Skinny Love

Chapter 8

I woke up in her arms. We were on the floor, I only realized this after a couple of of minutes of regaining consciousness. She had to be uncomfortable, she was sitting upward with her back against the wall and her legs pushed out in front of her. She was allowing my head to lay in her lap as she twirled her fingers through my hair absently. Groaning slightly I turned over so that my head was facing upward,so I could look at her. She looked down at me , but I couldn't read her face. My vision was all fuzzy. Rubbing my eyes I tried again and I caught her expression. It wasn't happy. 

"Are you okay?" I asked attempting to raise up to a seated position.She pushed down on my chest and gave me an incredulous look. Taking that look into head I laid back down and let my head settle into her lap again. "Are you okay?" 

She scuffed under her breath and I could see a smile forming on her lips. I was partly relieved and partly confused. I thought she was mad at me. "We're in a hospital Kye. I'm not going to die." 

"Hmm," I said adjusting myself slowly. Why was I so sore? "I thought you were mad at me."

She nodded and pushed the hair away from my eyes,"That was before I got worried."  

"I'm sor--" 

"Stop apologising. Please." She said shaking her head.She leaned back against the wall and looked up to the ceiling. "For one thing, you look terrible. You're crying, and you're apologising and you're waltzing around with your cuts out in the open. What's going on?" 

"You noticed all of that?" I asked surprised. I mean I'd admit now that I sort of cared about her but I didn't expect the same in return. I didn't really believe it. 

"Of course I did." She said she moved slightly under me. She looked at me and smiled shyly. "I know it's sort of weird. And we aren't really...together. But I guess I sort of care about you. And I care what happens to you." 

I pushed myself up, she tried to get me to lie down again but this time I resisted. Pushing my own back against the wall I looked at her with as much of a smile I could manage. "We can be as together as you want Francesca. I want it."

"You do?" She asked surprised. She watched me closely. 

"I don''t tell just anyone the things I tell you." I said while looking away from her and settling into our makeshift seat. Embarrassed I added. "I don't usually fall apart like that either. But I guess I felt safe enough to tell you. And then things got out of hand."  

"I'ts okay now because you got over it." She said with a big encouraging smile. 

I smiled down at her too. "You got me through it. Thanks you." 

She seemed to stare down at her hands for a while, a smitten red look fixated on her face. I watched it admiringly. How she kept the red steady on her cheeks was a mystery to me, but she had to be burning up by now. In her own time she found the words she wanted to say. "That's the second time." 

"What is?" I asked. 

"Well maybe the third but I only count the real ones." She went on more like she was talking to herself rather than to me. I listened anyway. "That's the second time that we've kissed." 

I felt my smile widen a bit as I looked down at her glowing red face. She was so small and adorable, I couldn't help but to feel the slightest bit bubbly inside. I never thought I had that feeling in me. I'd certainly never felt it with any other girls around, it was weird to feel butterflies for the first time. But I'm glad she was the one giving them to me. Reaching forward and grasping onto her hand I gave it a squeeze, "You don't have to count." 

"And why not?" She asked yanking her hand away and crossing her arms while sticking her nose in the air dignifyingly. 

I chuckled under my breath and reached forward again. This time taking her chin into my grasp so she'd look at me. She and I both were a bit startled at how close our faces were. I played it off a bit cooler than she did, but she wasn't really known for her subtle abilities. I felt myself laugh some more and even more when her face began to twist up. She was just so sensitive, I couldn't do anything without hurting her feelings. So leaning forward, I placed my lips over hers in hopes that would clear up whatever misunderstanding she had going in her head. I kissed her as many times as I could without seeming too pushy, then pulling back I looked at her face before pecking her lips one more time and then letting her go. 

"If you haven't lost count already, I'll make sure you do soon." I said with a smirk. I couldn't help myself. I could tell teasing her would be fun. 

Her blush didn't fade as she closed her eyes for just a second and then opened them quickly with a finger pointed in the air and said with a devilish grin, "Twelve. That was twelve." 

I raised my eyebrows, taking it as a challenge. "Oh really?"

She giggled and inched away from me playfully. I grabbed her waist and pulled her back toward me and she squealed like a little girl on a play ground. Pretty soon the nurses would be in to check on us and they'd ruin the moment. But that was alright, because right then I was only thinking about her. 

From then on I'd only think of her.