Page 28 of Lessons in Falling
Sounds like you’ve done your research on me, Rhodes.The smile on her face grew, and it felt safe to say we were out of guilt-territory.Good.
She snickered, attention back on the dying flames in front of us.Their light danced across her face, tinting her features in a soft orange.Making her look more beautiful than she already was.
Mike told me,she said in defense.Her hand began drawing in the sand again, and she buried her toes in it, too.He’s been talking an awful lot about you, actually.And it sounded like she’d just noticed.
I did not put him up to it, if that’s what you’re getting at.
She laughed, and what a sound that was.Still too foreign for my liking.I’m not sure if I can believe that.It seems like he’s caught a bad case of wingman-itis.
I raised an eyebrow, and our eyes met.Be honest,I tutted.Do I seem like the type of guy who needs his friends to put in a good word for him?
Her lips twitched, but I wasn’t awarded with another laugh.Maybe,she said, for the sake of it.We both knew it wasn’t true.
I tilted my head.When you kissed me this morning, was it because of what Mike said about me?Never mind that I had no cluewhathe had said.Or why.
Valentina stayed very quiet, and very still.But her gaze was still locked with mine.And when you let me touch you earlier,I reminded her.Wasthatbecause of what he said?
Her breath hitched, and it should’ve been answer enough.But she doubled down, and I wasn’t surprised at all.Maybe hearing about how great of a midfielder you are all week just really put me in the mood.
I snorted a laugh, and shouldn’t have expected Mike to talk about anything other than soccer.The guy had two brain cells.One for the sport, the other for Annika Schmidt.
Iama great midfielder, but I have a feeling that’s not what did it for you.
No?Her words were barely a whisper at this point.Breathed against my lips, that’s how close we were.I wasn’t sure which one of us had closed the distance between us so drastically.Probably me.
And it felt like second nature to follow when she slowly leaned back, onto her arms in the sand.Tomorrow, I don’t think I would recall how we’d gotten to this point.Some deep conversation turned flirty banter turned me, on top of her.It sounded like the stuff dreams were made of.
No.I echoed her words.I think it’s simply because you like this, and you like what I could do to you.I placed a single, tender kiss on her neck, and she shuddered underneath the touch.I briefly wondered if she was this sensitive with every guy—then quickly banished any thoughts of Valentina with other men from my mind.Forever, preferably.But for some reason,I went on.Placed another kiss against her skin.You’re not letting it happen.Why is that, sweetheart?
One of my hands disappeared in her hair, and I could tell, right then, I had her again.Her eyes closed, and her head fell back with a soundless sigh.Because,she said, then stopped.My face moved back in front of hers, only inches separating us.
Because?I asked against her lips, voice low.
Because I’m not supposed to—You’re—She cut herself off, tried again.My friends can’t know.And I’m not great at lying to them.
It was quite possibly the last thing I’d expected to hear from her.Many more reasonable explanations had crossed my mind since her first rejection: wanting more than casual sex and knowing I couldn’t give that to her, for example.I thought maybe she was seeing someone back home, or had just met a guy who’d demanded she stay loyal despite his continuous fucking around.
I didn’t think…
I moved back to look at her, the confusion probably written all over my face.Your friends said they don’t want you to hook up with me?
Valentina shook her head.No.No, that’s not—She cut herself off with a groan, and whatever tension there’d been between us was dwindling by the second.
Right now, though, I was far more interested in the explanation I felt coming.They don’t know about us.And they can’t know about us.I don’t want them to—
You’re embarrassed by me?I’d never had anyone—
No!she half-shrieked.God, no.Fuck, Caden.It’s got little to do with you, and a lot to do with me.Alright?
That brought a smirk to my lips.The corners of my lips lifted in amusement, and some relief.Aw, Valentina,I cooed.Are you saying it’s not me, it’s you?How original.
Technically, yes.
Saying I wasn’t dying to dig deeper would be a lie.But it didn’t seem like I’d get much more out of her than the vaguest of vague answers.It’s not you, it’s me.Like I hadn’t figured as much already.
By now, the fire had gone out, the coal was only glimmering lowly in the sand, one by one dying out.My body physicallyrepelled the thought of moving off of Valentina.Of letting more than a few inches get between us, and of not feeling her heat below me anymore.But it seemed like the reasonable thing to do.
It was cold, suddenly.The fire out, Valentina gone.She must’ve noticed at the same time.I think I’m going to sleep.
