“Hmm, let me think,” I mused, pretending to consider it seriously. “Five whole days with you… I suppose I could survive that.”
“Just survive?” She raised an eyebrow, moving closer until our knees were touching.
“Well, I might even enjoy it,” I admitted, feeling that familiar warmth spreading through my chest whenever she looked at me like that.
“Good,” she murmured, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Because I have plans for us.”
“What kind of plans?”
“The kind that involves you relaxing for once instead of worrying about school.” Her fingers lingered near my cheek. “When’s the last time you did absolutely nothing productive for an entire day?”
I thought about it and realized I couldn’t remember. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that.”
“Well, then we’re definitely fixing that this weekend.” She leaned back against the couch cushions, studying me with that intense look. “Starting right now.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.” Without warning, her hands were at my sides, and she began tickling me mercilessly.
“Marley!” I shrieked, trying to squirm away from her, but she was relentless. Laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep in my chest as I tried to escape her fingers. “Stop! Please!”
“Say you’ll stay the whole weekend,” she demanded, not letting up.
“I already said yes!” I gasped between giggles.
“Say it again!”
“I’ll stay! I’ll stay!” I managed to catch her wrists, but she was stronger than me, and soon I was flat on my back with her hovering over me, both of us breathing hard from the playful struggle.
“Got you,” she announced triumphantly, her hands planted on either side of my head.
But then, the laughter died away as we stared at each other, suddenly aware of how close we were. Her hair had fallen forward, creating a short curtain around us, and I could feel the warmth of her breath on my face.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi yourself,” she murmured back, her eyes moving from my eyes to my lips and back again.
My heart was racing, but not from the tickling anymore. It was from the way she was looking at me.
“Kelechi,” she said quietly, her voice rough. And the raspy sound of it made my stomach clench.
“Yes?”
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you all day.”
Heat flooded my cheeks, but I didn’t look away. “What’s stopping you?”
Her eyes darkened. “Nothing,” she dragged in a breath, and then her mouth was on mine.
This kiss was hungry and desperate, hours of restraint snapping all at once. Her lips moved against mine with an urgency that made me dizzy, and when her tongue traced my bottom lip, I opened for her without hesitation.
I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling her closer, needing more of her warmth, more of her taste, more of her. She made a soft sound against my mouth that sent electricity shooting through my entire body.
When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathing hard. Her forehead rested against mine.
“Damn,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” I agreed, my voice barely working. “Damn.”
