My Summer of Firsts

Chapter 12 - Rise and Shine

With my eyes still closed, I took a deep breath, getting a nose full of a familiar smell—that woody sweet scent I'd come to associate with Elian. I rubbed my hand around, feeling his firm body beneath my palm.

Peeking through my lashes, bright sunlight assaulted my eyes. The white light turned everything pale and cloudy. I couldn't make out where I was. The room was far too big to be my bedroom. Also, I had curtains for this very reason.

A small gust stirred the hair on of my head. I felt the steady rise and fall of Elian's chest beneath my head, accompanied by the slow, steady thrum of his heart.

I craned my neck to see Elian's face just a few inches away. Eyes closed, mouth slightly ajar. He was fast asleep.

That's when it all came back to me. The movie night, the terrible incident I never wanted to think about again, and him being so sweet about it. I'd fallen asleep on him during his movie.

The ping of a phone snapped me out of my sleepy daze. I lifted my head to see over him. My phone screen lit up. Then it went dark again. I had a message, but I was wedged between Elian and the back of the couch. If I moved, he would wake up. And I didn't want that.

I reached up the hand that wasn't trapped beneath my body and gently brushed my fingertips across his jaw, sporting a bit of stubble this morning. I could really get used to this.

When my phone beeped again, his body jerked. He groaned. Another beep caused him to stir even more.

I did my best to slip out of my cocooned slot, making slow, careful movements. I grimaced every time he made a noise or shifted his body.

It was a terrible mistake to move, though. A night of sleeping on an old lumpy couch crammed together had left my muscles sore.

I stretched my arm out across his torso, grasping for my phone, which lay on the edge, just out of reach. I lifted a bit more to gain those last needed few inches before I could reach the phone.

"What are you doing?" he grumbled.

I abandoned my task to comfort him, rubbing gentle circles on his chest. "Shh. Go back to sleep."

He groaned loudly and stretched out his limbs, blinking against the harsh light. "What time is it?"

I took this opportunity to grab my phone. I clicked it to get the correct time. "It's 9:17."

I gasped at the sight of the seven texts from my mom. Each one becoming increasingly frantic. She'd woken up to find my bed empty, which was very unusual for me.

I sent a quick reply, letting her know I was not dead in a ditch, or gasping for water in the desert somewhere, fending off coyotes as she suspected.

Elian slipped his arms around me and tried to pull me down against him. I laid back down, adjusting myself, leaning over on him to be more comfortable. When I tucked my leg between his, he he locked his legs around it. His arms tightened around me. "Good morning." he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. His bleary eyes looked over my face.

"Good morning."

He leaned in for a brief kiss and asked, "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good, actually." Considering I'd spent the night stuck in the crevice of a couch, I'd slept great. I usually tossed and turned all night long, taking hours to get to sleep.

He sighed, leaning his forehead against mine. "Me, too."

"No offense, but your breath is rank."

He slapped a hand over his mouth. "I'm so sorry." he mumbled through a laugh.

He pulled away from me and slipped out of my grasp. "I'll be right back." He shuffled down the hall.