Forked Roads Back

16 - TESSA

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY. I'm twenty years old, and no one knows.

Last year I lied to Nelly when she asked, or rather just withheld the truth, not confirming or denying the fact my birthday is in July. This year I'm not sure I'll be as convincing.

Namely because of Jamie.

Right now, I'm staring at him. He's asleep, and as he snores quietly, I still can't believe how I'd got so lucky.

I remember back to reading Archie's letter, and his promise that I would find someone who would give me the world. But Jamie, in the space of a month and a half, that had been exactly what he'd done, and I'll never be able to thank him enough for that. 

Since we met at the beginning of November, we've spent as much time as we could together. We meet for coffee in between classes when we're on campus at the same time, we meet at Black Flag when he's on shift - he works while I study - he comes to the house on weekends and for the last six weeks, we've spent pretty much every night together. And I never want it to end.

I can't get enough of him. Part of me thinks that I need to be careful, that I shouldn't get too attached like I had with Archie, and I don't want to get hurt like I did last time. I hated Archie for planting that seed of doubt in my mind, but I'm grateful to Jamie for proving every day that I'm wrong to give in to my own fears. I'd been stung once, yes, but that didn't mean I would get stung again.

"Hey." A raspy voice pulls me out of my daydream.

As I focus, I realise Jamie's bright blue eyes are open and I smile as I shuffle forward, leaning into him as he stretches.

"Hey," I say back, my voice soft as I nestle my head into the crook of his shoulder, resting my cheek on his chest and stretching my hand across his stomach, searching for his hand.

"Where'd you go?" he asks, dropping a kiss on my forehead. "You looked like you were miles off then," he adds, touching my nose.

I lift my head to look up at him. "My own world," I tell him before leaning up to drop a kiss on his lips.

He smiles as I do so, bringing our intwined hands up so my hands are around his neck and his are on my hips. 

Rolling onto his back in the middle of the bed, he pulls me on top of him so I'm straddling his stomach. He kisses me again as his hands tease the skin at the bottom of my shirt and I gasp as my stomach flips just as the door bursts open.

I dive sideways and duck under the covers, my cheeks reddening at the thought of my housemates catching me doing that.

Jamie chuckles and pulls the duvet from on top of my head and I take in the sight of Nelly, Will, Sophie, Paul, Glen and Ryan all in party hats, party poppers in hand, shouting Happy Birthday.

I knew they'd work it out eventually, but I hadn't realised they'd do this. And now I'm embarrassed for two reasons. One: the way Jamie is looking at me - confused - and two: for the fact they'd caught me basically dry-humping him under the sheets.

Nelly takes in my red cheeks and stands up straight as I hide myself back under the covers. "Guess we should have knocked first, huh?" The others laugh but I could not be more mortified than I am now.

I peek a look up at Jamie again and he's still wearing that same confused look, but his ears are now red. When my gaze drops to where his hands are resting, I'm even more embarrassed. My friends literally have the worst timing, and I can tell Jamie wants them to leave as much as I do.

"How did you know?" I ask, rearranging the covers to help Jamie hide his Morning Glory. He smiles gratefully as he sits up, accepting my decorative pillow to hide it as the others come to sit at the foot of my bed.