Page 139 of Love Me

“Your friend is hiding something. He’s jittery.”

“Blake would never betray us.”

“Good, I hope he doesn’t.”

Hunter turns and slams his bedroom door shut. I cup my neck, and when it’s too much to handle, I walk down the hall to Celine’s room. She’s at her desk, studying. Just like that, everything in me eases.

“And here I thought you’d be counting bullets or something.”

A laugh parts her lips. “Did that, but this calms me. Plus, I am behind.”

“And what are you studying?”

“Social sciences for my undergrad in sociology. It’s quite fascinating, don’t you think? Human life, time, civilization. In the big scheme of things, we’re a blip and still, we all leave something behind: drawings on caves, graveyards, and jewelry. The wind will carry our love, just like the language itself, never to be forgotten.”

“Like an echo, a distinct sound our souls will always recognize.”

We stare at each other in contemplative silence.

“I want to travel and discover other cultures when I’m not busy at home.”

I’ll make sure her every single wish comes true.

“And here I thought you’d start up gardening first?”

“Ugh, what did flowers do to you to wish them my black thumb?”

I burst into laughter, feeling elated. She chases any dark mood away.

Always has and always will be the source of my greatest light.

The worry etched in his eyes twists my insides. Going to him, I lock my arms around his neck, rising on my tiptoes. Brushing my nose against his, I press my lips to his so his mind will focus on something else.

Loving him is my life’s essence; it is invisible yet potent enough to hold everything in me together. Love has its own gravitational pull, and it holds you anchored in place to the person who created these feelings in you.

Kaden gives in to the kiss, and we close our eyes. I lose myself in his soft lips, his hands pulling me closer to his chest with urgency, as if he wants to mold us together. If it were possible, I would do it just to have him like this. Mine. Becoming one.

“I love you so damn much.”

These are simple words and a simple declaration, but nothing is simple in the complexities of my feelings for him. We might live in two bodies, but our hearts are one. We’re one. And that’s true intimacy. His love emboldens me and gives me strength. Nothing is unachievable. Everything is possible together.

“And I love you. You and me, Kaden. Always.”

“I want this over with so…”

All the words remain locked inside me, even though I have the key to it. The time will come when we’ll freely enjoy our love, our future, and our freedom. We just have to overcome the present.

“Let’s just stay in today.”

He locks the door, and we climb into bed. Skin to skin, mouth to mouth, heartbeat to heartbeat––we complete and complement each other. The warmth of his body fuels me. I could never tire of this perfect symbiosis.

He peppers kisses down the valley of my chest. God, his kisses undo me––the perfect combination of an aphrodisiac and drug. No wonder I am so addicted to everything he does. I want to revel in these heavenly sensations because my period is about to start.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I might be fearless, but when it comes to the kind of pain that shackles me to the bed, not so much. A tremor rocks me.

“Hey, what is it?”

“My period is coming. While the pill helps, it doesn’t take away all the pain.”

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