Romancing the Rebound

17

♡︎𝚂𝚔𝚢𝚕𝚊𝚛♡︎

Daniel and I have been standing here for too long. I've hesitated for too long, even. It's only because I don't entirely know what I'm doing. Or, honestly, where I'm even going with this.

He starts to smile the longer my hesitation stretches out. As if he's called my bluff already.

That just pisses me off, so I start running my fingers through short hair on the back of his head. He tenses up all over again but relaxes quicker than last time.

"Stop trying, Skylar." Daniel advises. "We both know your little teasing thing won't work." He reasons.

And he's right. He won't give in with a couple of brushes of skin and some twirling of hair.

I'm not afraid of going further than this though. Not at all. I said I didn't want to be his rebound, but he's also been getting in the way of finding my own fun around here. He's had his own fun already. I mean, kind of.

I'm just not fully sure about it. I can't stand to have a one-night stand with him of all people. I still need him to be my vacation buddy. It'd just be awkward afterwards, is my point. That's really my only hesitation. But he doesn't know that.

I start lifting myself on my tiptoes. Danny swallows when I do, clearly not expecting me to. "Last chance, Daniel." I warn, lifting my chin to him. He leans his head back like he wants away from me but doesn't step away. "Let me go." I urge one last time.

He doesn't.

And I don't know why he doesn't walk away or what possesses him to do what he does next, but for whatever reason he does it. He leans in to press his lips against mine. Daniel actually kisses me. Like full on lips touching, grip around my body tightening, shutting his eyes to kiss me.

It's horrifying and I almost pull away immediately. But then I find myself leaning into it. Kissing him back. And I realize that it's been a few months since I've felt the touch of someone new, much less someone at all.

Which really only confirms the fact that we did this to ourselves. Because some stupid part of both of us, deep down, probably wanted this. That's extra horrifying to think about.

The longer my lips are pressed against his, the more I start to melt into his touch. It's only one prolonged kiss that we share before he hastily pulls away. "Fuck." Danny curses as he pushes me away from him, as if he's not the one who broke first. I only got close. For all he knows, I could've been bluffing.

He starts turning away from me. My body moves before I can stop it, reaching for him quickly. I catch a fistful of the bottom of his shirt. Danny stops moving when I do. He turns to look back at me with a softer expression than I thought. If I had to guess, I'd say my expression is probably giving away too many of my emotions too.

He starts hesitantly moving back to me. I keep the handful of his shirt in my hand until he's standing right where he had been. I watch him with the same look in my eyes that he just scolded me for. He doesn't get mad again though.

Instead, he raises a hand to slide up my cheek and towards my ear, getting a little tangled in my hair along the way. Because something in my face probably snitches and tells him I want him to. I can't help but blink softly a few times at him while he starts leaning back in like he actually wants more. Like he wants me.

I shut my eyes at the brush of his lips against mine. My hands slowly and hesitantly raise to his shoulders. His hand stays where it is on my head while he snakes his other arm around my waist all over again.

This can't be good for either of us, but I don't push him away. I help to deepen the kiss instead. Just because I want to, I guess. That's why we put ourselves here in the first place, right?