FLYING | Sequel of FALLEN (NaNoWriMo 2022 WINNER)

6.

I suck in a breath, the tension building incredibly high between Marcel and I.  So high, I can't even find the strength to fight it.  I get absentmindedly on the tip of my toes, my chest pressed to his by the growing strength of his arms around my waist.  We are so close, I can feel his breath now lingering on my lips.

My hand on his shoulder slides up his neck to tangle my fingers in his neck hair.  I grab a handful of it, my body reacting from habit to our proximity.  It's with my eyes closed that I feel his lip caressing my cheek.  I can smell the wine on his breath, and that makes me realise it's the alcohol making us act this way.

What am I doing?

I lay my feet back on the ground and let go of him.  I step back, looking at him still lingering in the moment.  It hints to me how tired or intoxicated he is.  I shake my head, not believing how close I was about to go back on everything I thought and told him today.  I need time.  I need clarity.  And I need to sleep!

I walk past him and go to my room.  I close my door behind me and take a moment to sigh to release the tension and the leftover seduction spell he still has on me.  I run a hand through my hair and head to my wardrobe.  I take the first pyjamas I see, and put it on.  It's then I realise I should have turned off all the lights in the house and went to the loo.

I open my door again to do so, but I find Marcel entering Will's room.  He immediately looks up at the sound of my door.  I walk past him to take care of the lights and don't even pay attention to him as I walk to the bathroom. 

I splash my face with cold water to cleanse my desires and just settle my mind on getting to bed and having a great night of sleep.  I'm pretty convinced by my pep talk until I open the bathroom door and see Marcel's gorgeously bare tattooed back.  I close my mouth that had absentmindedly opened and leave the room.  He turns around to look at me.  It's with a gentle smile that I wish him goodnight and leave him for my room.

"Grace?"  He calls me back softly.  I stop in the hallway where he joins me.  "I had fun today.  Thank you."

As simply as that, he smiles and heads back into his room, closing softly his door behind him.  A knot slides from my throat to my belly.  I don't know what emotion I am feeling, but it makes me feel weird.  I continue my way to my room, and close my door as well.  I slide between my cold juvenile pink sheets and think this through.  I'm curious to know what he is now doing in the next room.  Is he thinking about me?  Is he regretting trying to kiss me?  Is he at least reading?  What could he be reading?

I can't find any sleep.  The mere idea of having him sleep in the next room makes my brain question everything.  How genuine is he?  It's undeniable that my body still physically wants him.  I don't know if it would be a mistake to grant him a second chance.  But it really feels like it isn't the second, but maybe the third or the fourth.  He has made me go through a hell of a rollercoaster of emotions.  It was hell and heaven at the same time.

It was heaven and hell at the same time.

What if there's no hell this time?

What if we take the romantic and emotional part away from this relationship to only have the sexual and physical aspect of it?

I think this thoroughly.  We had a great partnership.  If we each go back to our roles and stick to it, our relationship could work.

This could work.

-

After spending most of the night restless, I wake up realising that my parents have both already left for work once I've glanced at the time on my cell phone.  I feel a bit relieved to have avoided this awkward exchange with Marcel and my parents over breakfast this morning.