“I’m really glad to see you.”
My breathing hitches and my stomach clenches.
“Me?”
His smile cracks open the tiniest bit, flashing the bottom part of his crooked tooth.
“Yeah, you.” He nuzzles his head against his arm. I swallow hard. “Can I …” He trails off and I find myself listening harder, leaning closer, letting the blanket fall back from my head. Like maybe I’ll miss whatever he’s about to say if I don’t.
“Can you?”
His smile cracks further open and my stomach twists. It’s dim in here, but I swear I see his cheeks darken when he turns into his arm, then back to me with eyes similar to the way they looked last night.
Tired. Worn down.
But hungry.
“Fuck, bub, I really wanna kiss you.”
Every organ inside me flips over themselves.
I’ve never been asked before.
“U-um…” I swallow hard.
“If you like it … you can do it whenever you want to,” he whispers, his words close enough that I feel them tickle over my face.
My gaze flicks to the sincerity shining in his.
Whenever?
Does that mean …
“Just one. If you want to, bubbles.”
Theres a long moment where his eyes flick between mine, and mine between his. It’s heavy, the thing stretching in the shortening gap, but not uncomfortable. Like a question you’d wait all night to be answered.
I should answer, right?
“Why?” I breathe out, my arms tucked into my chest, the backs of my covered knuckles brushing his shirt.
The corner of his lips tip and he tilts closer.
“Why not?”
I open my mouth to answer but stop short of speaking when Tristen’s lips meet mine.
They’re warm. Spit-slicked and soft except for the spot where the bottom is split.
It’s just two mouths pressed together, two people touching.
And yet it feels like everything all at once.
I’m floating, the featherlight feeling settling into my stomach that I curl around and hold. It doesn’t matter that it draws my knees up into his stomach, my toes touch his thighs.
I lean into it.
It tingles.
