Collapse: Book Two (bxb) ✔️

12. Can you come home with me?

Salem Luna

At first, my brain was completely quiet. Nothing but serene pictures of the ocean were floating through my mind when I first felt the touch of his lips. But then, my brain caught on to the fact that my lips touched Raven's. And it wasn't by my doing. I didn't know if I was even moving, I felt like I was straddled between flipping my absolute shit and thanking God this was happening. I asked him to answer my question, and I knew this was my answer.

I sucked in a surprised gasp before I finally started moving my lips against his, and I never knew how hungry I could be until the moment was happening. As much as I wanted to reach out and touch him, I kept my hands clutched around the fabric of my sweatpants. He made it clear he didn't like affection, but holy fuck, I wanted to touch him. I'd never wanted to touch him so badly in the entire time I'd known him. 

I felt like I needed a grip on him, but his hand tightened along the back of my neck for optimum results. I was keeping up with the hunger of Raven Fox because I was equally parched. But as for control, I didn't have an ounce of that. Raven had it all, and I'd never been perfectly fine with someone having control over me until this very moment. 

And never did I bend at someone's will, but I'd bend any fucking way for Raven right now. I always wondered what he'd taste like, and right now, it was sugar cookies for anyone wondering. And the way he kissed was so addicting. Like he couldn't get enough of me, and I couldn't get enough of him.

My ears were filled with the rushing sound of my blood flowing, my heart was racing, and I still wanted to reach out and touch him. I was scratching at my thighs to keep myself from grabbing him. If this would be the only thing I'd ever get, I'd at least get to die with the confirmation that he was everything I thought he'd be and more. 

I chased more. More. More. Raven met every single one of my demands as my lips moved against his greedily. Jesus, it felt like there was a butterfly colony in my chest cavity. I could cry with relief at the thought that I finally was able to kiss my best friend the way I always wanted to. Even if I was hungry for even more now. 

And it was as if Raven sensed that or something else entirely that he pulled away from me. 

See, I was still dazed from the absolute fucking perfection that was embedded in that kiss, but when I finally focused on Raven's eyes, I saw fear as the most prominent emotion, and something that appeared to linger there--regret. 

No, don't do this to me.

Raven stumbled backward, almost falling flat on his ass with one arm stretched out in front of him. You'd almost think he'd never kissed another person before. Because that arm he held out sure made it seem like he was silently telling me to stay where I was and away from him. I felt my defenses crawling up to shield me from whatever the hell was happening right now. This was the one way I couldn't let him screw with me. 

My mind was a massive bowl of confusion. It was worse now because I knew that I wouldn't get a single answer from him. Especially not when he fled to the bathroom and shut the door. He was like a deer caught in headlights before he scampered off. Except, I was left here with my heart cut wide open, and once again, he shut himself off from me.

I couldn't keep doing this.

I felt like he was playing a game of tug-of-war with my heart, and he'd already broken it once, and now, he was doing it again. 

I turned around and hightailed it out the door without grabbing any of my things minus my phone. I slammed the door behind me, rushing down the hallway to find my brother's room. At some point, there was only so much I could do where understanding was concerned. I was a human being, too. With so many feelings. Too many feelings. And he was the one who asked me for another chance, and I gave it to him.