AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The smile to myself helps keep the nerves at bay, and I finish getting ready.
“What ya doing?” Tegan comes bouncing into my room and flops on the bed.
“Getting ready.” I take the lip gloss and swipe it over my lips.
“For a date with Jayce?”
“Yep.” I put on one of the nice necklaces I have from The Silver Tree.
“He’s nice,” Tegan muses.
“Thanks.” I turn around and look at her. “What’s up?”
“He’s on holiday, right? I don’t want to see you hurt, that’s all.” She rolls over to her back and stares at the ceiling.
“That’s really sweet, thank you.” I sit on the edge of the bed. “I know he’s going to leave. But he makes me happy now. And you know, who knows what might happen in the future.” As soon as I say the words, I know I’m fooling myself. My subconscious is concocting hopes and dreams of possible futures where we could be together when I know that’s just impossible. And we’ve only known each other for a few days. I shake my head, determined not to let those thoughts cloud my excitement.
“I need to go.”
I leave Tegan in my room and grab my bag on the way out. Just like this morning, Jayce is on the wall waiting for me.
“This is becoming a habit.” I elbow him in the side as I join him.
“A good habit?” He smiles at me.
“A very good habit.” His baseball cap is on backwards so he can kiss me easily, and I let myself get swept away in the kiss. His lips move against mine, and I brush my tongue against his. When I lick further inside his mouth, I know he’ll make a deep rumbly noise that makes me feel supercharged and giddy with power. So, I do it.
And it works.
“Hmmm, Zee.” He pulls away and runs his hands from my shoulders to my hands. “We have time for that.”
“Okay. Well, are we going to yours?” I ask.
“I thought we could head to the beach and walk up the headland first. It’s been a pretty beautiful day.”
“Sure. But only if we can grab food. I’ve not eaten all day.” I pull him to standing and start walking.
“If by food, you mean chips on the beach, I’m game.” Jayce has an obsession with chips, but as they are cheap, tasty, and readily available, I don’t have a problem.
We take the bag of carbs and watch the tide wash in over the beach. I dig my toes into the sand until I reach the cooler, damp sand that’s been hidden from the sun all day. The conversation that’s normally so easy between us is a little lacking tonight, but I put that down to anticipation. My stomach is in a constant ball of knots. I might not have eaten much all day, but the thought of being with Jayce alone, with nothing or nobody to stop us, makes my appetite for food vanish.
“Come on.” We finish the food, and Jayce pulls me up. “I want to go and sit on the headland.”
“Okay?” I ask with a question in my voice. “When will your parents be back tonight?” We amble our way along the sand.
“Oh, not until later.”
“Shouldn’t we get back to yours?” I ask and realise that I sound impatient.
He laughs. “Patience, Zee. I want to look at the sunset. It’s going to be pretty spectacular tonight.”
“Isn’t that a line I should be using?” I wag my eyebrows at him and take a few steps away from him.
“God, you’re going to be the death of me. Look—” He stops and holds me in place. “I want tonight to be special because I care about you. So, stop making it harder than it already is. I don’t want you to forget or regret this, so do me a favour and play along.”
His eyes stare into mine, and suddenly I feel the importance of tonight and what it might mean to Jayce as well as to me. Maybe a part of me was playing this off so I wouldn’t be sucked too far in, but right now, looking at Jayce, I think I’m already way past that point.
I’m a fool to pretend I’ve not fallen in love with him, and as soon as that admission registers in my head, my heart thuds in my chest as if confirming my thought.
