Love Her

Part 12

She glared at me apprehensively, "Why?"

I was confused. "Isn't that customary?" I wondered.

"I don't know," she admitted. She lodged her face into my shoulder and it sent a jolt of electricity through me. I could feel her warm breath. She hesitated for a minute before continuing, "That's not necessary, you know. I don't expect you to...I mean, you don't have to pretend for me."

Pretend? She was my life now, didn't she remember our conversation from less than an hour ago? I loved her. There was nothing about my affections for her that was in any way inaccurate.

"I'm not pretending," I smiled to let her know that this was not a lie. "I want to be your girlfriend."

"Is that what you are?"

Wasn't it? Maybe we hadn't declared our status, but I thought it was obvious. I decided that I was her...girlfriend. "It's a loose interpretation of the word 'friend,' I'll admit."

"I was under the impression that you were something more, actually," she admitted while she turned her gaze to the table.

A joyous feeling suddenly broke free and through my body.

Her gaze had not returned to me, and I took decisive action so I could read her conversational eyes. I lightly brought my finger to her chin, using the lightest of pressure, and brought her gaze to mine, "But she will need some explanation for why I'm around so much." I watched as her eyes looked fully in thought.

"She?" I asked

"Your grandmother, silly."

For a while, I had forgotten about my grandmother. It was like no one else existed when I was with Melissa.

"Oh," I answered. "Right."

She waited as I unlocked the door to the house. I stepped aside, motioning for her to go in first.

"Ladies first."

"You're a lady too."

I paused for a moment. "Age before beauty?"

"I'm only two months older than you!" she laughed, walking inside.

"Not only that, you're prettier than I, too." I declared.

Her eyes froze for a second and her body stiffened, and then she looked back to me.