Just a Kiss Away

Lily

My eyes slowly open, and I immediately lock eyes with the red number, 3:00 am, shining on the analog clock that is sitting on the bedside table. I don't have a red-number clock. I lift myself slightly, confused about where I am. As I'm about to get up, I feel something around my waist tighten. And then it hits me, I'm in his room. I, Liliana, am in Noah's room, his bed to be more precise. I look down. And we were asleep together, with his hands around my waist. My face turns red and hot. Suddenly, breathing steadily is the hardest thing in the world. I think he notices me getting up because he also wakes up. He stirs around in his bed for a while before fully opening his eyes, and because he's still holding onto me I have no choice but to stay there and wait for him to get up and let me go. Not that I want him to.

"Lily?" he grumbles with a raspy and deeper-usual voice. "What happened?" he asks. I had forgotten that he was a little drunk earlier, he probably doesn't remember anything.

"You don't remember?" I ask him because I cannot possibly make those words leave my mouth. You pulled me into bed with you. My head is spinning from just thinking about it, I let out a shaky breath, and he cocks his head up.

"Are you okay?" without waiting for an answer he places his hand on my forehead, "You're burning up," his voice is more steady now and he sounds worried too. "Do you get fevers often?"

"I'm fine," I tell him. "It's not a fever," I admit. He looks at me with a confused expression, expecting an explanation.

"Too many blankets? Is the heater too high?" He spits out questions one by one, and I don't even have time to answer them before he keeps asking more, so I lay back down and push my back against his chest, replicating how we've been sleeping for the past 4 hours. I take a deep breath and gently take his hands, wrapping them around my waist. "Lily?" I ignored him and put my hands back where they were.

"This is why I'm burning up," I tell him. I feel his breathing hitch behind me. He knows what I'm talking about and he feels it too.

"Lily?" he says.

"Mm," I respond.

"I have something to tell you," he says, hesitantly. So I respond with the only thing I can think of.

"Me too," I whisper though, not sure I want him to know what I'm about to tell him. I feel his hands tighten and gently turn me towards him. My face is pressed against his chest and his chin fits perfectly above my head. I stop breathing because he lifts my chin to his face. I stop thinking because he smiles his amazing smile. I'm pretty sure my heart stops beating because he pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I know this is kind of crazy, considering I've only known you for 3-ish weeks, but I want to know you forever. Every time you smile, my heart flips, and last night I wasn't trying to say we should go home, I was going to tell you that I like-" He stops himself and thinks for a moment. "I love you."

I stopped existing because the words I've been longing for are now being said. They drift out of his mouth so easily. My thoughts are spiraling. He's mine. I'm his. Just for tonight. I run my fingers through his curly hair and down to his neck, my thumbs hold his cheek as the rest of my hand fits perfectly behind his ear. I look from his eyes to his lips and back up to his eyes. He's mine. I lean in, hesitantly. He does the rest. He lifts himself from the bed, supporting his weight on his elbows. I don't know how but now I'm cradling him, and he closes the space between us. And on Christmas morning, I say the words I never thought I'd be saying to anyone this month besides my family. I found my other half, my forever. He's mine. I practice the words in my head and I break the kiss, letting out my biggest secret-

"I love you too."