"Let's kiss tomorrow," he agrees. He leans back and gets back into his seat. We stare at each other, breathing heavily.
After a minute, I reluctantly open the door and step outside. Raindrops assault me like bullets, but I'm distracted because Curtis's eyes slide over me, lingering at the front of my pants. He smirks.
I roll my eyes because I know he's affected just as much as I am.
"See you tomorrow," I say, about to close the door, then pause. "One last time." Now that I'm allowed this, I can't get enough.
Curtis considers it. He shakes his head, though he doesn't look happy about it. "Tomorrow."
"Fine," I say, frowning for a second before it changes to a smile. God, I'm going to be one of those people in a relationship who smile all the time. I'm going to be disgusting, and I can't wait. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Liam," Curtis says.
I make myself close the door and cross the dark street.
Tomorrow.
Epilogue: The Winter Holidays
TWO MONTHS LATER
Curtis
"I was gobsmacked when Kennedy first told me, but now, I'm used to it," Bonnie says, waving a hand at Liam and me from across the coffee table.
The five of us — Liam, Kennedy, Bonnie, Erin and I — sit on a rug in Kennedy's living room with pillows as seats. In the middle of us is a coffee table holding our abandoned Uno cards. We've just finished an intense game, and Bonnie won for the third time today.
"That only took you two hours," Erin says. She sits between Kennedy and Bonnie, wearing a hoodie emblazoned with her university's logo.
It's the middle of the winter holidays, halfway through the school year. Last night, Bonnie and Erin arrived at Kennedy's, planning to stay in Easton for a couple of days. This is the first time we've met up since Lonsdale Bay, almost three months ago.
"I mean, it was a little weird when I first arrived," Bonnie says, glancing at where Liam and my hands are joined. "That's not mean for me to say. Right?"
Liam laughs. "No, of course, not," he says. "It was weird for me too, realising I liked this idiot."
I turn to Liam and give him a look. He's wearing his usual attire — a tight black long sleeve shirt and black jeans, and I still haven't gotten used to how gorgeous he is.
"I'm kidding," he chuckles, shooting me a smile, a disarming smile that always results in me doing what he wants. I think he's abused the power of that smile in the months we've been dating. "Or am I?" he adds, raising a brow.
"Liam, stop bullying your boyfriend," Kennedy says, but she's smiling. She leans over the coffee table to shuffle the Uno cards. "But Curtis, you forgot to say 'Uno' and had to pick up seven cards both times twice."
"Big rookie mistake," Erin says.
Everyone chuckles while Kennedy deals the cards. Liam and I share a smile.
After that Friday night, when Liam showed up on my doorstep, we saw each other again both days of the weekend, mostly making out, but also forcing ourselves to do a little studying — we are in Year 12, after all. We talked about whether we'd keep our relationship on the down low, as Liam wasn't sure how open I wanted to be with the fact I was dating a guy, but I said I didn't care if people knew. I wouldn't pretend to be strangers or even just friends with Liam. Not when I had waited a painful month to be with him. At school, we didn't announce anything, but people found out until everyone knew we were a couple. It wasn't a big deal. There are three or four other gay and lesbian couples at Easton Grammar, including two popular jock-type guys in the year below who recently came out as dating.
Of course, there was speculation and rumours about Kennedy, Liam and me because everyone also knew that Kennedy was my ex. None of us fed the rumour mill, and if anyone tried to make fun of Kennedy, she put them in their place. Once everyone saw how supportive Kennedy was of Liam and me, people lost interest in searching for a juicy backstory.
Kennedy and I aren't as close as we used to be, but we're still good friends. The three of us hang out sometimes, and this time Liam and I don't argue the whole time.
Liam and I hang out a lot by ourselves, too. We have lunch together at school, and he visits me when I'm volunteering at the shire, and I study at his house. He comes with me when I buy groceries for my family, and we read in bed together and watch anime with his head on my chest. I never get sick of spending time with him, even if we bicker or annoy each other. When I'm with him, it feels like my heart is too big for my chest. That sounds cheesy, but it's true.
We haven't said those three words to each other yet. I'm not sure when you're meant to. I dated Kennedy for a longer amount of time, and those three words weren't even on my radar at the three-month mark. With Liam though…
"Alright, let's get started," Kennedy announces, finished dealing. Everyone picks up their cards. I look at mine and bite back a sigh. My hand is awful.
We play, though we often get distracted by our conversations. Erin updates us about her university course and her boyfriend. Bonnie tells us that her parents have finally forgiven her for sneaking out at Lonsdale Bay. Kennedy tells us gossip from school and makes sarcastic jokes.
