I’m really glad you think that. But—”
“ How did this conversation get to kissing, anyway?” I interrupted him. “Can we talk about something else?”
He chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you embarrassed around me. Except maybe the time in 10 th grade when I walked into your room while you were in your underwear. Do you remember that?”
I laughed, grateful for the comedy relief. “I remember telling myself over and over that you saw about as much as you would if I were wearing a two-piece bathing suit.”
“Generally bathing suits aren’t grey jersey material and just thin enough to wreak havoc on a high school kid’s imagination. I think I took a cold shower every day for three months straight. And I was purposely avoiding you.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Stop it. No you weren’t.”
“Oh yes, I very much was.”
“Creed, you can’t tell me things like that. The barriers get too confusing. I don’t want that.”
He laughed again, without me.
Though his short blonde waves still softened his handsome face, his aura was all confidence and strength. He wasn’t the boy I’d left behind all those years ago when I took off for college. He was a man now; the type of man who went for what he wanted, and usually got it.
And I loved that about him.
Maybe it was because I wasn’t laughing with him like usual, that he teased a little. “Where’s the daring girl I used to know?” he jokingly replied as he cuddled me back into him. “You don’t need to be embarrassed around me.”
I was certain that at any other time, in any other circumstance, I would have had second thoughts about what was coming. And it would have been a way bigger deal. But I was mad that he made reference to not knowing me anymore, or that I’d changed in some small way. Because I really wasn’t sure, maybe I had changed. And I didn’t like the way that felt.
And yet, we had just been lying so comfortably under the blanket, and everything had been perfect then, and why had he ruined it? And that made me even angrier. And the lone lamplight dimmed the room, and our faces were already so close, and I was sleepy and wistful, and on paper he was everything I wanted in a man, and still, there was nothing he could have said to make me tilt my head toward his. Except the part about me being different.
Sensing a shift in my will, he lifted my chin so that our faces met.
During the small pause, when I closed my eyes, I smelled a more concentrated scent of Creed. I loved his smell; it reminded me of crisp autumn leaves, or a rich rainforest.
Before I had another coherent thought, his mouth descended on mine like a leisure cloud cover on a sunny day. His lips were soft and pressed warmly against mine. It wasn’t awkward like I thought it might be. During the kiss, he even sat up for a moment to readjust himself. He definitely knew what he was doing. In fact, I now had a few curious questions for him about what went down the past few years while I slept.
“Hm,” I said when we broke the kiss and opened our eyes. “How do you know how to kiss, Creed? And so good?”
“But not as good as him?” he whispered near my lips.
“It’s not that.” My head bent down half an inch. “It’s just, when I kiss him, I can’t even speak afterwards.”
“Here, let me try again.” He didn’t hesitate to lean in for another, and the readiness of it almost caused me to laugh.
It wasn’t appropriate at the time. In deed, it would have offended Creed to tell him how much I really felt toward Nick. And even if I wanted to, I didn’t know if I could. Why had I fallen so thoroughly in love with Nick? True, he made me laugh, smile, feel safe and wanted. But that was true with Creed also. Then why Nick as opposed to someone else?
Wow, Creed sure knows how to kiss. My stomach’s starting to tingle.
“Okay,” my hands pushed his chest back so we could see each other without having to go cross-eyed. “Say we’re at a
“ How did this conversation get to kissing, anyway?” I interrupted him. “Can we talk about something else?”
He chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you embarrassed around me. Except maybe the time in 10 th grade when I walked into your room while you were in your underwear. Do you remember that?”
I laughed, grateful for the comedy relief. “I remember telling myself over and over that you saw about as much as you would if I were wearing a two-piece bathing suit.”
“Generally bathing suits aren’t grey jersey material and just thin enough to wreak havoc on a high school kid’s imagination. I think I took a cold shower every day for three months straight. And I was purposely avoiding you.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Stop it. No you weren’t.”
“Oh yes, I very much was.”
“Creed, you can’t tell me things like that. The barriers get too confusing. I don’t want that.”
He laughed again, without me.
Though his short blonde waves still softened his handsome face, his aura was all confidence and strength. He wasn’t the boy I’d left behind all those years ago when I took off for college. He was a man now; the type of man who went for what he wanted, and usually got it.
And I loved that about him.
Maybe it was because I wasn’t laughing with him like usual, that he teased a little. “Where’s the daring girl I used to know?” he jokingly replied as he cuddled me back into him. “You don’t need to be embarrassed around me.”
I was certain that at any other time, in any other circumstance, I would have had second thoughts about what was coming. And it would have been a way bigger deal. But I was mad that he made reference to not knowing me anymore, or that I’d changed in some small way. Because I really wasn’t sure, maybe I had changed. And I didn’t like the way that felt.
And yet, we had just been lying so comfortably under the blanket, and everything had been perfect then, and why had he ruined it? And that made me even angrier. And the lone lamplight dimmed the room, and our faces were already so close, and I was sleepy and wistful, and on paper he was everything I wanted in a man, and still, there was nothing he could have said to make me tilt my head toward his. Except the part about me being different.
Sensing a shift in my will, he lifted my chin so that our faces met.
During the small pause, when I closed my eyes, I smelled a more concentrated scent of Creed. I loved his smell; it reminded me of crisp autumn leaves, or a rich rainforest.
Before I had another coherent thought, his mouth descended on mine like a leisure cloud cover on a sunny day. His lips were soft and pressed warmly against mine. It wasn’t awkward like I thought it might be. During the kiss, he even sat up for a moment to readjust himself. He definitely knew what he was doing. In fact, I now had a few curious questions for him about what went down the past few years while I slept.
“Hm,” I said when we broke the kiss and opened our eyes. “How do you know how to kiss, Creed? And so good?”
“But not as good as him?” he whispered near my lips.
“It’s not that.” My head bent down half an inch. “It’s just, when I kiss him, I can’t even speak afterwards.”
“Here, let me try again.” He didn’t hesitate to lean in for another, and the readiness of it almost caused me to laugh.
It wasn’t appropriate at the time. In deed, it would have offended Creed to tell him how much I really felt toward Nick. And even if I wanted to, I didn’t know if I could. Why had I fallen so thoroughly in love with Nick? True, he made me laugh, smile, feel safe and wanted. But that was true with Creed also. Then why Nick as opposed to someone else?
Wow, Creed sure knows how to kiss. My stomach’s starting to tingle.
“Okay,” my hands pushed his chest back so we could see each other without having to go cross-eyed. “Say we’re at a
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