The love that binds us

Untitled Part 5

My alarm woke me up and I found Tyler still in my bed, his arms around me tightly as he lay as the big spoon behind me. I panicked slightly and started sitting up causing him to stir. Tyler grunted, holding my waist a little tighter, I shook my head smiling. The panic lessening.

'It's morning, you need to go home and shower and get ready for school.' I said quietly, even daring to reach my hand out and run it through his hair. His hair was soft, and slipped through my fingers with no trouble, I wonder if they had to cut it after they found him, how long had his hair been?

'No. We stay here.' He muttered pulling me back down and I let him, because he made me feel a little better today. He looked over my face, letting his fingers trace the right side of my face. 'Why... here?' He asked probably not knowing the colour my face had bruised by now and I looked down at his chest, my hands splayed over each peck, I stretched my fingers out as far as they would cover.

'My dad slapped me last night.' This angered him but when I let my right hand run over his shoulder and down his arm, fingers entwining with his he calmed again. 'You have to go home, I need to get ready for school.' I repeated quietly and he looked at me with almost desperation for a moment.

'I not want to leave you.'

'I'll see you in a little while at school.' He groaned out as I pushed him away gently and got out of bed getting ready for my shower. He got up and walked over to the bookshelf. 'Do you know how to read?' I asked and he shook his head as he looked at the books.

'No, not have...'He picked a book up and waved it a little before putting it back, 'to read. You have lot.' I felt a twinge of guilt for not remembering he spent most of his life in the woods alone.

'Yeah, photographic memory, but I like having them on hand.'

'Pho... photo?' He turned to me and looked a little confused, I smiled, he looked quite handsome when he looked confused.

'Yeah a photographic memory, so I can see something and I'll always be able to remember it word for word.' He hummed and looked at the storybooks.

'I not know, photo, not know read.' I twisted my towel in my hands quietly for a moment as I watched him look over the books.

'I can teach you to read if you'd like?' He looked at me startled before nodding quickly.

'I would like.' I smiled and nodded going to stand by him at the bookshelf, there was a small space between us, but this was the closest we had been without some kind of tension.

'Let's start with this one.' It was one of the smaller books I had, a dr. Seuss books. 'Maybe at lunch? Under the bleachers? No one goes there, I'll teach you how to read.' He nodded and turned to me. He looked down at me with an unreadable expression and I waited nervously.

'I want to kiss.' He said and I felt my face warm a little but I nodded. He leant down and pressed his lips to mine slowly, kissing me ever so gently, he pressed a few to my lips before walking over to the window and climbing out of it, throwing himself off the roof and running back into the woods. As I showered I thought about his kisses, they weren't heated, just pressing his lips against mine repeatedly yet it still felt kind of nice, I suppose he doesn't know how to kiss having lived in the woods for all his life... I got my things ready before heading to school, trying to shake the guilty feeling, I'm not sure why I felt guilty. My mum leaves early for work at the hospital, she's a receptionist there and my dad works in the mines, he's on a night roster now, when he comes back onto day rosters it's not going to be that pleasant. I got to school and sorted my books out for class, when I closed the locker door I jumped with fright when Tyler stood there.