Between The Books-Michael Clifford

Forty One

"Jayce....what..." Synna puts her hands up to her face.

Like all the girls in the room.

"I know what I'm asking, Synna. I planned to ask you tonight....but then...."

"No, you think I like Parker...that you're losing me...you don't have to do this...Jayce. I'll always choose you." She says, her voice breaking.

She's still crying. Fucking of course! Who wouldn't be?!

"Baby, I get it. I'm not mad. I just thought...I was fucking stupid, Synna. I know you'd never cheat on me, on us." Jayce reaches into his pocket, pulling out the ring.

"Ohhh....fuck..." Synna's shaking.

"I have the box, I just couldn't fit it in my jeans and I wanted to surprise you. You're surprised?" He says, his voice is scratchy from yelling so much.

"Jayce..." She's sobbing.

Yeah she's surprised.

"Baby, I've loved you....for as long as I've known you. You've always been my girl. From the early days when we'd go down to the river and catch crawdads. You were freaking, but you did it anyway....for me. That time you fucking chewed Ms. Geiss's ass for embarrassing me in fourth grade english, when I went against her and said the plural of 'moose' wasn't 'mooses', but actually was still 'moose'. Then at the eigth grade formal, when my date left with Jacob Smiley, you were there." He's looking at her so sweet.

That smile....shows every emotion in him.

"In high school, when Mrs. Reineke asked you to read the note I'd passed to Christie Elliott....that you grabbed, that was about you. You switched the names around making it look like you wrote it about me...and you got detention for it." Synna smiles and bites her lip.

Jesus, she loves him so much.

Scutter's grinning. Such a good grin.

"I changed the names around, but what you wrote, what you told Christie you were feeling about me...I felt for you too. That was what finally got us together. I'll always be thankful to Mrs. Reineke for catching me that day." He says.

Synna's smiling, still crying...but smiling.

Jayce reaches out and takes her hand. "I've loved you...forever, Synna Lynn Logan. I'm IN LOVE with you now and always. Baby....just say yes."

Scutter slides the ring on her finger, then looks up at her.

"Jayce....yes." She whispers.

"Yes?" He asks.

"FUCK YES!" Synna drops to her knees and Scutter pulls her into his arms. She's still crying, her arms tight around his neck.

"Baby, I love you so much and I promise to give you the best fucking life I can." He says, kissing her neck.

Suddenly we're all yelling and clapping. I can honestly say I have NEVER witnessed anything so romantic, sad, and beautiful in all my life. To think I almost missed this! If Michael had taken me home instead of agreeing to take me home with him.

I turn and see him, standing on the other side of the kitchen island, leaning against the counter. He's looking at me...and smiles. I realize I must look hideous having been crying through this whole thing. I look at Becca and Laney, their own makeup has seen better days, so I guess I'm not the only one.

Scutter picks up Synna and she wraps her legs around his waist. They head down the hall and out of sight.

"Wow. That was...just AMAZING!" Becca says.

"Oh my gosh YES! You knew he was gonna ask her tonight?" Laney says, looking at Marcus.

"Yeah. He's had the ring for about a week, just waiting for the right moment, but she's been busy tutoring a couple of people in her trig class, and we've been playing so many gigs, he just decided this morning to finally do it." Marcus says, standing up and walking in the kitchen.

"So this thing that happened with Parker, when was that? He was really mad, did that happen today?" Becca asks, starting back in on her box of Chinese food.

"When Synna didn't show up at 2:00, he called her, but it kept going to her voice mail. By 3:00, with still no call or text, we went lookin' for her. We went to her dorm. I stayed in the truck, Scutter went in. After a few minutes he came back out....SERIOUSLY PISSED. He wouldn't say why, just that he saw her. Then she showed up at our place an hour later, like nothing happened. So I knew whatever pissed him off, she didn't know about. Then he asked her where she was and she said she'd been playing pool with Parker and some of his friends, lost track of time and had him give her a ride, rather then call Scutter. That's what started the fight. I didn't know about fucking Parker kissing her."

"Come on, Star. I wanna show you something." Michael says, walking up and taking my hand.

We leave the group, all still talking about Scutter and Synna, and walk back to Michael's room. We walk in and Michael shuts the door. It's completely dark except for a little bit of light from the sunset, which is streaming through the blinds on Michael's window.

"Was that just SO beautiful?!" I say, looking at him.

"Yeah, I'm happy for them." He says, quietly.

Then he brings his hands up to the sides of my face and leans in, kissing me. He caught me completely by surprise. I was still gushing about Scutter and Synna!

My heart explodes. This is what I've wanted from the moment I first saw him. I'm not even ashmed to admit it. I just want to touch him, to FEEL him. My hands move up to his wrists as I'm flooded by....EVERYTHING. The warmth of his fingers against my skin. The softness of his lips pressing mine. His quickening pulse against my fingertips wrapped around his wrists. The way he smells, like outside, winter mixed with a campfire.

I want this so much, but I know he's going to pull away any second. He said we had to wait....we both agreed to wait.

He's not pulling away.

He moves closer pushing me back into the wall. His kiss becomes more intense and a rush of....something, pushes up into my head making me dizzy. I can feel my heart pounding. He moves his hands from my face, slowly down my neck. His kiss moves off my mouth to my jaw.

He pauses.

"Is this ok?" He whispers.

Fuck waiting.