Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 118: The Kiss

          "I have found the one whom my soul loves." -Song of Solomon 3:4

                                                       ANNALISE'S POINT OF VIEW

         After Peyton and I jumped over the waterfall, everything changed. I always knew that he cared about me. We had grown up together. Still, it was different at the waterfall. It was like he cared about me as more than childhood friends. If I was brave, I would have asked him. I wasn't, so I didn't. He had been so hot and cold the entire semester that I didn't even want to know. If he did care about me as more, I was screwed. I wanted him and if he wanted me only to leave, I don't know that I would recover. Somehow, he had gone from the little boy that I loved as a brother but was annoyed by to this man. This man that was smart and charming and cared about me. My life was so messy at the moment, but he stayed anyways. Peyton Newman is like a buoy. The waters rage around it, but the buoy stays put and doesn't drift away. My life was crazy, but Peyton provided stability. Cason provided me with the opposite. 

       Peyton took me to a little abandon lodge. He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my arms to try to keep me warm. He started a fire in the tiny room. I lay my back against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief.

     "Today was fun," I said. It was scary without a doubt, but I still had fun. 

      "Today was reckless," he snapped. I bit my lip. When Peyton got in moods like this he wasn't the boy I knew."

      "Not reckless," I countered. "Just... spontaneous."

      "It's not spontaneous when my actions almost get you killed," he spat. "We're going home."

     "What? We haven't found Chase and Bree! We can't go back," I pleaded. 

      "If we can't find them then I bet no one else can. They're probably safe. Let's just let them live their life and get out of here. Let's just go."

      "I don't want to leave. He's my brother."

      "Your brother didn't even care enough to leave a note."

       I went silent after that. Peyton knew it would cut me deep. The realization that Chase really didn't care. He didn't care to leave a note. He didn't care to tell me what would happen. He just left. 

      "Hey," he said in a softened tone. He scooted closer towards me. "I'm sorry."

     "You're right."

      "That doesn't mean I need to say it. Today was just hard. I almost lost you. Annie, I've never been more scared in my entire life. If you were gone I don't know what I'd do. There's no one like you, Annie," he admitted.

      "There's no one like you either," I said. He chuckled, a mocking sound.

     "That's not a bad thing."

     "Hey, don't say that! You're a great guy. You're loyal and caring. You never leave. You're reliable, steady. I'm never scared of you leaving. I know you'll always be around."

      "I don't stick around because I'm a good guy, Annie. I stick around because I can't get you out of my head. No matter how hard I try your face plagues my mind. I think about you all the time. I try and push you away but then I end up going right back like a magnet. The memory of you pains me. I just can't get rid of it. I can't push you away."

    "Well," I said softly. A million thoughts ran through my head. I had no idea he felt this way. I mustered up all of my courage and scooted closer to him. "Stop trying to, then. It's not going to work. I'm here. I'm never leaving."

     Peyton looked up at me then as I put my hand on his leg. His deep brown eyes poured into mine. He was looking at me with such desire it almost made me sick. Slowly, he brought his hand up to tuck my wet hair behind my ear. He didn't move his hand, though. He slowly let his hand drift to my chin. He grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger. He tilted my chin down all while keeping his eyes locked with mine. His eyes darted down to my lips, then quickly back up to my eyes. His eyes had a pleading look. I looked down at his lips then, trying not to think of how red they were. I looked back up and I knew he had read my mind. "Please kiss me," I was silently begging. He tilted my chin up and kissed me softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him harder. I felt him smile under my lips. I was feeling jolts of electricity between us. With one kiss, Peyton had turned my spark of feelings for him into a wildfire.