Jesse was back by the brick storefront, leaning against its corner as he watched her with an admiring gaze. “That’s good to know. I’m sorry I got all weird. Um. Dating isn’t new for me, exactly, but it feels like it is.”
Still blinking and blaming the unshed tears that had threatened to overflow for the visual distortion she’d momentarily experienced, she made her way back to him. A little voice inside urged her to be bold. After all, he was the one personoutside of her parents that she felt comfortable enough to argue with, to tease, to talk to.
He thinks I’m gorgeous. He thinks I’m a good kisser. He thinks about me... like I’m starting to think about him.
She cupped his strong jaws in her slender fingers, cool skin on cold skin, white on white, her black wine eyes dancing with his icy blue.
Like on Halloween, she let herself pretend, imagine.I’m the princess, some dark fae that holds him spellbound. The girl with the powers.
Her lips met his and she pulled a low moan from him as she snuggled her much narrower frame against his, fingers now curled in the collar of his jacket.
He kissed her back, just as hungrily, consuming her until she was dizzy, until they were both arching into one another, heading further and further down the tiny space between the hardware store and the bakery.
“We have to stop,” Jesse finally grunted. “It’s like thirty degrees out here and we’re in public.”
“And you don’t want to do anything that’s ‘private’ right?” Sophie clarified, hoping she didn’t sound hopeful or disappointed.
For a second, she thought his eyes were glinting red in the blackness of the unlit alley. Must be catching the neon from the store across the way.
“I want all kinds of things,” he murmured, kissing her one more time.
SIX
“Baby girl! You— you’re glowing!” Sophie’s mother pulled her into a shockingly fierce hug, warm copper skin and bountiful, bouncing waves enveloping Sophie and her cello at the same time.
“I’m so glad to be home!” Sophie cried. Thanksgiving break was criminally short in her mother’s opinion, only lasting from Wednesday night until Sunday night.
“I’m so glad you’re back! This place felt so lonely without you!”
“Missed your hugs! Oh my gosh, I didn’t even know how bad I missed your hugs!” Sophie let her cello fall with a gentle thunk and swayed in her mother’s embrace. “Where’s Daddy?”
“On his way home now. He was sure he would beat you here. I told him he wasn’t leaving enough time.” Her mother smirked.
“What did you two bet on?” Sophie chuckled, slipping out of her puffy plum-colored coat.
“He has to wash the turkey pan. Ha!”
“When will Uncle Darryl get here?”
“It’s Aunt Izzy’s year to host and they’re taking the meal to the nursing home so her grandma can be present. Are you upset? It’s the dementia ward so they’re keeping it limited to a small number.”
“I’m not upset, believe me.” Her forced interactions with her pseudo-cousins were a painful thrice-yearly activity that shedidn't love or hate. Her goofy Uncle Darrell and her sassy, stylish Aunt Izzy were another story. She absolutely loved them. “Aren’t we going to get together at all?”
Her mom grinned. “You know they missed their favorite niece. They’ll be here on Friday for pie and coffee. Where’s your suitcase?”
