I close my eyes and wait, my lips slightly parted, for that sweet, sweet taste on my tongue.
But the chocolate doesn’t make it to my mouth. Instead, I feel Juniper’s breath against mine. Then her lips press to mine, and her kiss is so much better than all the chocolate in the world.
I go weak at the knees as she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. My hands flutter to her waist, and I pull her in as our kiss grows deeper.
I swear sparks are fucking flying. Fireworks. The lot.
Ethan clears his throat, and we jump apart, Juniper’s cheeks flushing as red as mine feel.
“Um …” His eyes are wide, but he doesn’t look angry or upset, just in shock. “I …” He looks from me to her, from her to me. “I …”
I go to him. “It’s okay,” I say. “We’re okay.” I blink up at him, praying he’ll understand. I cup his face in my hands then draw him down to me, kissing him, the heat of Juniper’s kiss still heavy on my lips.
He kisses me back but is the first to pull away. “Is um … all chocolate an aphrodisiac?” His voice pitches awkwardly, and he looks shaken. “Or um … just the proper English stuff?”
There’s a beat of silence. Then I take his hand. “Sweetheart?” I glance back at Juniper. “We’ll be back in a bit, okay?” I tell her. “Oh, and try the hot chocolate,” I say with the smallest smile. “Before it um … goes cold.”
She holds my gaze, worry in her eyes. Then she nods and gives a thumbs up of all things. “Got it.”
Back in our room, the room we shared with Juniper last night, the room Ethan woke up to with his arms around Juniper still, her body held close to his own, back in that same room, we perch on the bed like two strangers on a bench.
“Hey.” I turn to face him head on. Then, dammit, I hold his gaze like I’m holding onto a liferaft.
“Hey,” he says back, his voice quiet, his light dimmed.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” I ask softly.
“I um …” He looks down, clasping his hands then twiddling his thumbs. Round and around they go, and I want him to lookat me, to talk to me. To forgive me … if he feels I’ve done him wrong? He takes a deep breath then releases it slowly. “I think I’m okay,” he says after a while.
I nod. “Okay.”
“It’s just—”
I tense up but try not to show it.
“Like, I know we’ve talked about it before. I mean, fuck, it’s been kinda implied since last night that we were both okay with this—” He rubs the back of his neck, and though he looks stressed I resist the urge to jump in and reassure him.
I wanna know how he really feels.
“I guess it’s just, y’know, the reality of seeing you actually kissing someone else.” He frowns. “I mean, it’s different when we’re talking about celebrities, or I dunno, the hot lesbian chicks on yourPicPostfeed or whatever—”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “The hot lesbian chicks?”
He suppresses a smile. “Yeah. Like that one … you know. With the abs?”
“Oh. Right. Yeah.” I huff a laugh. “Okay, sure. You got me there.”
“Right?” He smiles properly, and relief floods through me. “Anyway … I guess it was just different when it was hypothetical. Like, this is … real. Like, really real.”
I chuckle at his verbiage. “Remind me again what it is you do for work?”
“Hey. Us teachers can be basic bitches too.”
“Okay, fine.” I grin back. “So, now that it’s ‘really real’,” I say playfully, and Ethan presses his lips, which nevertheless curl up.
“Yes?” he asks with a sigh.
“Do you want it to stop?”
