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I like how he uses the word yet. Like he was fully prepared for me to hopelessly flail with my intense class schedule.
“It’s intense,” I answer, deciding to be truthful. “But I can handle it.”
I sound more confident than I feel. I have to handle it. There’s no choice.
“Good.” He nods once, pushing away from the counter. “I need to go change real quick. I’ll be right back.”
“Dinner will be ready soon,” I call after him, my phone buzzing where I left it on the counter. I grab it and check my notification, smiling when I see who I have a text from.
Arch:I miss you.
I send him a quick reply.
Me:I miss you too.
Arch:We should do it again tomorrow. Same time, same place.
I press my fingers against my lips to stifle the laughter that wants to spill.
Me:It’s a date.
He sends me a string of flaming heart emojis in response and I can’t help but wonder what I did in a previous life to earn Arch Lancaster’s attention now. He is just…
Perfect.
“Smells like something’s burning in here!” Dad proclaims, striding into the kitchen.
“Oh no!” I drop my phone and go to the stove top, immediately turning off the burner under the pan of chicken. The meat is sizzling and some of the pieces looked faintly charred but it’s nothing I can’t salvage. “It’s not so bad.”
“Good, I’m hungry.” Dad kisses my cheek but I don’t react, too distracted by my almost burning chicken.
By the burning I feel deep in my soul—it’s because of Arch. How he touches me. The way he makes me feel. What we’re going to do tomorrow. Just the mere thought leaves me giddy. Breathless.
If this is what it feels like to fall in love, I never want it to stop.
Ever.
* * *
He’s waitingfor me at the front of his building the next morning, falling into step beside me on the pathway as we make our way to the main campus. It’s cooler this morning and I’m wearing my uniform jacket with a navy sweater beneath it, as is he and he keeps his hands in his pockets for the entire walk, making conversation about nothing in particular.
It’s weird, how we can get naked with each other and do things to each other that we do with no one else, yet here we are walking together to class like we’re just friends who don’t maul each other behind closed doors. But what are we supposed to do? Wear signs around our necks declaring our sexual ties to each other?
Of course not.
I wonder if he knows how important he is to me. How I’ll never, ever forget him.
Arch is my first in every single thing. Kisses. Touching.
Sex.
I watch him as we walk. The way his mouth moves when he talks. How he keeps pushing his hair away from his eyes because it’s getting long and he probably needs a haircut, though I don’t want him to get one. I like how it’s a little longish and tinged gold by the sun.
I enjoy the sound of his voice. How deep it is. How it seems to reach inside me and grab hold of my heart whenever he speaks, leaving me enraptured with every single thing he says.
It’s a beautiful day. The sky is clear. I can smell fall in the air and there are birds chirping merrily, singing us a song.
But I can’t even focus on the weather or the beauty of the day. All I can see is Arch.
