Cadence nearly shook the whole house from screaming when I told her about the kiss last night.
I clapped my hands over her grinning face, despite the grin on mine, before either one of my parents came up the stairs asking what all the commotion was about.
"So, how was it?" She squealed, eyes wide.
I flopped onto my back, staring at the ceiling as I absentmindedly played with the strings on my pillow. Even though he wasn't there, I could picture Theo's green eyes and golden skin.
"Amazing," I breathed, probably sounding like a lovesick teen... most likely cause I am. "He was so gentle, and he was adorable about it afterward."
Cadence snuggled up next to me, draping her arm over my torso. "Are you two... like, a thing now?"
My face fell. "No."
Cadence scoffed loudly before announcing, "You two kissed! Why didn't you guys make it official already?"
I hissed for her to shut up before explaining, "One kiss doesn't mean two people are ready for a relationship, you know?"
"For you, it does." She retorted as she rolled onto her side so her back was facing me.
"Be quiet, rascal."
The last thing I heard was her blowing a raspberry at me before I headed to tennis.
Lovebirds.
The elderly man next to us just called me and Theo lovebirds. I shouldn't be obsessing over that as much as I am now, but here I am. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and serve again, but this time I'm distracted.
Theo easily returns the ball, his movement fluid, and I can't help but admire how he plays. It's not just the game- it's the way he carries himself, the confidence he has, even if he doesn't normally show it. He's so soft all the time; It's like tennis is where he's alive.
We take a break at the stands beside the court, both of us breathing a little heavier than usual. The air is thick with my unspoken words. I reach for the water bottle at my feet, trying to ground myself, but my gaze keeps drifting back to him.
"Your serve's really improved," Theo says, leaning against the support beams, his green eyes glinting in the sun.
"Thanks... I guess I had some good motivation," I tease, a smile tugging at my lips as I think about how he's been there every step of the way, even if we've been playing each other for only a few weeks.
"I'll take credit for that," he replies, his grin widening.
And somehow, I want to forget the conversation and kiss him all over again. It's those subtle movements of his that drive me insane, like everyone else but he can see it. Every time he has a small smirk on his face when responding to my teasing, or when he effortlessly hits a ball without struggling.
"Ready for another round?" I ask, trying to keep the mood light, even as my heart races.
"Always," he replies.
As we step back to our positions, I can feel the weight of his gaze on me, and it sends a thrill through me.
I toss the ball into the air, trying to focus on my serve, but the word "lovebirds" from earlier lingers in my mind. I swing my racket, sending the ball over the net, but my thoughts drift to myself.
I'm so lovesick. But if I'm like this... does that mean he is, too?
I watch as Theo returns my serve, his movements fluid and confident. I find myself head over heels... again.
I miss the shot pathetically, most likely because I was too busy ogling at him to react in time.
"Nice shot," Theo says with a laugh, his voice pulling me from my thoughts.
"Very funny," I reply, my cheeks warming under his scrutiny. Am I reading too much into this?
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I serve again, and he easily returns the ball, but I'm distracted. It's hard to concentrate when I can't stop wondering if he's thinking about yesterday, too- if he's flooded with the same questions swirling in my head.
After all, it was my first kiss. Maybe I should ask Dahlia for guidance. After all, she's the one with the most experience. But then again, I don't think it's time I tell her. Maybe the kiss was a one-time thing, just an impulsive decision.
Oh well. At least it was one of the most romantic things of my life.
We play a few more rounds before calling it a day.
"Good game," Theo says, extending his hand outwards to me. I mimic his gesture, flinching at the solid handshake just given to me. God, am I really fantasizing about a goddamn handshake?
I let go of his hand, and we head out to the parking lot. As we walk toward our cars, I glance at Theo, hoping he'll say something to break the silence, but he just gives me that soft smile of his.
"You have any plans for the rest of the day?" Theo asks, his hand ruffling his hair absentmindedly.
"Not really," I reply, tugging at a loose thread on my shirt.
We reach our cars, and I give him a small wave. "See you later?"
"Yeah, see you," Theo says, his eyes lingering on me for a moment before he heads to his car. My heart nearly stops.
I head into my car, my seatbelt nearly giving me a third-degree burn as I sit down. God bless the creator of AC. I drive home in a haze, Taylor Swift's "Don't Blame Me" song playing faintly in my ears.
Don't blame me, love made me crazy...
After pulling into the driveway, I step inside my house, meeting eyes with Cadence eating noodles on our couch.
"How'd it go?" Cadence asks, finally peeling her eyes off of the TV show she's watching.
A small smile makes its way onto my face as I sit down next to her, hugging a pillow to my chest. Our parents are both out of the house for groceries, so I speak normally.
"I'm not good at this... feeling stuff. You know that. But maybe.." I trail off before collecting my words. "...but maybe I could try? At least with Theo."
"And what does that mean?"
"I'm... not sure. I'm not in love, that's for sure." I convince myself, though I know that's not true.
A huge swarm of butterflies spread through me as Cadence yells exasperatedly, nearly knocking her food over.
