What Lies Beyond You | ✓

42. | Promise

42.

promise

EVERY WAKING MOMENT I wasn't with Caelum, I was thinking about him. It was almost impossible to concentrate on anything else because all I could think about were his eyes and the way he said my name and how amazing it felt when he kissed me. Our tutoring sessions suddenly became excuses to hang out and believe me, I wasn't complaining.

Emery and I had gone Christmas shopping earlier in the day, and we had another sleepover since school was finally on break. Mum let me have the sleepover only because I was going to spend the whole of Christmas eve and Christmas with her.

Emery had not really grown out of her cheesy choice of movies, but what did I care? With Caelum beside me, I couldn't even concentrate on what was on the screen.

"Hey," he said.

"Hmm?"

"Want to help me make some sundae?"

I turned to him with raised eyebrows. "Sundae?"

"Yeah."

You need help making sundae?" I asked again.

"Oh, no," he said, grinning cheekily. "I want popcorn, not sundae."

I chuckled in amusement. "You need help making microwave popcorn?"

His eyes drifted to my lips before dragging his gaze back to my eyes. "I do," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. Wyatt was so engrossed in the movie that he didn't see us leave the room, but Emery sent a small wink before turning back to the TV.

When I'd told her about Caelum's and I thingy on the night of Melanie's party, she looked way happier than I even was. I used to think other people found it gross when they heard about their siblings with other girls, but Emery was different. It took me by surprise when a few tears escaped her eyes.

Once we were in the clear, Caelum wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me closer. My heartbeat quickened as I leaned on my tiptoes, putting my hands around his neck and placing my lips on him.

I didn't think I was ever going to get used to kissing Caelum. The way the butterflies exploded, and the way the realization that I had fallen for him hard hit me every time, it just wasn't possible to get used to it.

When we pulled away, I found myself breathless than I initially was. It wasn't only me, though. I could feel his rushed breathing mingling with mine.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," he said, pecking my nose.

I giggled. I couldn't believe that I, Daesyn, giggled because of a cheesy line. "You're super cheesy."

"Well, you like cheesy guys," he said, linking my fingers into his.

"They're my type," I teased, leaning back against the marble counter.

He barked out a laugh. "You have a type now?"

"Yup." I tapped his nose playfully. "Guys who like me but treat me like shit because they're confused."

He groaned. "You're holding onto that forever?"

"Until death do us apart, babe."

Our sleepover was cut short because Emery dozed off before the credits started rolling. Wyatt dragged her up the stairs like a sack of rice, before going to his room. I was tired too from all the shopping we'd done with the girls, so I decided to go to bed. Only that Caelum wouldn't let me.

"Daesyn," he whined. "Don't leave me."

Caelum never failed to amuse me. He had different sides that I never knew existed. But hey! He was still Caelum.

"But I'm really tired, C," I said, glancing at him through my lashes.

He frowned. "What did I tell you?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

He groaned. "Stop looking at me like that," he said. "It makes me..."

"It makes you?"

"Forget about it." He smiled sheepishly. "Will you sleep with me?"

My jaw dropped. "What?" I spluttered, my face flaming madly. Caelum and I hadn't gotten to that base, yet. I mean, we'd had severe make out sessions over the past few days, but I was still super nervous about stuff like that.

The tips of his ears turned red when he realized what he'd said. "I don't mean it like that," he said, waving his hands frantically. "Just me and you sleeping on a bed. Innocently."

I laughed before giving in. "You know, I thought you'd be distant with me after everything that happened," I said as we walked up the stairs. "It just feels so surreal hanging out with you because you also want to hang out, not because I'm forcing you to."

I walked into the room first, then he followed behind. "You're addicting," he said. "And even if you weren't, I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my days wishing I'd done something different."

And I smiled because that was pretty much the only thing I'd been doing lately. "Just so you know, C," I said. "I'm not a second option."

"What?"

"No." I frowned. "I'm not even an option. It's just me or nobody else."

He grinned, pulling me down to the bed and into his chest. His body fit perfectly with mine, and my heart skipped a beat. I pulled back an inch to stare at him. His eyes were closed, and his lashes flutter gently against his cheekbones.

Slowly, his fingers stroked my arm, drawing patterns across my skin. Not circles, but love hearts. With his other hand, he reached out, pushing a section of hair from my face, and looked at me. And it was like an unspoken understanding between us. Like a promise that we were going to keep.