The Chronicles of Kate

Chapter 17

The next day seemed dead. Jacob and I had hardly spoken. My heart was still throbbing. Would I ever get over him? I tried and tried to act like nothing had happened, but when I looked at him, the memories flooded my mind – kissing on the couch, holding him against me, think we were perfect together – all of that was still there. I couldn’t erase it from my mind.

    Finally I just couldn’t take the silence anymore. As he was leaving 4th period, I walked up to him – and just hugged him. I put all my feelings into that hug – love, anger, sadness, loneliness – and as I hugged him, I felt a great pressure inside me release, like air from a balloon.

    He was startled at first, then relaxed and put his arms around me. I looked up at him. He was smiling.

    “I take it you forgive me now?”

    “Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, I forgive you.”

    “Alright, then! So, are we friends, or…”

    “I’ll be whatever you want me to be, Jacob. I just need you back. Please.”

    “Well… maybe we… could go out again…”

    “YES! I’LL BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND AGAIN!” I squeaked, squeezing him even harder.

    I felt his arms tighten around me. “Okay, then.”

    “I love you, Jacob. I always will.”

    He kissed my head and murmured, “I love you, too. I promise I won't leave you this time, okay?”

     “Yeah, me either.”

    And so our relationship began – again. I felt confident that this time he meant it. I did. I seriously loved him. But there was still one downside – he still smoked.

    He thought I didn’t know. But I smelled it on him almost every day, and when we kissed, the stench almost overpowered me. I never said anything about it to him. But I promised myself I’d love him, no matter what he did. Damn his friends for getting him hooked on stupid stuff! I didn’t want him to die. I told myself I’d help him get over this. I’d have to enlist Jackie, though. She’d be happy to help… I hope.

    I had no choice but to confront him about it again at my house, and, he admitted. “I can't help myself, Kate. I'm just stressed out, and depressed.”

    “Still?!? But we’re back together! Isn't that what you wanted?” I questioned, my heart dropping.

    He sighed. “Yes, it is. But I have other problems I don’t want you involved in, okay?”

    I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Jacob. I love you.” I kissed him, noticing his breath – it wasn’t smoky! It was actually kind of fresh, like he had just ate a mint.

    I felt him stir, and I knew I was turning him on. His arms gripped my waist, and he lifted me off the floor, crushing me against his elongated abdomen. He slipped his hands down to my thighs and I moaned deep in my throat. I started kissing him fiercer, more passionately. He moaned, too, and he pushed me against the wall. I felt his hands graze my breasts, but I didn’t stop him this time. I was too intense on what I was doing to notice, anyway. I slid my hands under his shirt, feeling the amazingly hard muscles of his stomach and chest. His hands did the same and I realized what we were about to do.

    And so I let it happen.

    We were so lost in our passion, we didn’t care about anything. Right now all that mattered was him. I loved him, and I knew he felt the same. This was the stage in our previous relationship I had been afraid of, but now I embraced it. I was ready. This was our moment. 

    Afterward, we lay together on the couch, my head cradled in the crook of his arm. They both were still around me. The rush I had felt when he had finished was gone, replaced by a weary feeling. So that was what love felt like. I wanted more.

    I rolled over to look at him. He grinned at me. “You enjoy yourself?”

    “Yeah,” I murmured, kissing his nose. 

    “I’m not done yet, you know.”

    “Oh, really? Wanna see how long you can go?” I challenged.

    “Bring it on,” he whispered, rolling on top of me again.