Ultraviolet

Chapter Forty-Four: Home Before Dark

Jess left the apartment a couple minutes later. She usually left and didn't explain where she was going, but today she made it abundantly clear that she was having lunch with Jack's family in Providence, leaving me and Hadeon in the apartment. Alone.

So, naturally, I had locked myself in my room.

I didn't know what I was so afraid of. This was Hadeon. I had seen him every day for the last month.

Only difference now is that I had kissed him. Thats all.

So why did I feel so nervous.

Distracting myself, I focused on my outfit. I usually walked around in my pyjamas until it was time for work, but I didn't want to look like a dag. I opened my bedroom window and stuck my hand out, trying to gage the temperature. The cold wind started to numb the tips of my fingers before I pulled my arm back inside and closed the window.

I hid my body beneath a thick jumper and jeans before walking back out into the living room. Hadeon sat on the couch in a hoodie and track pants, his hair wet from the shower. I sucked in a breath and sat beside him, three feet between the two of us.

"What are you watching?" I asked, my eyes trained on the tv but my mind elsewhere. From the corner of my eye I could see him staring at me, his dark hair was hanging over his forehead in slight curls.

"The news." He answered, a small smile on his face. When I focused in on the tv I could see very clearly it was the news and felt my cheeks grow red with embarrassment.

"Oh," I mumbled. "Yeah, obviously."

"You're being weird." He didn't say it as an insult or a joke, just a simple true statement.

"No, I'm not."

"You won't look at me." He added.

"Believe it or not, I don't usually spend my days staring at you."

"You also got dressed before the sun went down."

"I always do!"

"No, you don't."

I finally turned and looked at him; big mistake. His mouth was drawn into a smirk and his eyes, as always, peered intrusively into mine. Just looking at him turned my stomach into a frenzy of butterflies and I had to press my hands together to fight the urge to reach out and comb the hair off his face.

"Look, Violet." He stared down at his hands as he spoke, but just hearing him say my name kept the butterflies in my belly alive. "If you feel awkward about last night, we can just forget it, alright."

"Forget it?" I repeated. "Just wipe the slate clean, never mention it again? Like it never happened?"

So it did mean nothing to him. It was just the dress, like I'd worried.

"Yeah." He shrugged, completely indifferent.

"You just want to pretend it never... okay, whatever." I stood up and tried to walk away, but his hand wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me back.

"If you want to." He said.

"Does it matter what I want?" I snapped. "You're clearly more than happy to forget all about it!"

"I only suggested it because it seemed like that's what you wanted."

"Well I don't!" I shot back.

My breathing filled the silence as my chest rose up and down. I swallowed, awaiting his reaction.

Hadeon's other hand grabbed my other wrist and he slowly pulled me down until our noses touched. He kissed me softly, like he was afraid he might break me. His arm reached around my waist and moved me down so I was sitting between his legs. My hands rested on his chest, his heartbeat vibrating through my palm.

He moved slowly, his hands placed safely over my clothing and his kiss tender and careful. But I wanted more than slow and steady. My patience wore thin, my desire burning through the pit of my stomach.

I deepened the kiss, my hands traveling up to his neck as I pressed my self against him. His pulse quickened and I knew he wanted this too. Our lips became feverish and desperate. His hands travelled under my sweater, my waist burning where he touched. I adjusted to sit on his lap, straddling him. He pulled away and smiled, his lips bright red and swollen. Both of us were out of breath.

"You wanna forget about that kiss too." I joked.

He shook his head. "Never."