Page 40 of It Happened Back Then
I giggle at his words and he laughs with me, a nice break to the tension swirling in the room. “So, Savannah being here means nothing?”
His eyes soften. “No, Blossom.”
“Did you tell her that?”
His eyes drop from mine, and he mumbles, “I tried.”
I push away from him. “You tried?”
“I’m not sure where I stand with you.”
I huff a laugh. “That’s not what I just heard. Your declaration was you want to fuck your future wife, but now you’re still not sure?”
“No, it’s not like that?—”
“Sure sounds that way. You just sat here proclaiming that I’m the one, but you couldn’t tell her that?”
He closes his eyes and takes a breath. “You’re misunderstanding?—”
“I don’t think I am.”
He sits up straight, his tone angry. “Then tell me what you do understand, Blossom. Because from where I’m sitting, you’re the one with the hang up about us. And I have no idea why. I’ve no idea why you pushed me away to college. Or why you wouldn’t come with me.”
I duck my head. I can’t go into all that right now. “We’ve been over this, Bennett.”
“You’re right. We have. And now I'm here, back in Bluemoon. So, what’s the hold up, Blossom?”
I look at him, stare deep into his eyes, and repeat his sentence in my mind.
What’s the hold up, Blossom?
He’s everything you’ve always wanted and he’s sitting here waiting for you to take it.
CHAPTER 17 - BENNETT
She holds my stare, and I wait for her to make a move. My body is vibrating right now, my skin feels like it’s on fire, and I clench my fists tight. My heart is beating fast in my chest and I’m beginning to sweat.
The feelings Blossom makes me feel are unlike anything I’ve ever known. And the longer she sits here looking at me, the worse it gets. Being with Savannah today and Blossom tonight, my mind is reeling. I could have had Savannah. She was more than willing, and I know that was her plan at lunch.
But Blossom is always in my head. I need her. I need to feel her, and I need her to want me just as bad. And if she could just make a move, let me in, I’d feel better.
But she doesn’t, she never does. Not fully. That’s the difference between them. Savannah offers herself without hesitation, no walls, no second-guessing. It’s predictable; but as we went along in our relationship, I realized that's how Savannah controls situations, with her body, her looks. You may not like what she’s saying but she blinds you to the realfocus and has you seeing things from her perspective whether you agree or not.
But Blossom? Blossom is chaos wrapped in comfort. She pulls me in with a glance and pushes me away with a smile. And yet I keep coming back for more. No matter how far I get, I always come back. I shouldn’t want her like this, not when she keeps me at arm’s length. But I haven’t learned from the time we were ten-year-old kids to right now. I’m caught between choosing what’s easy or choosing the fight, between choosing to ride the wave or choosing to set my world on fire.
And I know exactly how I want to burn.
“Bloss–”
My words are lost as she leans in and takes my lips. Soft at first, tentative, like she’s afraid I’ll push her away. I kiss her back, but I don’t touch her until she climbs onto my lap. With her hands on my shoulders, she straddles me and continues our kiss. I smooth my hands over her ass before running my fingers across the waistband of her shorts, teasing the skin on her back.
And I’m lost. Completely lost to her, my body igniting in flames, but I’m burning exactly how I want.
“Bennett,” she breathes, her body slowly rolling over mine. I’m so hard it hurts, and the feel of her against me is the only thing keeping me grounded, but just barely. She pulls back, tucking her hair behind her ear with a shy smile.
“The hold up is me,” she says softly, tapping her temple. “It’s all up here.” Her smile fades as she drops her gaze.
“Hey,” I say gently. “Talk to me.”
