Borrowed Time

Chapter 134

The way that Esme would hold her hand while they were driving almost constantly without fail was probably one of the things that made Juliette fall for them so quickly - her friends had never been people who didn't show her love or affection, but the constant reminder of Esme, the way that they held her hand like it would pain them to let her go... It was one of the most gentle and beautiful things in the entire world and it was something that she never wanted them to stop doing.

She glanced over at them, admiring their side profile in the light of the streets, the glow of the night... She liked how their hair was still messy from their performance, how their lipstick was smudged still - they hadn't fixed it... How they were smiling, just a little... A content, happy smile. It made her heart flutter in her chest and it made her knees weak just to look at someone so beautiful, someone who looked at her like she mattered... God, it was fucking perfect.

As Esme turned onto Emma's long driveway, they seemed to notice that Juliette had been spending the better part of the entire car ride just... Staring at them. Listening to them singing under their breath to the radio, observing the way that their hands tightened and relaxed on the wheel. They looked over at her and lifted an eyebrow with a small smirk on their face... God, their smirk never failed to make her heart race in her chest... Fucking hell.

"What are you staring at, pretty girl?" They asked, their voice coming out low and smoky, sending a shiver down her spine as she clenched her hands on her pants, taking a deep breath as she looked at them.

Be brazen. Just say the shit you would normally say before you learned that human beings don't actually say the shit that's on their minds, come on... Flirt, damn it.

"You. Obviously." She said, making Esme blink in surprise as they parked the van, unbuckling so that they could turn and look at her. They ran one hand through their hair, the tendons on their arms flexing and unflexing, their biceps flexing just enough to make her feel breathless before they lowered their arms...

God, she wanted them on their back... Or on top of her... Really, she wanted them in any compromising position that she could easily get them into, that sounded like heaven on Earth to her.

"Really?" They leaned closer to her, resting their hands on either of their thighs with a smug smile as they shrugged, glancing between her lips and eyes in a way that made her feel weak. She pulled in a sharp breath, thinking about how good it would feel to kiss that smile right off of their lips... It was beautiful to look at, but it drove her insane. "What about me?" They asked, and she swallowed heavily, clearing her throat as she shook her head, reaching out to trace her fingers down their face, feeling their tongue dart out against the pad of her thumb when she traced them over her lips, pulling down their lower lip just slightly.

You, my dear, are a fucking vision.

"Everything." She said, completely distracted by their hands, how they were sending heat through her body, making her feel like she was blushing as she tried hard not to seem too affected. Their fingers found a rip in her jeans, tracing over the bare skin in a way that made her tremble. Fuck me. Please.

"Mmmm... I think I need you to be a bit more specific than that... I mean, if you can, that is." They said, and she blinked, bringing her fingers up to look around their necklace, pulling them closer in a way that made them gasp as they steadied themself, their nails digging into her skin in a way that was positively delicious.

"What is that supposed to mean, huh?" She asked, and Esme chuckled, leaning in to press a kiss to the nape of her neck. She let out a sigh and leaned her head to the side, her eyes fluttering shut as a blissful smile spread across her face. God, that feels nice... Don't stop kissing me.