Year Four/Week Thirteen – Present
Jace led me to a rooftop terrace, encased by a glass dome.
There was a clear view of the mountains, the onyx sky painted with stars. The dome must have been heated because I didn’t shiver, or maybe it was the alcohol. But as Jace approached the railing I now stood behind, his body hovering inches from my back, I realized it was his proximity keeping me warm.
“How’d you find this place?” I shifted aside, making room for him to stand next to me.
He leaned over the metal bar, staring out into the open plain of dusted snow and evergreen trees.
“I had some time to kill earlier, so I took a map from the front desk and found myself here.”
“You and Bryce, you mean?”
His face hardened. “No, just me.”
“But, weren’t you two together today? On the trails?”
His throat bobbed, his jaw clenching. “We got into a bit of a fight.”
I didn’t want to pry, but… Oh, who was I kidding? I really, really wanted to pry.
As if he could see the intrigue on my face, he turned to me with accepting eyes. “You can ask, it’s fine.”
“Only if you want to talk about it.”
Luckily, he did, because he cleared his throat and shifted closer. The smell of his cologne wafted from his clothes; citrus and woodsy.
“It was actually about you,” he began, and this piqued my interest tenfold. “He asked how I felt about you and I said I didn’t know.”
Like a knife wound to the heart, my excitement vanished as quickly as it came. I didn’t speak. He had more to say. Mind you, I didn’t know that I wanted to hear it.
Those blue-green eyes sparkled like snow, turning to me with care. “I don’t want you to be hurt, Blu. I don’t want you to make assumptions on how I think, and I definitely don’t want you to overthink my feelings.”
Frustration boiled my blood. “You don’t want me to make assumptions about how you feel, but you’re doing that to me right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“You think I like you.”
“Don’t you?”
“Oh my God,” I shook my head, pulling back my bottom lip. “Even if I did, I don’t read into how you feel about me.” It was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that. “I know there’s nothing between us.”
With this, he took a step forward, squaring his shoulders. “Now that, I didn’t say.”
I swallowed hard, trying my best to meet his stare. I wasn’t backing down. I couldn’t let him see how much it pained me.
“You said you didn’t know how you felt about me,” my nails dug into my palms, “So how could there possibly be something between us?”
“Because you confuse me enough that I question having feelings in the first place.” He took another step forward, forcing the curve of my back to hug the rail. “You confuse me enough that I think about you throughout the day, wonder where you are and who you’re talking to.”
My heart hammered in my chest as he placed both arms on either side of my body, leaning down to hear me breathe. His eyes roamed my face, searching for a reaction, willing me to cave.
“You confuse me enough,” his eyelids softened as he licked his lips, “That I’ve thought about kissing you more times tonight than I care to admit.”
With tentative movements, I slid a shaky palm up his chest, feeling his muscles tense beneath the cotton material of his shirt.
“Admit it,” I whispered, though it came out more like a plea.
He was so close to me now, too close, and I welcomed his scent and heat. There was a point where I thought Jace was too tall to accommodate my shorter height, but in this moment…
We were perfect. We fit.
“If I admit it, what then?” He never moved from his stance. I stood frozen in mine.
“Say it and find out,” I challenged.
His jaw tightened as he looked from my eyes, to my nose, and settled his gaze on my lips – a cherry red, I wore, just for him to notice.
“I want to kiss you, Blu,” he confessed, his tone laced with need. “I have to kiss you.”
Any remark I could have made died in my throat as I tugged the back of his collar and pressed my lips to his.
His arms enveloped me like angel wings, sealing my body between his and the railing. A sinful shudder swam through my body as he planted gentle kisses across my jaw, down my neck and behind my ear.
“Blu,” he released, gripping the bottom of my dress, balling his fist into my hair.
The way he said my name sounded desperate, a plea for me to sweep my tongue into his mouth and feel the hardened length of him against my stomach.
His lips claimed mine, solidifying what I knew to be true –
We longed for each other. Denying that was useless.
In that moment, we felt unified, entangled in a web of passion. All the anger and pain I felt, the pining and the chasing I’d done, it blurred into nothing but a distant memory.
He chose me.
He kissed me.
He desired me.
That’s all that mattered.
He pulled back slowly, nipping my bottom lip once before brushing strands of frenzied hair from my face.
“I think this should be our make-out spot for the weekend,” he chuckled, guiding me off the ledge and onto the cold cement.
Instantly, I regretted not getting one more kiss in. I regretted not holding on a little longer. I regretted so many things, because what if that was the last time I got to kiss him? What if this was just an intoxicating setting in our inebriation?
What if –
His fingers found mine as a group of people strode through the rooftop doors, chatting and yelling amongst one another.
We walked down the staircase in silence, hand-in-hand, a smile stamped on our lips. There were no need for words, just touches and glances that held all our emotions in one.
Before entering our cabin, Jace drew me in for another tight embrace, one that calmed the rushing anxiety of losing our shared moment forever.
“You kissed me,” I breathed, as if saying the word would demand a promise for one more.
He smiled, his thumb brushing against my cheek and pressed his lips to mine, hearing the silent promise I’d hoped for.
“And you taste even better than I imagined.”
