Two Masked Hearts - ✓ #WattysShorts

Twelve

"Miles," Sarah called, having me hide out of sight of the door. "Are you ready?"

"I am so ready," I heard Miles respond. I smiled. He was such a good person. I admired his relationship with his sister and everything he did for her.

"Okay, Evelyn, come on out!" Sarah stepped aside for me to take her place in the doorway. I slowly walked through the door, blushing and looking down, then I looked up at Miles. "I present to you," Sarah announced dramatically, "Evelyn!"

I did a little curtsey, and Miles seemed to do a double take. "Wow," he admired. "Evelyn, you look amazing."

"Makeover credit goes to me, of course," Sarah interjected, and Miles and I both burst out laughing.

"Of course, of course," I agreed, giving her a small round of applause.

"Thank you very much. I'd like to thank YouTube for inspiring me, and. . . ." She couldn't finish her speech before she started cackling with laughter along with us.

"Come here," Miles said after we all calmed down, scooting aside and patting the bed that he sat on. I sat down next to him, and he grinned at me. "You do look beautiful," he told me completely sincerely.

"Thank you," I said quietly, our bodies dangerously close again.

"Ew, barf," Sarah exclaimed. "I'm outta here. Byee!" As she walked out the door, she turned back to imitate a gagging motion, and I laughed.

"Bye," Miles and I both responded as she disappeared from sight. I turned my attention back to him.

"She did a pretty good job," he admitted.

"It's a bit much for me, but it was fun," I shrugged. I used to do my makeup every morning before school, but eventually I realized that it wasn't worth it to me. My life seemed better after it because I didn't worry so much about looking perfect all the time. But now I did want to look perfect for him because I was scared he wouldn't like me if I didn't.

Miles distracted me from my thoughts when he cupped a hand around my cheek. His touch was warm, and my body tensed with desire, wanting him to pull me closer and kiss him. I'd always wanted to be kissed, but part of me found it a little gross and I never felt a strong compulsion to kiss anyone I actually knew. But Miles, he was different. I wanted him, I needed him to—

His soft lips met mine.

It was gentle at first, almost hesitant. We felt each other's lips, exploring them on a very faint level. Then he deepened it, pulling me closer, longing clear in his kiss. I longed for him, too. He held my face tighter, his lips moving quicker, and then we pulled away, leaving that flame flickering in the air for a moment. Our chests heaved a little bit, the intense desire quickly fading away to a whisper of smoke.

"You don't know how long I've been wanting to do that," Miles told me, his voice deep and quiet, sending shivers down my spine. I just nodded, my mind still reeling from the kiss. My first kiss. A smile spread across my face. "So what now?"

I shrugged. "We could go to the beach," I suggested, not really knowing what else to do in a beach town.

"That sounds perfect. But let's pack food. I'm pretty sure we have a picnic basket somewhere."

"Good. I'm starving."

Miles went and found a picnic basket in a closet somewhere, and I waited in the kitchen. He came to find me, put the basket on a counter, and scooped me up in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered into my hair, heat warming my cheeks as he gripped my waist.

"For what?" I asked.

"For giving me something to hope for."

He pulled away, landing a quick kiss on my lips before we began to pack food. It was a haphazard arrangement of salads and sandwiches and grocery store cookies, but it was perfect to me.

I drove us to the beach, and we walked down to the secret hideaway. Getting the basket over the rocks was tricky, but we managed, only nearly dropping the food three or four times. Miles took out a huge blanket and laid it down on the sand for us. We each opened a soda and took a sandwich. The sun was beginning to set behind us, and we watched the sky bleed with purples and pinks and oranges.

"I need to tell you something," I blurted as Miles went to open a baggie with the cookies in it.

He stopped moving, concern filling his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I assured him. "Well, nothing with you. I haven't seen you in so long, so I haven't really gotten the right chance to tell you. I need to tell you."

My mind was spinning in circles. I had taken a moment to pause to rearrange my thoughts, which gave Miles the opportunity to ask, "What do you need to tell me?"

"My parents are selling our beach house."

Miles looked down at his lap, and I all of a sudden wanted to cry. He took a deep breath then asked, "So when you leave, you're leaving for good?"

I nodded. "I've been packing up our things to take home when I go."

"So I'll never see you again." He put his face in his hands.

My heart ached so badly. I scooted closer to him on the blanket, resting my head on his shoulder. "Don't say never." I grabbed his hand, intertwining our fingers. His were calloused from hard work at the docks and a much rougher life than mine. But his heart was so good, so pure, and I saw that. I saw him. "I thought this might be the end, but I don't want it to be. It can't be. You're the best thing that's happened to me." A tear spilled down my cheek, and I cursed it.

"I'm going to hold you back," he said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

"No, look at me." He looked up, sadness in his beautiful green eyes. "I have never wanted anyone as badly as I want you. I don't know how we can make it work, but it'd be stupid not to try. I don't want to give up on you. I won't. If that means visiting every weekend, then so be it. And I won't be much farther once I go to college. It can be okay."

"And if it's not?" he asked, tears filling his eyes. This crushed me.

"Then at least we can say we tried. But we won't know if we say good-bye now."

Instead of saying anything, he kissed me. I felt his hot, sticky tears on my cheeks, in my hair as he pulled me into his arms. He sat me on his lap, and we kissed. It was intense, the heat of desire igniting my body. It was torturous, but it was beautiful.