Petal [h.s.]

SIXTY-THREE - IN MY MEMORIES

My eyes were so heavy, but I refused to fall asleep.

Arabella was sleeping soundly against my shoulder-her lips were parted, her hand fisting the material of my hoodie tightly, like she was scared I'd disappear from underneath her. I stroked her hair back from her face as I stared down at her, thinking about the way her lips felt on mine. It was more than sparks. I didn't know what the next step up was-maybe fireworks, maybe lightning-but it was like nothing I'd ever felt before.

The sun was starting to rise and I hadn't slept at all. I didn't want to miss one second with her, even if those seconds passed with me watching her sleep soundly. I would gladly sacrifice my sleep to listen to her light snores and watch the way her expressions changed through her dreams.

The fire died out some time ago and it was cold. I knew I should wake her and move us inside, but I couldn't stop watching the way the peach and orange and pink shades of the sky washed over her beautiful goddamn face.

She let out a little groan and wiggled closer to me, nuzzling her cold face into the warm crook of my neck. Her fist loosened from where it was holding my hoodie, sliding up over my chest and face to bury into my hair.

"You didn't sleep." She mumbled against my skin.

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked with a small smile, feeling her fingers curl into my hair more.

"Could feel you watching me." She pulled back slightly, squinting as she looked over at the sun rising above the ocean.

I couldn't stop staring at her. She looked radiant in the mornings. She looked radiant with messy hair and dried drool on her chin and black circles under her eyes from only getting a couple of lousy hours of sleep. She looked radiant with the sunrise reflecting in her eyes and against her skin. She looked radiant as she turned those eyes back up to mine, her lips curling up into a smile when she saw me looking back.

"Your nose is bright red." She whispered, leaning forward to nudge hers against mine, "Let's go home."

Arabella pulled back slowly after saying those words, her face pale, her lips suddenly turned down. I knew why, of course. She thought that her saying 'let's go home' was a slip-up and that it would upset me, but it didn't. It didn't. It made me want to go home with her. It made me long for memories that I didn't think I'd ever get back. It made me ache, but it still made me want to follow her wherever she wanted to go.

"Let's go home." I agreed softly, nodding my head. I leaned forward to kiss her forehead, feeling the way she clung a little tighter to me when I did.

We got up together. I gathered all of the blankets up as Arabella filled a tote bag with the leftover s'mores ingredients that were left behind last night. I watched her tuck her hair behind her ears as she straightened up, looking up to me with a small smile. I held my hand out to her and she took it right away, lacing her fingers in between my own.