The Falling of Lauren Johnson

Chapter Sixteen

Similar to the previous morning, I wake up with Elliot's arms wrapped around me, but this time, he rubbing my lips with his thumb and is watching me intently.

"Good morning, Miss Sassy-Pants," he whispers.

"Good morning, Mr. Leeds," I whisper back with a giggle.

He smiles back at me, and I take that as a sign that after everything that happened yesterday and with everything I said, he still wants to be with me.

"I hate to say this because I love spending time with you, but its Monday morning, and don't you have school?" He whispers back with intent eyes.

Oh shit. I pry myself from Elliot, slick with sweat brought on by the Summer's humid and sticky nights. I push myself off of the bed and hit the floor with a thud. "Ow..."

Elliot pokes his head over the side of the bed and looks down at me with a smirk. "You okay, sassy-pants?"

I push myself off of the ground and turn back to Elliot, "Don't leave yet, okay? And lock the door behind me."

I turn and run to the door, throwing it open and I run into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I quickly strip down to nothing and turn the shower on hot. I step in and the water scalds my skin, but disregard it and lather soap into my hair, rinse, wash my body, and rinse. After the shortest shower of my life, I step out and wrap a towel around my hair, then around my body.

Speeding back over to my room, I pound on the door three times. "Elliot, open the door."

The door pops open an inch and I see Elliot peak his eyes through the open slit. "Whats the password?"

"I'm going to be late for school if you don't open the door, Elliot!"

The door swings open and Elliot stands there with a smirk on his face. I push my way past him over to my dresser. I turn my face back toward him as I pull out my school's uniform. "Don't look, okay?"

He shuts the bedroom door and goes over to my bed, laying down to make himself comfortable, and brings his hands up to cover his eyes. "You have my trust."

When I'm satisfied with his response, I return my attention back to my uniform. I remove the towel from my hair and my body. Very aware of my nakedness, I quickly pull on a pair of panties and a bra. Immediately following, I pull on the plaid skirt on loan from the school and the pantyhose up onto my legs and around my bottom. I rummage through my dresser, and as if Elliot can read my mind, he speaks up.

"I promise I haven't been a peeping tom, but are you looking for this blouse?" I turn my head toward him, and with one hand firmly clasped over his eyes, he holds up a white blouson his other. I walk over to him timidly and reach out to grab the blouse from his hand. As soon as I have my fingers on the stiff material, in one swift motion, Elliot wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me on top of him, all while one hand is firmly placed over his eyes, I might add.

"Can I open my eyes to kiss you, sassy-pants?"

I suck in a breath and before my mouth and brain can coordinate, I utter one word: "Yes".

Elliot opens his eyes, staring me in the eye. "Can I kiss you now, Sassy-pants?"

Same as before, I utter one word: "Yes".

I lean down to him and press my lips against his. Oh my goodness, I'm in my bed without a shirt on kissing the man I love. Did I just think that? Do I love him? Yes. He's my soulmate for goodness sakes, why can't I love him?

I feel Elliot run his hands across my back and my hips, electrifying my nerves with a simple touch. I can feel his hands slide down my back and slowly they clutch the fabric of my skirt and subsequently my posterior. Although his touch his foreign to me, the gentleness he offers with his touch is unlike the touch that Maddox granted to me earlier which was aggressive and unkind, I welcome the new level of physicality. I push myself up a little bit and move my leg to straddle his torso to try and alleviate some of my weight off of his body. As soon as I do this, Elliot grabs hold of my body, pushing me down onto my back, then allowing himself to take my previous position of straddler, leaving me as straddle-ee. He leans down to kiss me and I gratefully accept his lips wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me.