From the other side of Beth, Leo claps his hands as he says, “Great pick, Alex. This one has an excellent soundtrack.” Leo raises his beer glass, toasting to Alex’s movie choice.
“Ladies, gentlemen,” Alex says, motioning to each of us, “grab some snacks and settle in. We’re about to go on a crazy, action-packed, romantic adventure for the next one and a half hours. The journey full of?—”
“Alright, alright. Sit down and start the damn thingalready,” Roman says, throwing a piece of popcorn at Alex. Alex catches it in his mouth and smiles as he sits down on the couch between Beth and Leo, reaching over Beth to grab a box of candy off the coffee table.
Theo leans as well, grabbing a bag of popcorn from the table. When he does, his hand slips lower, from my hip to my lower back, leaving me frozen as a chill runs up my spine. I’m still focused on where his hand touches my back, so I barely notice when he hands me a box of Milk Duds. My favorite movie candy.
I turn to him, about to ask if he knew this was my favorite, when he beats me to it.
“I got a little insider information,” he whispers. His hand moves back to my hip as he leans back on the couch, getting comfortable for the start of the movie. When I don’t settle in with him, he gently squeezes my hip, pulling me closer to him. Against my better judgment, I oblige. With my legs swung to my right side, I lean into Theo and open the box of Milk Duds.
When he whispers in my ear to ask me if his hand placement is okay, all I can do is nod as I remember how to breathe properly. A warning flashes through my mind that this situation might be on the verge of getting more complicated than either of us can handle. I let the thought pass when Theo’s thumb lightly strokes my hip once, and I feel an ache low in my abdomen.
I imagine Theo isn’t spiraling as much as I am, as I watch him pop a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth. For him, it’s easy. We are two friends, pretending to be in a relationship to help each other get jobs. That’s all this is. He’s resting his hand on my hip to furtherconvince his brothers we’re together. Sure, his hand is hidden away under the blanket that lies over the two of us, but isn’t that what a boyfriend would realistically do?
Popping a few Milk Duds into my mouth, I try to focus on the opening scene of the movie. Only an hour and a half of this movie and then we can retire to Theo’s room with the safety of the pillow wall between us for the rest of the night. Right now, I’m hoping to get sucked into the movie, not having to think about my pending career decision or Theo’s current hand placement.
My attention is pulled from the movie when Theo’s hand moves under the blanket. His finger begins tracing small circles on my hip, just below the hem of my shorts. If focusing on the first thirty minutes of the movie was hard, I’m not sure how I’ll get through this last hour.
As his hand trails higher, his fingers graze my thigh as he lifts the hem of my shorts, allowing his fingers to slip beneath. He moves his knuckles back and forth on my skin. Back and forth. Back and forth. Agonizingly slow, almost as if he’s testing the waters, waiting for me to react. Or he just doesn’t want his movements to be noticeable to the others under the blanket.
But wouldn’t that mean he’s doing this because hewantsto and not to put on a show for the others?
I must not be thinking clearly. The heat that blooms from the spot he traces on my leg spreads to other areas of my body, making it hard to think through my reaction. I do my best to control my breathing, as it involuntarily grows heavier at his touch. It’s an effort to do so as I am consumed by Theo at this moment.
All I can feel is Theo. All I can smell is Theo. All I can think about is Theo.
Wanting to feel more of him, I move my hand and greedily place it on his abdomen underneath the blanket. There’s no harm in returning the favor. Maybe I’ll get more answers about how he really feels.
Trailing my hand lower on his abdomen, I gently brush my fingers along his waistband before dipping them under the soft fabric of his shirt. His skin is softer than I expected, but his abs are as hard as I envisioned, whch has been more times than I care to admit since meeting him at the diner.
With my head still resting on his shoulder, I hear the moment his heartbeat increases as I mimic his hand motions. His fingers brush along the skin of my hips, the hemline of my shorts now pulled up farther than a few minutes ago. My fingers lightly touch the space above his belly button, dipping every so often to tease his waistband.
With each circular motion of Theo’s fingers, he slides farther up my hip until he reaches the lace-lined fabric of my underwear. My hand on him stalls as he begins to toy with the lace, pulling slightly before tracing his fingers along the fabric backward toward my ass. Letting the lace go, he glides his fingertips back and forth on the bare skin of my ass, sending a shiver up my spine. When his hand flattens on my ass cheek, I can feel the growing heat between my thighs at the proximity of his fingertips to my already soaking wet core.
“You guys want more popcorn?” Leo’s voice washes over me like a bucket full of ice water. I yank my handfrom Theo’s abs as he pulls the fabric of my shorts back over my hip. When he declines Leo’s offer of popcorn, I glance at him. One look and he’s staring straight at the TV screen, unbothered by the events that just transpired between us. I know he can see me looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but he won’t look back at me. It feels like a slap straight to the face.
Adjusting his position, Theo pulls his arm from around me, grabs his water, and takes a sip. When he sits back, his arm doesn’t return to its original position. Instead, he grabs a pillow and pulls it over his lap, resting both of his arms there. The pillow's position would make it impossible for me to return my hand to its original position, and the message is clear.
Embarrassed that I may have unintentionally made Theo feel uncomfortable, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Theo barely glances my way as I leave the living room.
Once I’m in the bathroom, I turn the faucet to cold. I cup my hands under the running water and begin splashing it on my face. The first wave stings, but it’s nothing compared to the sudden lack of attention I’m getting from Theo. The cold water numbs as I continue splashing it on my face, hoping it will help clear my mind and distract me from the ache between my legs.
After what feels like a solid ten minutes in the bathroom, I still haven’t cooled down. I’m not a virgin; it’s not like a man has never touched me before. But something aboutthisman makes the simplest touch feel earth-shattering in the best way possible.
I haven’t been this worked up in a while. I cursemyself for not listening to Beth’s advice about finding some random guy to sleep with the night of Theo’s party. Then maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess.
When I exit the restroom and look at the living room, I freeze. The thought of going back to sit with Theo feels suffocating. Everyone is still engrossed in the movie, so I turn the opposite way and head out the back door to the deck.
The summer night air cools my skin as I make my way across the deck, overlooking the lake. Gripping the railing as though I might fall off, I take a few deep breaths. As the cool breeze kisses my skin under the light of the moon, the sound of crickets surrounds me, and my body temperature begins to drop.
Inhale…Exhale…Inhale…Exhale…Inha-
The unmistakable sound of the back door sliding open breaks through the peaceful night air. I don’t dare to look back as I wrap my arms around myself, wishing I had a shell to hide inside in the presence of the one person I didn’t want to follow me out here. I don’t need to look back to know it’s him. Another breeze rolls through, and his scent invades my senses the moment he gets close.
Something soft brushes against my left arm, and I look down to find Theo holding out his sweatshirt to me.
“Let’s talk,” he says softly.
