Page 43 of Home Is Where You Are

All I could do was ride out the heartbreak I’d become accustomed to and let her go when she decided to leave.

She kept her hands on my back as she pulled away slightly.

I masked my expression as I peered down at her, waiting with bated breath for what she was about to say.

Looking into her tear-filled eyes, I wanted to be the one to comfort her. But I remained silent and perfectly still. Too afraid to move or speak. My breathing stopped as I waited for her to do something. Say something to break this perfect moment.

She lifted on her toes and brushed her nose ever so slightly across mine, and I mimicked her motion just like I used to. Kissing her without touching my lips to hers.

I was so caught up in the moment of reminiscing in the way things felt just like before she left that I didn’t feel her move until her lips gently brushed across mine.

Once then twice her soft lips touched my own.

Just as she was about to pull way after the second kiss, I snapped out of the memories and pulled her body flush to mine.

Looking down at her, I cupped her cheek with my palm and ran my thumb along her bottom lip, my eyes searching for further permission to kiss her back. She blinked up at me unmoving as I continued to rub my thumb across her lip.

With no objection in sight, I moved my face slowly down to hers, gently capturing her lips with my own.

Home.

My lips on hers felt like home.

She gasped into my mouth when my tongue slipped out to trace her lip, and I took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss.

Her hands gripped my shirt as my tongue explored her mouth.

I could instantly get lost in her again, but reality sunk in, and I did the only thing I could, even if everything inside me didn’t want to.

I pulled away and leaned my forehead against hers.

Both of our chests were heaving.

We stared into each other’s eyes, neither of us breaking the silence.

I opened my mouth several times only to shut it.

I had no words.

I couldn’t think about anything else except for how right she felt in my arms. How I didn’t want her to leave knowing she wouldn’t stay.

“Can I sleep in your room tonight?” she whispered, finally breaking the silence.

I couldn’t say no. Not with her looking at me like she was. Not with how right she felt in my arms.

Instead of doing what I should have done, which was tell her no. I did the opposite of the right thing for me.

“Yes, you can, beautiful,” I whispered back, lightly brushing my nose across hers and kissing her forehead before I pulled away from her embrace.

She shut off her Jeep, closed and locked her doors.

We walked hand and hand in the direction of the barn.

It was going to hurt so bad when she left, but as much as I should steer clear of her, I just couldn’t.

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