He Says He's Just A Friend

Chapter 21 - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

- Clay -

Emmett sat on the countertop in my kitchen while I stood beside him, making him a sandwich out of some truly bizarre items. Who would put marshmallow fluff on a sandwich with salami, pimento cheese, and black olives? But he must've asked for those ingredients because he watched me make it without a word of rebuttal. Actually, he was talking about unicorns and how they come in all different colors. "Some of them can even change their color. Like that horse in The Wizard of Oz."

"I didn't know that." I said, because I didn't know that.

"They're very pretty." he said. "Not as pretty as you, though."

I blushed because Emmett had never said something like that to me before. I looked up into his green eyes. All shimmery like kaleidoscopes with that golden ring at the center.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head. I was not okay. I moved to stand in front of Emmett. Slowly, I stepped forward to stand between his legs, resting my hands on his thighs, the way he did to me that one time in his room after I drew on his foot.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I think you're pretty too."

"I didn't know you were into guys at all. You never said."

I chuckled. "You never asked."

"That was very dumb of me." he said, because that was very dumb of him.

"I've never felt this way about anyone else. I think it's what you're supposed to feel when you... want someone."

"You think you want me?"

I licked my lips before giving a brief nod. "I just wanna try something." I inched closer until I could feel his breath against my lips.

"Okay. If that's what you really want."

My lips gently touched Emmett's for a moment before quickly retreating. "How was that?"

"It was nice." Emmett said, keeping his tone soft.

"Can I try again?"

"Sure."

Moving my hands up to his face, I drew him toward me. Once again, I pressed my lips to his, only this time I didn't pull away. I kissed him for real. And he kissed me back. His fingers curled into my hair. We kissed like we never wanted it to stop. Like we were in love. It was hot and intense and ferocious.

I finally broke away. I giggled when I looked up and saw that Emmett's crown was crooked now. I carefully removed it from his head and set it among the sandwich ingredients, afraid it might break if our kisses continued to be so frenzied.

I brushed my hand across his cheek. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the night we met. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up. And you're the last thing I think about at night. I never smile more than when I know I'll get to see you. But it's never enough. Every time we're together, I imagine telling you how I feel. I think about the way you'd kiss me, how it would feel to touch you. Or even just to hold your hand, and have you know what it means to me."

Emmett stared at me with all the devotion I longed to see in his eyes every day.

"I want you, Emmett. I want you in every way I can have you."

Without a moment's hesitation, Emmett pulled me into a kiss. I broke away long enough to pull my t-shirt over my head. I pushed him onto his bed in that little cubbyhole surrounded by those royal blue walls. Our little hideaway, where I always felt so safe. The TV hanging above his bookshelf played all the best moments from our friendship. All the memories that played on loop in my mind before going to bed, hoping to dream of him.