Cal Jackson's new life as a rockstar fails to account for one thing: the existence of the girl he loves.
*****
"What are you thinking about?" she asks.
"A song," I say. "A new song."
I stare at the ocean as I sing the song that I wrote, something th...
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I open my eyes, only to find that I'm still wrapped in Cal's arms, both of us still naked and only covered partially by the bed cover. The clock on the wall tells me that it has only been an hour after I lost my virginity.
I look up to see him, and I'm surprised to find that he's awake, staring at my face. A soft smile touches his lips when our eyes meet.
"You're awake?"
"Uh huh," he mumbles, still gazing at me with adoration.
"And you've been watching me sleep?" My cheeks heat up. What if my mouth hung open during the sleep?
I swipe my finger across my lips to check whether I was drooling or not. Cal only chuckles in response.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I whisper, feeling embarrassed. I was knocked out from our previous activity.
"Sorry," Cal says in amusement. "I just can't believe it."
"Believe what?" My brows furrow.
"That you're here, in my arms."
I stare at him. I'm at a loss for words. I can relate to what he said, though, because that's exactly what I feel. I can't believe that I'm here, cuddling with him on his bed.
My fingers brush against his cheek as my nose touches his, rubbing it. A soft chuckle leaves my mouth. "I know. We were strangers weeks ago, weren't we?"
Cal doesn't say anything back, acknowledging the truth. A few moments pass in comfortable silence.
"How are you feeling?" he asks, and I don't know whether he's asking about my emotional state or my physical condition after having sex for the first time.
"A bit sore," I say truthfully about the area between my thighs.
Cal sighs, then plants a hard kiss on my forehead. He hugs me tighter, and I lean into his touch, closing my eyes. It feels so good to be in his embrace. It feels so warm.
"What time do you think Jasmine will come back home?" I ask. She would be confused if she found us naked like this. I shake my head, feeling silly. I don't want to taint such innocent eyes.
"Definitely sometime later in the afternoon," Cal says. "The field trip wouldn't be that quick."
Another silence falls, and I finally brace myself to voice what has been bothering me. About him and Jasmine. About why their appearances are completely different.
I always wonder why they live alone, why no family is helping them.
"Can I ask something?" I whisper, carefully, making a note to myself that I won't force him if he's not ready to open up to me. "About you and Jasmine..." I falter.
Cal lets out another sigh. "Yeah. I knew that you must have been wondering about that," he admits. "A lot of people are curious about what happened to us."
