Six Feet Under The Stars(Alex Gaskarth)

I Must Be Dreaming

Chapter Ten

***Alex's POV***

I had just finished my second milkshake, when I realized that I was speaking to this girl longer and more intently than any other girl in a long time. Something more surprising, was I was taking everything she said in and I was interested. Destery had even managed to handle the explanation of my brother and his suicide and instead of crumpling her face and looking like she was about to cry, as Lisa had done, she had reached across and slipped her fingers through mine and asked if the pain ever went away.

The answer, in case you're wondering, is never. Her fingers were still laced through mine as she scrambled for her purse and paid for our drinks.

"So," I heard myself utter the question that had been burning in my throat all morning, as she stood up and tugged her fingers away, "do you have a boyfriend?"

She smiled patiently at me as she stepped outside, the sunlight casting a shadow over the curves of her figure. I stepped out next to her, the heat seeping through my clothes as we began walking,and it wasn't just from the sun.

"No. I mean, I came out of something serious last month. His name was Dylan." She furrowed her brow in an attempt to hide emotion.

"What happened?" I tried to ask, my nonchalance failing miserably. He had her, and he gave her up? That bastard.

"It wasn't love. I mean, we both knew it would probably never get to that, but it was more a case of having someone there, and I guess it just got to the point where we both decided that wasn't really going to be enough just to have each other and it was time to find the right person." She grinned and turned the intensity of her warm smile on me. "What about you and Lisa? What happened there?"

"It wasn't love either." I replied, giving back the same expression except my smile was faked. We wandered in silence, thinking about Lisa and Dylan, along the middle of the road, embracing the summer with eager eyes. A mother with a stroller and a screaming toddler, pushed past us, engrossed in her phone argument. Des took a step sideways to let them past and inadvertently fell into me. I instinctively reached out and caught her as she tripped on my feet. My hand brushed against the tan skin of her flat stomach as I tried to prevent her falling into the path of an oncoming vehicle. It took a matter of seconds but I still didn't let go when everything passed. One arm stayed wrapped round her waist as she blushed, mumbling apologies. I said nothing. She looked up and realized she couldn't see into my eyes. I smiled and Des bit her bottom lip, curiosity suddenly scribbled across her pretty features.

Why aren't I letting go?

Why isn't she?

Her hand moved from where it had clenched my shirt to steady herself, to my sunglasses. She gently pulled them off, and brushed my fringe from my eyes, far more kindly than when I had been drunk. She smiled, her laugh ringing.

"You have nice eyes," she whispered, "I'd like to see them more."

I didn't know if she realized how lovely she sounded. I didn't know if she expected me to react the way I did. I didn't actually even know what possessed me to do it.

I reached over and pressed her lips against mine. They were as soft and warm as they were sweet, and they moved against mine without attempting to break free. I felt her fingers entwining in my hair, raising small shocks of pleasure in my spine. I let my own arms wrap completely around her, pulling her close.

It wasn't long before I broke free, resting my forehead against hers. She gasped a little for breath, her eyes shining as they catch mine.

"Well, that's made things very bloody confusing." She muttered after a while, and I laughed, a small knot of worry at who saw us, and whether they recognized me, appearing in my gut.

Well said.