After Midnight

Chapter 41- Gage

I can sense the anger coming from her as she looks at me. I swallow hard, knowing I shouldn't have touched the damn thing. "You better have a good excuse." She says, her eyes filled with hurt, that I would invade her privacy. I take a deep breath and try to gather my thoughts, hoping to come up with a convincing explanation that would ease her pain and restore her trust in me. However, I know that it will take more than just words to make things right.

"Well!" She yells.

"I was looking for a book to read and saw this; I realised it was your diary and put it back, but curiosity got the best of me." I move toward her and sit on the bed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have read it."

"How much did you read?" she questions me.

"Only the entries from this summer." Her eyes look into mine. "That's the truth." She looks down, and I feel guilt fill me. But I need to ask. "I have one question." She looks at me,

"Seriously?" She states.

"Actually, yeah." I begin to smile.

"What?" Her voice cold.

"Why did you stop writing after we hooked up?" I'm genuinely curious.

"Because I didn't feel the need to. I was living it. Everything that has happened between us is forever etched in my memory."

I cup her face and smile. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

She nods. "Good, because I do." I kiss her and lay her back in the bed. As I pull away, I can see the love in her eyes, and it fills me with warmth. "I'm sorry. I won't ever invade your privacy again."

She nods before telling me to go take a shower, and I do as I'm told. The warm water feels soothing against my skin. I finally step out of the shower and quickly dry off. I wrap a towel around my waist and walk into the bedroom. Her eyes on my body, and I smile. I pull out jeans and a polo shirt and get dressed. She grabs a flannel shirt from her closet and throws it over her black tank top. She keeps it unbuttoned, and she wears dark leggings.

☾

I grab my keys and take her hand. I help her into the truck and smile at her before pulling out of the driveway and begin to drive. I look over at her, and she smiles, but sadness still carries on within her eyes. I take her hand in mine and gently squeeze, her head not leaving the window as she watches the trees pass by us. I finally make my way down a backroad and pull up to a cliffside that overlooks the town opposite the campus cliff.

"What is this place?" she asks.

"Two lovers' point." I tell her. She gets out and walks near the edge. "It's beautiful up here," she states.

I wrap my arms around her shoulders from behind. "I know how much you like adventure and horror. So I thought we could have a movie date up here."

She turns to face me. "How?"

"The screen on my dash is also a TV." I inform her. I walk back to the truck and pull out a few DVDs from the glove compartment. I hand them to her, and she laughs, "This one, it seems fitting."

She hands me the 1999 movie Lover's lane. I laugh, pop it into the player, and put the others away. I put the front seat forward to give us more space in the back and help her get in. She takes her shoes off and gets comfortable in the back seat. I hop in next to her and reach over to press play on the screen. As the movie starts, we both settle in and get lost in the story. The sound of rain tapping on the car roof adds to the cozy atmosphere.

She lays her head on my lap, and I run my hands through her hair. The soft glow of the screen illuminates her peaceful face. We both jump during a scene, and we begin to laugh. The truck fills with her laughter, and I feel at ease with her.

As the credits roll, she looks up at me and says, "This is the best date I've ever had. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Our eyes don't leave each other, and I lick my lips. She slowly gets up and wraps her arm around my neck, pressing her lips against mine. We both feel the heat rising in our bodies.

My hand lingers down her pants, finding her sensitive area, as I pull her onto my lap. She moans softly as I continue to touch her, and I can feel myself getting more aroused. I pull her leggings and panties off, and she straddles me. My hands on her ass, as my kiss deepens, and her hands on my chest.

Her hands move down to my jeans, and she unbuttons them. I tug them off and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. Our bodies pressed together, we both moan in pleasure as our passion intensifies. The truck is filled with the sound of our heavy breathing and the smell of our desire. Our bodies move in perfect harmony, lost in the moment of pure ecstasy.

As we finally break apart, we are left gasping for air and covered in a thin layer of sweat. I look into her eyes.

"Marry me?" I finally say.

"Gage," she says softly.

"I meant what I said before; it doesn't have to be tomorrow; it can be ten years down the road; just say yes."

Star's eyes fill with tears as she looks at me. "Yes," she whispers.

I feel my heart fill with joy as she hugs me tightly. We sit there for a while in silence as I hold her. Moments like these are what make her so special. Nothing needs to be said between us as I hear her heart beat against my chest.

I know that this moment is fleeting, and that eventually we'll have to get up and face the realities of the world again. But for now, I want to stay here forever, holding her close and feeling her warmth against my skin. As I breathe in her scent and feel her fingers tangling in my hair, I can't help but think about how our lives will be. Time passes by as I just hold her, and finally I break the silence in the air.

"Let's go home." She smiles. I nod and help her into the front of the truck. As I drive, the warmth of her smile fills the car, and I take her hand in mine and keep my eyes on the road.