My stomach fluttered. So, this was a thing we did now. Touching. Sharing space.
“Tonight sucked,” he said. “Reports say there were three touchdowns in the area, and we saw fuck all.”
“Isn’t… fuck all expected?”
Ozrik quirked a brow.
“What?”
“Is swearing normal for you?”
“I was quoting. It doesn’t count, but I swear. On occasion.”
Ozrik seemed amused. “To answer your question, yes. It’s the norm. You can chase dozens of storms throughout the season, but the chances of seeing one are slimmer than most people think.”
“How many have you seen in your chasing days?”
“About twelve to fifteen? I don’t know. I’ve been doing this since high school.”
“That’s a lot.”
“A couple every year. I want more. We should have caught one tonight, but we missed out.”
We stared at one another for a long time, neither of us speaking or moving to the car to leave.
“We’re alone for a few minutes,” he said unnecessarily.
“We are.”
He stroked his thumb along the back of my hand. “I suppose if we’re gone too long, people will talk.”
“Yeah.”
I glanced across the dark field, then up at the sky. The heavy cloud cover blocked out the moon and stars. The rain had softened to a barely noticeable drizzle, enough to wet us. Sheet lightning danced in the distance.
I wanted to say something, kiss him again, or have him kiss me. I wanted everything but didn’t know how to ask.
“I’ve been thinking about last night.” It was like Ozrik had crawled inside my head and invaded my thoughts.
I bit hard into my lower lip because I’d been unable to think about anything else. A flash of humiliation assaulted me when I remembered asking him to stop, when I recalled how glaring my inexperience must have seemed, when I considered how desperately I’d wanted more.
I’d barely slept the previous night and spent the whole time wondering what came next. If it would happen. When it would happen. How it would happen.
“Do you regret kissing me?” he asked.
“No. Not at all.”
“So, I didn’t push myself on you?”
I stared at our clutched hands. “No.”
“I don’t know what this is, Gale. You and me.”
“Neither do I.” My jackhammering heart bruised my chest.
“What do you want?”
“I… don’t know.”Everything, I wanted to say.But I’m a coward, and I don’t know how to ask.
