“Take my hand, Clumsy.” Alec laughs as I almost fall on my ass.
With my heart in my throat, I place my hand in his as he continues to try to teach me how to skate.
“There you go,” Alec reassures me as I barely stay on my feet, skating shakily from my left foot to my right and back.
Alec’s hands loosen their grip, and worry fills my body. I am totally going to fall.
But when his hands release mine, I stay upright, slowly skating by myself across the ice.
Alec jumps in the air, spinning around. Which made my staying upright skating feel a little talentless. “You did it! You’re doing it! Keep going!”
I can’t help the giant smile from breaking onto my lips and the blush that creeps up my cheeks. “I’m doing it. Oh my God! Oh my God, I’m doing it!”
I look away from Alec for one second, glancing down at my feet. When I look back up, Alec is standing right in front of me, and I immediately panic.
I throw my hands up to try to find some balance, but it is far too late for that. My weight shifts, and my legs fly out from under me. My ass smacks the ice, hard … right in front of Alec.
He immediately falls to his knees, and his eyes scan me, searching for injuries. But unless his stare is glued on my ass or my pride, he won’t find any.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I look up and notice that in the corners of his eyes, a wrinkle of humor lingers. And I can’t help but laugh with him—at myself really.
The laughs burst from me, and I can’t stop it or stop the ice that’s melting and soaking through my leggings.
Alec stands up, as if that isn’t a feat of its own. He offers me both of his hands, which I happily take.
He pulls me up, and my skates glide toward him, our lips only inches apart.
His eyes drop without hesitation, and I want nothing more than for our lips to touch, to kiss for the first time.
As if he reads my mind, my wish is granted.
Alec’s hands slide around my lower back, securing me in place against his chest. And he closes the inches between our lips tortuously slow.
I’ve seen people kiss before, and I’ve imagined what this would be like—to have my first kiss. But all the times I have imagined it before is nothing compared to this.
Sparks explode from our lips when they collide. And I swear a flash of light goes off behind my eyelids.
We stay like that, locked in our kiss, and I know in that moment that I’ll never want anyone else.
Only Alec. Only ever Alec.
As we pull away he whispers against my lips, “There’s a letter from me in your mailbox, read it when you’re alone tonight, Lu?”
Still stunned from our kiss, it takes me a moment to realize that he hand wrote me a letter.
Excitement thrums through my chest as I whisper back, “Of course.”
