Ignite

Chapter 33

I'm running down Coogee Bay Road for several minutes, bicycles and cars honking at me, before I catch sight of Lewis. He's 100m metres further down the street, well on the descent to the beach, and I let out a gasp of exasperation before picking up my pace, the air hot and humid around me.

"Lewis!" I yell. "Lewis!"

I've nearly reached him by the time he turns and squints at me.

"Lewis, hi."

I come to a stop, panting and painfully aware of the sweat clinging to my skin and hair, and he eyes me.

"Did you forget the directions to your house?"

I glance at my feet, flushing at the undercurrent of annoyance in his voice.

"Um, no."

He continues to watch me, waiting for further explanation for what happened at the school gates, but it's difficult to find one without saying something Jake might not want me to.

"I just..." I cut short. "I wanted to return your pen."

It's still in my hand and I hold it out to him. For a moment, it hangs there, and I panic that he's going to walk off and leave me standing here with it, but then he reaches out and takes it, his fingers brushing mine.

"Thanks."

Neither of us move, but neither of us speak either, and I feel conscious of every aspect of him: the bluish veins I'm staring at on the inside of his wrists, his breath moving his chest up and down, and, most painfully, the energy flowing from him, something that pushes outward and creates a space where I'm no longer welcome.

"Anyway," I mumble, "thanks for covering for me and every—"

"You don't want Jake to know we're hanging out, do you?"

His words come out quick, as if he's hoping that the faster he says them, the less they'll hurt, and I glance up at him, unsure how to answer.

"Don't take this the wrong way... But no."

Lewis breaths out and he turns.

"Right. I'll see you later, Claude."

"Wait!" I grab his arm, trying to stop him. "Lewis, it's not... I... um..."

Something in my voice makes him look back and my stomach flutters with panic.

"It's not because of you. Jake's just over protective and if he finds out about..." I wave my hands between us, "you know, this, he's gonna be stupid and macho for no reason."

Lewis watches me.

"I didn't know there was a this for him to find out about. I'm just walking you home from school, aren't I?"

My heart drops and I look down at my feet, contemplating that moment of humiliation and storing it somewhere close should I ever consider saying something that ridiculous again.

My expression gives something away though because Lewis turns to face me.

"Aren't I?"

"Yeah, course!" I flush bright as a beetroot, backing up quick. "It's all good. No worries."

"Claude," Lewis says, and I try to run but he grabs my wrist before I can.

I'm about to start babbling once more, spurting crap that might save me some dignity, when he speaks.

"I didn't mean I don't want a this. I just didn't realise you might too."

It takes a moment to understand what he's said, and when I do, it takes another to figure out if I've heard him correctly.

"Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"No."

"But I just wanna make sure I heard you right."

"Why do you need to make sure? You're the one who turned me down two weeks ago."

"Yes, but—"

My protest is cut off when his lips press against mine, catching me mid-sentence and swallowing my words in an interruption that will go down in history as an undeniable success.

At first, it's almost like he hadn't planned on doing it, and he's as surprised as I am, but then his lips soften and his arms curl around my waist, pulling me closer. Crystals explode under my skin, tingling against every point he touches, and I curl into him, letting the world fall away.

But then a car zooms past and a horn blares.

"Oi! Get a room, you wankers!"

I jerk away from Lewis and he laughs.

"Oh my god," I say, flushing when I realise several people are looking.

"Don't worry," Lewis says. "They're just jealous."

He tries to pull me back, but this time I wiggle out of his grasp.

"No! What are you doing? I don't want to be honked at again."

Lewis stays quiet, but he's staring at me, his eyes glinting.

"Okay," he says.

"And I should get home, Jake's expecting me."

"Sure."

I hover, wanting him to convince me to stay, but he doesn't. Instead, he just watches me, a smile lighting on his face, slow as a fuse and equally as dangerous.

"Okay," I say slowly.

I turn to go, but then I stop, rethink, and spin back around and plant another kiss on his lips.

"I'll see you on Monday," I say, and then I sprint off, my back tingling with the heat of his gaze as I go. 

...

Hehe what do we all think of this turn of events? 😜

Next chapter out in a week!

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- Skylar xx