Page 10 of Under The Cherry Blossoms
“Yeah. I had no clue they were unhappy, it was just the way they were. Which is really sad if you think about it. They must have been miserable for so long that it was the only way I knew them to be.” I sigh as I consider this for the millionth time. How is it possible to not know your parents were that unhappy? Was I thatselfish?
“How did it go down? Was there yelling and fighting?” Mackasks.
“No, not really. I mean, there was no fighting, but it was obvious there was something wrong. Mom was drinking and just seemed really angry. Dad was...” Tears well up as I recall my father’s demeanour last night. “He was happy, like he seemed relieved to be getting it all out, he was happy to be leaving us. Anyway, he explained that him and Mom hadn’t been happy and that he had met someone else. He didn’t mean for anything to happen, but he fell in love and he was leaving to be with her. He seriously couldn’t even pretend to be sad. Even when I cried, he just said that it would all work out for the best, I would see. And then he left. He just walked out while I stood at the door watching him walkaway.”
“Well aren’t we just a motherfucking perfect pair, huh?” Mack asks and I snuffle out a laugh through the tears that had started tofall.
“Yep, we definitelyare.”
“You know what? I’m sorry you went through that, but can I tell you something?” As I nod my head, he continues, “Don’t let that change your opinion on love. Because real love is amazing. My parents were so in love with each other, it used to gross me out.” A smile breaks out across his cute face. “They were forever making out and holding hands. I mean yeah, they fought, but I remember Mom telling me once that fighting in a relationship could be a great thing. That it meant they trusted each other and their relationship enough to disagree and to have that kind of trust in someone was magic. So, it might not always work out, but love is real and it can be fuckingincredible.”
I smile broadly at his declaration. “How have we never met before?” I finally ask the question that has been plaguing me allafternoon.
“I’m a sophomore, not a freshman. My English class is on a field trip right now to see the local community theater performance of a play that’s about a dying mother. The guidance counsellor said if I didn’t feel up to going to the play then I could come on this field trip instead. We did this last year, so I figured it would be an easy way to pass anafternoon.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. It’s probably really selfish of me, but you made me feel a lot better, so thankyou.”
“Yeah, you actually made some sense too, pipsqueak,” he replied, gently nudging my shoulder with alaugh.
“Pipsqueak? Yeah that won’t work for me. Do I need to pull out the four-eyes jokes?” Iretort.
“Whatever, these glasses add to my sex appeal,” he replies and I groan loudly at this, coughing out “lame” into my hand. It feels good to laugh and I hope Mack feels the same way. I’m trying to work up the nerve to somehow ask him if he’d be interested in going out sometime. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about all of this, someone who understands. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. It has nothing to do with big brown eyes and how they crinkle when his beautiful smile lights up his face. No, that would be ridiculous. Mack interrupts my thoughts before I get achance.
“Today’s my last day. Dad is moving us back to Connecticut where he grew up. He wants to be closer to his parents andsister.”
“Oh.” That’s honestly the only response I can come upwith.
“I mean, I understand it. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. I hate that I have to leave my friends, my school. Especially my home. There’s so many good memories there, youknow?”
“Yeah, that must be reallytough.”
“I just wanted you to know, because if I wasn’t leaving I would have asked you out. I just thought you should knowthat.”
A short distance away, Ms. O’Brien calls out to all the kids, trying to rally them all back to the schoolbus.
“Well, Mack, I would have said yes. Just soyouknow.” And with that I begin to gather mybelongings.
“Skylah?” I look over and suddenly his lips are brushing across mine in the sweetest kiss I could have imagined. It tastes like hope and might-have-beens. Mack breaks the kiss and gives me a smile that repairs a tiny piece of my shattered heart. Then he gets up, throws his backpack over his shoulder and holds out his hand to me. In that moment, right there under those cherry blossoms, my faith in the possibility of love isrestored.
“How the fuck is that possible?”Ben asks incredulously. He reaches up and gently tugs on a lock of hair. “Your hair was darker then,” he says softly. “And shorter. How could I not recognize you though? That day was such a huge deal forme.”
“I also had braces. You had glasses and were about four inches shorter. It was fifteen years ago, we grew up. Matured. We don’t look the same as we did back then. Why would we even think it would be a possibility? I never thought I would see youagain.”
“This is unbelievable. I can’t believe it’s actually you.” And before I know what’s happening, his lips are on mine, aggressively taking what he needs from me. I melt into him, happy that I’m able to give him this and fully prepared to give him anything else hewants.
“My place,” I mutter as his mouth briefly leaves mine. “Now.”
I attempt to slot my key into the lock, but as I feel the heat of Ben’s body right behind me, I only seem to be capable of fumbling it. He takes a step closer, his body now completely covering my own as he pushes me into the door. Grabbing my ass, he grinds his cock into me and my breath hitches. Running his lips along my neck, he gently bites down, and my pussy pulses in anticipation. Covering my hand with his own, he brings the key up to the lock and slides it in. I’m about to make a joke about how well he fills my hole when we are suddenly falling through the now-open doorway, immediately a tangle of limbs as our hands explore every inch they can. His hard body feels incredible to my touch and the strength he exudes is overwhelming. The late afternoon light casts a soft glow over the room and as Ben moves me forward, his mouth never leaves mine, devouring me, and all I can think is how good hetastes.
With a small grunt, he breaks our kiss and utters one word. “Bedroom?”
I point in the direction of my room, and as he picks me up, my legs wrap instinctively around his waist and my mouth finds his neck, kissing up toward his jaw and enjoying the sensation of his scruff against mylips.
Reaching the bed, he throws me down and gives me a small smirk as he watches mebounce.
“Get rid of the clothes.” With that firm directive, he begins removing his own. My eyes are glued to him as his body is quickly revealed to me. His broad, muscled chest is giving me serious heart eyes, but as my eyes move downward, it’s the sight of that delicious V and the happy trail leading to what I imagine will be my very happy place, that has me salivating. His hands suddenly still and I almost cry out in disappointment as they leave the waistband of his shorts, leaving me frustrated that the big reveal has beendelayed.
He grabs my ankles and with a sharp yank, pulls me down to the end of the bed. He leans down until his chest covers mine and his face is only inches from my own. “I said clothesoff.”
