Underground {OBX}

Part 47

"You need help, Brie," Pope asks from the docks.

"No, I'm good," I shout. "Thanks!"

I reach for the bags of groceries on the floor of the Pogue. Swinging them onto my arms, I start for the house.

When I open the back door, a loud creak sounds. I can hear Kie strumming away on her ukulele on the porch. John B is cleaning up the living room.

"Hey," he breathes, tossing a can into a trash bag.

"Hey!"

"Hey."

I drop the bags on the kitchen floor. Pope begins to put away some of the food. I walk out to the porch while John B helps him. Kie smiles when she notices me dropping onto the hammock. She stops strumming.

"You seem to be in a good mood," she points out.

I take a deep breath. As I exhale, I listen to the wind letting out her breath with me.

"I am," I smile. "Yeah, I guess I just woke up this morning and decided to try to be happy."

"Good!"

"Where's JJ and Sarah," I ask.

"Oh, Sarah's asleep and JJ went to get clothes," Kie tells me. It gets quiet. To break the silence, Kie says, "Oh, John B and Sarah are back together!"

"No way," I exclaim.

"Yep, and now it's just JJ in the living room," Kie laughs.

I giggle. Kie has been sleeping in my room to keep me company. It's been so helpful. I'm beginning to feel somewhat okay again.

"Hey, what do you guys want for dinner?"

Pope hangs in the doorway, awaiting our answer.

I hum. "Is there any more of that fish you guys caught the other day?"

"Yeah," Pope answers. "Just enough for all of us."

"Sounds good," Kie says.

~

I scrub a plate until all of the gunk falls off. After I place it on the drying rack, I wash my hands. I reach over Sarah for a towel.

"I heard you and John B are back together," I mention.

Sarah snacks her lips together. "Maybe," she smirks.

"C'mon," I exclaim. "Is it true?"

The blonde sighs. She places her final dish on the drying rack. Leaning on the counter, she smiles. "Okay, fine," she breathes. "Yes, we're back together."

"Oh, my gosh," I squeal. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks," she smiles.

"Okay, I'm gonna turn in," I sigh. "Good night!"

As I begin to walk away, Sarah calls back, "Good night!"

I stop in the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I finish, I head to my room. When I open the door, I see Kie toying with her ukulele on the bed. I walk to my dresser, and change into soft, yellow shorts and a white tank top. After throwing my hair into a messy bun, I hop into bed next to the brunette.

"Hey, sexy," she jokes.

I roll onto my stomach next to her. I ask, "What're you playing?"

"I don't know," she breathes. "Just some chords I've been trying to mash together, I guess."

She leans over, laying the instrument on the floor nearby. When she sits straight, she pulls the blankets over her. I follow her, throwing my head onto the pillow. It's silent for a moment, until I realize something.

"Hey, Kie," I whisper. "Can I ask you something?"

Kie hums in response.

"How did you know that you liked girls, too?"

The room goes quiet. A bird calls in the dark outside. The sheets swish as Kie rolls over. We lay on our sides, glancing into each other's eyes.

"I don't know," she mumbles. "I guess.. I guess I just knew what liking someone felt like from the past, and I felt that way about you. Why? Do you.. Like a girl?"

How do I answer this? I haven't really thought about it, but the way Kie's presence makes my stomach do flips is making me think I might like her. This is all new to me, so I'm not sure what to say.

"I.. Think.. I think maybe," I stutter. I sigh, "Yes."

Kie sits up in excitement. She smacks the sheets.

"Oh, my gosh," she squeals. "Who?"

I shush her as I sit up slowly.

"Sorry," she whispers. "Who?"

I freeze. What now? Do I just tell her I like her? Do I hug her? Do I hold her hand? Well, there's one thing I've wanted to do for a while now. I guess this is the best way to tell her.

Oh, gosh. What if she rejects me? What if she doesn't like me anymore? No, no, I can't mess this up. I've already messed up with JJ.

"Brie?"

Oh, who am I kidding? I've never been the type to care before. Why start now?

I lean forward, cupping her cheek in my hand. Then, I gently press my lips to hers. I get nervous when she doesn't respond at first. However, after a couple of seconds, she sets her hand on my arm. Her other hand grabs at my lower back, pulling me closer.

We kiss each other softly. She slides her hand down to my thigh, pulling it over hers. As I straddle across her lap, I grip her hair. She parts my lips with her tongue, begging to meet mine. As we swirl our tongues around each other, we fall to the bed.

When her head hits the pillow, she reaches for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. I do the same to her. We both lay, making out in our bras. I separate our lips, kissing down her jawline. When I reach her neck, I suck so hard I hear a moan come from her mouth.

After I surely left a hickey on Kie's neck, I begin to kiss down her chest, her stomach, until I reach her shorts. I tug at the waistline before yanking them off of her, licking my way back up to her lips.

We make out for hours before finally settling into the bed. I curl up in Kie's arms. Just as my eyes begin to close, she whispers, "Brie, I've liked you for a long time now, and it's only lead me to pain. Please don't play with my feelings. I don't know if I can take it anymore."

I turn around to face her. Resting a palm on her cheek, I gaze into her eyes. With a soft smile, I mutter, "I would never play with your heart on purpose. I'm yours, and you're mine. Let's enjoy it."