My eyelids flutter as warm lips run along my jawline, stirring me from my sleep. I groan and press my head deeper into my soft pillow not ready to rub away the heaviness in my eyelids and start my day. Seth continues to move his mouth along my jaw, peppering me with tender pecks while smoothing his palm up the flat of my stomach. The rough denim of his jeans scratches at my soft skin, eliciting goosebumps all over me."Good morning," he utters, slipping his hand under my bunched-up shirt to squeeze my breast.I arch against him, stretching my back as I push my arms out. A yawn creeps over me and I swipe my hair from my face. "Good morning."Seth nuzzles into the nape of my neck and floats his fingertips up and down my torso, touching every dip, following every curve, appreciating every inch. Heat blooms all over me, and I finally open my eyes. The room is still dim, the sun muted, barely seeping around the edges of the blinds."What time is it?" I ask, my voice husky from sleep and his
In the hotel room, Dad curses from the kitchen as Seth and I enter. Ambrosial wafts of bacon and paprika engulf me, making my stomach growl. We stroll into the kitchen area, startling Dad as he hunches over the stovetop, battling the spitting oil armed only with a pan lid, a spatula, and a towel slung over his tartan-clad shoulder."Olivia," Dad calls, smiling wide though his brows are kinked with stress. He places the pan lid over the spattering bacon, almost silencing the simmering. "I was wondering where you got off to."I gesture to Seth. "We went for a walk."Dad flickers his stare over Seth, then turns his attention to the sink, looking everywhere but at Seth's face. "I didn't realize you were gonna stay the night, Seth. I wouldn't have gone to bed so early. I could've had the couch made up for you."Dad's face deepens to a boiled pink and he tugs at the collar of his shirt as if it's too tight. I peer sideways at Seth who swallows hard. How does he know Seth stayed? Did he leave
-Later that afternoon - Welcome to Portland, Maine!, the big sign on the outskirts of my hometown reads. I exhale, dropping my head against the headrest of the passenger seat of Seth's car, and close my eyes. Back to reality, I guess."Are you still returning the ring to Blade today?" Selena asks, causing stones of dread to sink into my stomach. "Or are you going to save it for another day?"I open my eyes and stare ahead as we enter the city's limits. Earlier, I knocked the little velvet box from my suitcase as I was packing my things. It stopped at Selena's slender feet and, out of panic, I told her I was planning on returning it to Blade today.Out of the corner of my eye I see Seth tighten his grip on the wheel."Uh." I clear my throat and glance over my shoulder at Selena. She catches the pink, sparkly nail of her thumb between her teeth, none the wiser to the daggers I shoot in her direction. On her lap, Jackson rests his head, sleeping soundly. "Ye-yeah. I'll return it today."
The sharp winged butterflies in my tummy magnify tenfold as Seth rolls the car to a stop along the curb outside Blade's home. I smooth my sweating palms against my thighs and stare at the single-level brick home he's occupied for years. Once upon a time, I was supposed to live here too. I lift my phone and text Blade I'm here. Then, I unclip my seat belt and reach for the door handle. Seth touches my thigh and I whip my head in his direction. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asks, gently stroking me. A small laugh falls from my lips. "No, I don't think that'll go down too well."I leave the car and walk around to the trunk. I open it up and retrieve the little red box from the top pocket of my suitcase. Blade appears on the front porch as I close the trunk. I gulp and offer a small wave. He doesn't wave back. He broods, his dismay wafting off him in powerful waves, sucking the life out of me. I should have come alone. I approach and it takes all the energy I have to keep my spi
I'm miserable. Work today has been the busiest it's been in a long time and I haven't seen, or heard, from Seth since he dropped me home yesterday. Maybe it's a good thing since I'm still processing my frustration. It's just such a disappointing end to an otherwise perfect weekend.I hit the standby button on the T.V. remote and switch it off. Sighing, I run my finger around the edge of my bowl, collecting minuscule cubes of cinnamon sugar that fell off the monstrous slice of apple pie I had for dessert. I suck the granules off my finger, then lift myself off the couch and put the bowl in the sink with the intention of leaving it there for tomorrow. As I pass by the dining table, I swipe my phone off the surface and unlock it. Like clockwork, I swipe away all Blade's texts and missed calls, react with a heart to Selena's Facebook message about getting a job at her father's law firm, and pout at the fact Seth hasn't texted me. I drop my phone to the table and trudge to my bedroom for sl
It's been an hour since I left Seth's place. I thought the anger and confusion would've worn off by now. It hasn't. His rejection hurt. I hate that it hurts as much as it does. I should be stronger than this.My phone vibrates in my pocket and my heart skips a beat. Gasping, I shove the pillow off my head, launching it across the room. My heart makes its way into my throat as I brush away the hair that sticks to my wet cheeks, and dig into the pocket of my pants. Holding the phone a few inches from my face, I blink away the blurriness and focus on the name flashing across my screen. Seth. I suck air between my lips and hold it deep in my lungs. I've been planning what I'm want to say to him in my head for the last hour. Now? I'm a blank canvas. What do I say? How do I handle this? I've never had to talk through things before. Fixing things with Blade meant he would take off and come back later like nothing happened.I chew my nails until they ache, thinking and driving myself crazy. Th
We sit in his car in the driveway for a while, the both of us staring up at a house that takes my breath away, a house I never imagine a man like Seth to live in. For him, I imagined a grungy bachelor pad above a nightclub, the floor littered with men's magazines and discarded t-shirts. I sweep my attention along the tidy, landscaped garden on either side of the drive and onto the perfect lawn, not a single blade of grass higher than another."Is this your parent's place, or yours?" I wonder aloud."Mine.""Do you do the gardening yourself?"He laughs and opens his door. "I do all the yard work myself, yes."I lift my eyebrows, impressed by the creativity and precision of his landscaping. Seth exits the car and closes his door. I wait in the silence, barely three heartbeats, before he opens my door and helps me out. He takes my backpack off the floor and slings it over his shoulder, then escorts me onto the pebbled path I strolled along earlier and, this time, it feels welcoming. I gli
"I want to kiss you a little more," Seth murmurs, flicking his chin. Our breaths clash as we stare at each other, neither one of us moving our hips and stirring the water. "Come here."I dip my head and press my mouth to his. I don't know how long we kiss for. Seemingly lost in it, in each other, we kiss until the bubbles die. We kiss until the water no longer burns our skin, until its sudden coolness stirs goosebumps on our exposed flesh instead."My bed," Seth demands, breathless, digging his fingers into my thighs. His dark, chaotic midnight eyes flash. "Now."I place a quick peck on the tip of his nose and lift myself off him. We stand at the same time and the bathwater drops. Water trickles off our bodies and splashes, making music, and we leave the tub behind, barely running the towels over our bodies on our way out the door.Laughter escapes me as Seth scoops me up and carries me to his made bed. He tosses me from his arms and I land on the mattress with a bounce. His body is on