Short Story Collection

Around The Bend ~Story Number 1~

**listen to FallingForYou by The 1975 while reading. It's the song I imagine when I think about this.**

We were running back to my car. The cold nipped at my face and feet. I was running in flip flops, while he was running in sandals. He said he would walk me back to my car, as it was night time and we were in downtown. We were running because of the cold, wanting to get back to warmth. We were running too fast. I wanted to go slow, take in every bit of this moment.

We got back to my red 4Runner sitting alone in an empty parking lot. We started to say goodbye when he pulled me in for a hug. His warmth wrapped around me, surrounding me as my head only reached his chest. I wrapped my hands around him as his earthy scent filled my nostrils. He wrapped me tighter in his arms. His thumbs stroked my back in an intimate way, making my heart tremble even more.

Seconds past. 5 seconds. 15. 20. We pulled away slowly. He took a step back. I asked him if he was going back to party. He replied with a solemn no. He seemed sad, depressed, and I'm sure I did as well. There was a moment of silence until he wrapped me up in his arms for the second time. This time shorter, but still as intimate as before. I didn't want to leave this place. I didn't want to leave HIM. I hadn't known him for very long, but he brightened every day O had spent with him so far. I had no idea if he felt for me the same way I felt for him, but I didn't care. I just loved enjoying his company.

We stepped back and I saw his face. The tension between us grew, I could feel it hanging in the air. I wanted to...I wanted to so bad...it took everything I had not to step up on my tippy toes I get my face closer to his. I grabbed my car handle and he started walking away, still keeping his eyes on me.

His arm was out in front of him, and so was mine, like we were reaching for each other only to be going the opposite direction. The only way I can describe the feeling between us was a rubber band that was being stretched that didn't want to be stretched at all. Stretching, and stretching, until it breaks as I got in my car and he walked back to the party.

I sat there breathing heavily. I could still see my breath, even in the car. The cloud rising up and up. I looked back to where he had walked away, seeing if he had left into the shadows of the darkened street. He was gone. I squealed with all my breath. I couldn't get his scent out of my nose. I could still feel his thumbs stroking my back. I never wanted to forget that feeling. I had no idea if I was ever going to see him again, my hometown being 5 1/2 hours away. But all I knew was that hug, that parting, was going to stay in my mind for a long time.