The Son of a Preacher

Chapter four: Falling in love *Edited*

Lucas, 1983, Huntsville, Alabama

It's finally summer, now Caleb and I can just spend time together at our secret hideout. We can escape from our families practically every night and just get lost in each other. His daddy just keeps getting worse and worse with the beatings, and my house is like the dark empty hole that sucks the life out of me every time I'm there. I'm also trying to make this summer the best one we've ever had since it's the summer before high school. I just have this terrible feeling that high school might change whatever relationship Caleb and I are forming. That night we cuddled and he kissed my cheek changed everything, I finally feel like he has just as strong feelings for me as I do him. I'm still too scared to push him any further though, I just don't want to rush him and scare him away. Right now we're playing hide and seek in the dark, so far it seems like I'm winning since he's only tagged me once.

" Come out wherever you are Lucas, you know when I catch you're going to get it little country boy!" Caleb shouts trying to come off as intimidating but just making me laugh instead.

I look around the tree I'm ducked behind and see him squatting in a bush with his flashlight. I chuckle silently as I creep to the next tree before he gets any closer. I continue to this until I'm almost back at our clubhouse, which was once just a few loose boards but recently became something that resembles an actual small house after all these years. Caleb and I spent most of the spring building just so we have an extra excuse to escape our families and so we would have a place to sleep in during the summer. We are going to be sleeping here for the whole weekend at least. I wish we could sleep out here longer, but if Caleb doesn't check in with his father regularly and do his chores, then his dad might come looking for him. If that happens, he might find our secret place, and then there's no telling what he'd do to Caleb. The thought of that happening scares me to death. Before I can sneak all the way over to our clubhouse, I feel someone grab my waist pulling me into them. I let out a startled gasp as I struggle to get out of their grasp, before calming down when I realize it's just Caleb.

" Sorry my poor little country boy, you may be fast, but you're definitely not as quiet as I am." He says breathing into my ear making me shiver in his arms.

" Yeah, but I'm still tonight's champion since this is only the second time you caught me," I smirk triumphantly.

" Yeah, I guess you are, so what would you like your award to be?" He asks while nuzzling his nose into my neck making my heart start to beat fast.

" Hmm, you know what I think I'm going to hold off on my award for now." I tease.

" Are you sure you don't want to use your award right now." He whispers lowly in my ear.

" Yeah, sorry city boy, I'm not going to be like you and use my award on something stupid." I burst out laughing remembering the gross lick.

" Hey, I already told you that award was not stupid, you taste like candy plus the expression on your face was priceless." He says with mock hurt.

" Whatever you say city boy, you just don't want to admit that you wasted your award." I tease finally breaking from his hold even though I really don't want to.

" I guess you're right, there is one thing I wished I would have used it on instead." He says his eyes gliding down to my lips.

" Well, I suppose maybe I could use my award now," I say as I start leaning into him slowly towards his lips. I look into his eyes and see how much his breathing has quickened then when there are only a few centimeters left between our mouths,I instead kiss his cheek.

" You know what I changed my mind, I'm definitely going to save that award for a later date," I say pulling back laughing so hard at his annoyed expression that I'm almost snorting.