Another High School Romance

thirteen

We didn't speak as we slipped outside, the warmth of Travis' hand burning through the thin fabric of my dress. The cool night air hit us immediately and I swallowed as Travis closed the door, leaving us completely alone. I was nervous, but also not at all. It was a strange feeling. 

"I was at home." I started to say quietly as we walked slowly over the grass. "Abigail brought me the dress but I told her I wasn't going to come, I didn't want to make it complicated." Travis nodded, and I could feel his eyes on me as we walked, but I didn't dare look at him in case I lost my nerve. "I was just reading, and I started singing something I'd never heard before."

"You wrote a song?" Travis asked, almost hopefully. 

I stopped, turning to face him as I took my phone out of my pocket. Travis watched as I found my voice note and played it, holding my phone up. We stood there in silence as the few lines I'd written pierced the quiet night, and when it was over, I slowly put my phone back into my pocket. Travis seemed speechless, and I looked nervously up at him, waiting for him to say something. Would he like it? Hate it? I had no idea.

"You just wrote that?" He asked quietly, and still couldn't pick his reaction from the tone of his voice. 

"I think I wrote that about you." I whispered. "And I realized that I no longer had any reason to be scared of wanting more from this. I'm ready Travis, if you want me. If you'll take me."

Travis' eyes softened and I forced myself to remember to breathe as his hands lifted to my face. Warmth rushed through me as he took my face in his hands so gently, just holding me. I knew this was still all my decision, he wouldn't be the first to lean in.

"Maybe you're not scared anymore, but I sure am." Travis murmured.

"Why?" I asked, second guessing this.

"Because..." He stroked my cheeks gently, a tiny smile tugging on his lips. "Because I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and will always be..." Travis took in a breath. "...yours." He gave me a nervous smile. "And that's a little fucking scary, though I'd never change this for the world."

I looked at him, and then burst out laughing, delighted at what I'd just heard. God, he was so romantic, and so funny at the same time.

"Did you just quote Sense and Sensibility at me?" I asked, giggling as Travis smiled a little sheepishly.

"Well you're an English teacher, and you said you loved that book. I figured it might be really romantic." He shrugged.

"It was." I smiled. I'd told him a few weeks ago that Sense and Sensibility was my favorite classic novel, and the fact that he'd taken it upon himself to learn a little quote from it meant the whole world and more to me.

Travis smiled wider, and god, I was so glad I'd made this choice. Unable to hold off any longer, I slowly rose up on my toes. My heels gave me a little height, but he was still way taller than me, and I had to stretch up to his level. My heart was in my throat, thudding steadily as it urged me on.

And in the middle of the football field, at eight in the evening, on the second Saturday of September, I kissed Travis Kelce.

His lips met mine softly, hands holding me against him as we finally crossed that tentative line. I sighed into the kiss as Travis' hands slid into my hair, and I moved closer to slowly lift my arms around his neck. The kiss was slow, soft, new, and it coursed through me like a gentle wave, soothing as his lips moved effortlessly against mine. Perfectly.

"God." Travis sighed eventually, forced to pull back so we could breathe. "Taylor." He breathed my name. "You..."

"Called it!" Someone shouted, and we jumped, glancing over to see Lucy and some of her friends walking round the back of the gym. "You lied to us Miss Swift!" She shouted in our direction.