayed on her sun block. When she was completely covered, she deposited her bikini-clad body on the chair and proceeded to soak in some Vitamin D.

She had only planned to rest for a couple minutes until the sun-block was dry, but she was so tired from the four hour drive that she promptly fell asleep.

Valerie came awake with a start, at the loud sound of splashing water coming from the lake nearby. The weather was a bit cooler, as the sun was no longer shining brightly overhead, but dipping slightly behind the mountains just ahead of her.

She got off the lounge and peered out at the lake to see a lithe, male body cutting smoothly into the water as he did his laps. She didn't think that there was anyone out here for miles. Even though the closest house was less than three miles away, it was usually empty since the owners rarely visited.

She was just nearing the lake when the swimmer decided to swim ashore.

Wow! Was her first thought as he lifted his body out of the water and slicked back his hair out of his face.

His eyes focused on her in the distance, so he changed his direction and started walking towards her.

Valerie didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't help but appreciate the athletic build of his body, which was clad only in navy board shorts. His hair was dark and cut low against his skull. She couldn't help but wonder what the color of his eyes was.

"Val?" The Adonis asked surprised, stopping only a foot away from her.

Her eyes widened in shock, before focusing on his eyes which were a startling emerald color. Recognition hit her instantly.

"Kade?" then with gusto, "Omg Kade!" She flung herself into his arms, uncaring that he was wet and that she was wearing only a pale, yellow bikini that left little to the imagination. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, off her feet laughing.

Kaden Lawson's parents owned the house nearest to them, Val remembered.

They had first met during a summer some years ago when Kade's parents were having a party at their house. Val, being a very precocious fourteen year old, had heard the loud music and snuck out to get a closer look and that's when she came across Kade. He was in a camping tent close to the lake reading a book with a flashlight. It was the glow of the flashlight that drew Val's attention as she had gotten closer to the house. She had walked up to the tent and raised the flap to look inside.

Kade screamed and dropped the flashlight. Valerie cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Who did you think it was? The boogeyman?" she jibed as she crawled inside and sat down next to him.

He surveyed her in her denim shorts and pink tank top.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing here?" Kade shouted at her, clearly embarrassed. "Don't you know it's not polite to sneak up on people?"

"My name's Val. I live at the house just down the lake." She said crossing her legs and drawing her knees up to her chest. "Pretty cool tent." She commented looking around.

"Can you just leave me alone? I'm busy and you're annoying me." He moved his long, skinny body far away from her to the corner of the tent.

He was wearing denim cut offs and a star wars t-shirt that had a grape juice stain on the sleeve. Probably from him wiping his mouth there, she surmised.

"Why aren't you at the party?" she asked, ignoring his hostility.

He looked like a typical fifteen year old boy to her. Didn't teenage boys like parties?

"Isn't that your house over there?" She pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

He scowled at her and pushed his hair out of his face.

"You really don't take a hint, do you?"

She shrugged and continued.

"What's that you're reading?" she turned the book to face her and noticed from the art work that it was a comic book. "Cool! Can I read too?"

He snatched the comic away from her.

"You're a girl. What do you know about comic books anyway?" He shot at her.

Valerie sighed.

"I was just going to keep you company for a while. You don't have to be such a jerk."

"If I wanted company, I'd be back there." He pointed his chin in the direction of the crowded lake house, holding the comic against his chest.

Valerie looked at him. He looked like such a sad, lonely boy and she wasn't sure what it was about him that drew her to him.

"I just thought that maybe we could be friends." She got up to leave and Kade immediately felt contrite.

"Hold up a second." He said hearing the inner sadness in her voice. "I guess you can stay." He mumbled. "If you can try not to hog all the light."

He put the comic in front of them again and gave her the flashlight.

Val beamed at him and plopped back down next to him again.

For the rest of the summer, the two had been inseparable. They met at the lake practically every day, before embarking on the day's adventures. Whether it was searching for buried treasure, which Val strongly believed was in the nearby cave, or swinging into the lake on the tire swing that Kade made for her, when she complained that she never had one.

They quickly became the best of friends. They were both sad when the summer ended and they each headed home, which unfortunately was on opposite sides of the country.

They promised that they'd meet up again the next summer. But as fate would have it, Kade's father died of a massive heart attack before the next summer came and they'd never been back to the lake house since.

Kade dropped her back on her feet, shaking her out of her reverie.

"God! I can't believe it's you! It's so great to see you." He exclaimed, still holding onto her hand, "It's been about what? Ten years since we've last seen each other?"

Valerie shook her head as if she still couldn't believe that he was really here.

"Yep. Exactly ten. I waited for you that summer you know." She said somberly. " I didn't know about your dad until much later."

He squeezed her hand gently and made a face.

"Yeah sorry about that. It was a really difficult time and my mom couldn't face coming back here again."

"I understand."

Kade threw an arm around her shoulders and started walking her back to the house.

"So? You want to come over later? We can grill some burgers and catch up?"

Val eyed him skeptically.

"Are you telling me you can actually cook?" She pretended to look shocked.

He gave her a sheepish grin.

"I'm great with grilling. It's other stuff you've got to worry about." He teased, as they reached the deck.

"Well in that case, I'd love to." She turned to him and smiled.

"See you at six." He kissed her cheek and flashed her a smile, before heading in the direction of his house.

Valerie looked at his retreating back, feeling a familiar sensation in the region of her heart.