Finding Hearts

Chapter 14

KATE

If I'm going to die, it's going to be in a pink rain poncho riding my bike.

I saw the grey skies this morning and heard my Mom be worried about the weather, offering me a ride, yet I still said no. Couldn't leave my poor bike alone. Only now, said bike is going to kill me. For the skies are pouring, I'm miles away from anything, surrounded only by fields of corn, my clothes wet and cold. I'm shivering, the fabric stuck to me like a second skin. I put the rain poncho on too late, as I was already soaking wet, so it doesn't quite help.

Keep smiling, Katie. Soon comes the rainbow.

Yet there is no rainbow coming. Only rain.

I sigh passing yet another bus stop of a bus that won't come. I went to buy some of the good apples from a local farm after school. I wanted to try to make Granny's apple pie, and these apples are the best. Only I wasn't careful enough. And the rain got me.

A car passes by me and I have to look up surprised. It's the first car I've seen in a while. Usually no one goes out on this weather, only delulu people like me who travel miles to get apples.

My heart freezes as the car stops and a worried driver steps outside.

I freeze as I see who the driver is.

"Katie", Callum breathes, running over to me, the rain pouring down on him, wetting his grey T-Shirt, black sweatpants and sneakers.

"Hey, Cal", I greet him. I hop off my bike and stop to look at him. He is still fussing worried around me. I can see his gaze on my bike, the wet rain poncho, then my face. Then my eyes.

"You're coming with me", he decides, already picking up my bike to put it in his trunk.

"I'm perfectly fine, Callum", I find myself replying. "It's just a bit of rain."

As choreographed, a thunder booms in the distance, making the bit of rain seem rather than a scene from the beginning of Wizard of Oz.

"A bit of rain?", Cal repeats, more panicked now. "Katie, it's storming. I'm not letting you get hurt." As he sees I make no sign to move, he sigh exhausted and meets my eyes again: "Please get in the car, babe."

And it might be his tone or the babe at the end, but I get in the car.

Cal remains outside to place my bike inside the trunk, then comes in his car. He gives me a full body scan, and I can't help but blink at him.

"Do you mind if I take off the poncho?", I ask, my voice coming out as a whisper from his stare.

He snaps out of his trance and looks at the road, getting us out of here. "No, I don't mind."

I nod and proceed to unbutton each tiny button, before I take it off me and place it on my lap. Cal looks at me once for a second too long, and I notice my T-Shirt was white. Was white. Because it is wet and got almost transparent. My pink lacy bra full on show.

Not the best way to show yourself in front of your crush.

"Fuck", I let out a curse and Cal looks up. I never curse. Or not as much. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. Just...Fuck."

I try placing my hands and arms on the area to cover up. I hope it works, yet Cal also makes the effort to keep his eyes off me.

"You're wet", he points out, eyes stuck on the road.

How could he know?

Oh, he means the clothes.

Clothes, Katie. Clothes.

"Yeah, sorry", I mumble. My brain ain't working. Not after being almost naked, cause that's how bad my T-Shirt is right now, in front of my crush, who just said I'm wet.

"Don't apologise", Cal replies. "It's not your fault." He then trains his eyes to meet mine and not wonder anywhere beneath that. His self-control lasts for whole five seconds. Then he takes a little sneak peek, then his eyes fill with lust and he seems to force it away, that brown finding my eyes again. "What were you doing out here anyway?"

"I was getting apples", I answer.

My eyes wonder on how wet his own T-Shirt is. How it sticks to his skin. How it shows off a teaser of what one might find under it. Those abs. Many, many abs. Kissable. Lickable. Testable abs. That I want to-

"Don't stare at me like that unless you're going to do something about it", he says, each word coming out separate. Raw. Shaking.

Dangerous territory, Katie.

"What would you like me to do about it?", I find the power to ask.

Cal seems to almost lose it as he pulls the car at the side of the road and trains his breath to be even.

I swear, I don't know where that guy gets all his self-control.

"I don't know, baby. You tell me", he lets out.

Don't.

Katie, don't.

You'll only get in trouble.

"Kiss me."

He turns to look at me, rubbing his temple with his hands. "You want me to what-"

"Kiss me", I repeat. Anxiety fills me in. "Unless you don't want to. Which I could completely understand. If I were you, I also wouldn't-"

He stops me by crashing his lips on mine, one of his hands coming on my neck. My breath shatters at the contact. It feels just like on that kiss cam. Same chemistry. Same passion. Same obsession. Only this time, I know who the one kissing me is, which makes it all even better.

"Fuck, Katie", he lets out, the sound muffled on my lips. "You have no clue what you do to me."

I find the courage to tease him with my tongue, craving a taste of him. He gets the hint and opens his mouth enough for my tongue to slip in. He lets me explore at first, a strong taste of spearmint greeting me. After I had my time, he meets my tongue with his and French kisses the heck out of me, making me almost lose balance. Or my sanity. But I guess I already lost that the moment my lips met his.

We let go once to take some air. Our inches don't wonder further than one inch from each other. Up close, one can see the different shades in his eyes. His eyes are like chocolate. Sweet and addictive.

"I would", he lets out.

I raise an eyebrow at him. He kisses my brow before explaining: "Before, we, uh...", a smirk on his lips, "that happened, you said that if you were me, you also wouldn't. I would."

"You would?", I ask, butterflies in my stomach.

"What just happened, Katie?", he asks me a bit amused.

"Yeah, but maybe..."

"I always would."

Something in his voice seems honest. Assuring.

"Would that mean you'd do it again, let's say, like now?"

He chuckles before he pulls my face closer to his. "Fuck yeah, baby."

It's then he crashes his lips on mine.

Forget butterflies. What I feel now must be the whole zoo.