Natural Chemistry

Chapter 15: The Journey Back

The kiss was like something I hadn't ever experienced before, whatever Brandon may say, we were involved in quite a lot of physical activities. But none ever felt like this.

Vince's lips were warm against mine but the coldness from the lip ring introduced a completely different feeling.

The kiss was gentle, like he was allowing me to get used to the idea of it and when he thought I was comfortable, he made an effort to deepen it. His tongue glided over my lower lip, and I felt his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. His musky scent filled my senses and I let my fingers run themselves through his soft black hair.

I didn't care if it was wrong and if he had multiple times shoved my hand away in friendship. It felt so incredible, those sparks lighting up in every corner of my being, filling my soul with passion.

He felt like the missing piece in my entire life and I didn't care if he tasted like cigarettes, it seemed like a miniscule detail amongst the rest.
I didn't care if this would make everything awkward between us, I didn't care about the future, our past all that mattered was his hands pulling me closer and this magical kiss.

Though none of us wanted to let go, I knew breathing was essential for human survival.
I opened my eyes to see his still shut. He opened his icy blue eyes which had darkened considerably and his breathing was ragged, quite like mine.

We both stood there, forehead touching and our breathes mixing. His lips were swollen from the kiss and had a small smile on them.
He leaned in hesitantly, and I met him half way this time, brushing my lips against his. We didn't go further than that as he intertwined our hands and pulled me down to sit beside him.
We both sat in silence as he held up the log over the fire, my earlier fight lost in the daze he had set in my mind.

I didn't know where we stood now, what we would do now but I didn't want to question it, my hand fit into his perfectly and I only marvelled at the possibilities this could lead to.
Did I like him? I didn't know, it was confusing, I didn't think I wanted to like anyone and a relationship with him would mean nothing but trouble. Albeit, he had too many positives to ignore.

"You know, usually after a kiss, it gets awkward from there." He chuckled softly, bringing down the kettle as it had finished boiling adding it to the instant mix, making me miss this warmth.

"Awkward?" I repeated his words, wondering what he was working on implying. "Have you ever been in jail, Vince?" I don't know why but that question popped in my head I felt rather ashamed of my enquiry and was about to backtrack but he beat me to it.

"No, but there is a slight chance in the future. Does that bother you?" I was confused at what he wanted out of me, did he want us to be together? Because he doesn't know me at all, I don't know him. And this just sounds like the recipe for disaster.

He handed me the now cooked food and we both ate in silence.

I managed to convince him to let me take the first shift.
I spent what by the clock was three hours just thinking about my life in general, going over the smallest of details.

I saw Vince stir and not a while later get up and motion for me to take rest.

"Why?" I whispered back after a pregnant pause. His face was void of any emotion.

"I think you need to sleep, Jinx. It's been a long day." He replied, staring into the fire. I didn't fight his suggestion but only slipped into my sleeping bag. Before I could close my eyes, I looked at him once more, this face glowing due to the light from the fire and his eyes fixated at the darkness, lost in a different world.

I woke up with the sounds of birds and sunlight hitting my face.
I immediately sat upright and looked around for Vince, but he was no where to be found.

"Vince?" I called out in a low voice. Though, in daylight I wasn't scared to hold my own.

"Vince?" I tried once more and looked about, did a bear get to him?

"Oh, you're already up?" I heard him speak from behind me.
I turned around to see him dressed in only a pair of jeans and shoes. His chiseled chest was left for my eyes to feast on.

"You didn't wake me up." I accused, finding the decency to look into his eyes while saying that.

"It looked like you needed the sleep. Besides, I wasn't tired." He shrugged nonchalantly and walked past me.

"You weren't tired? What are you- a Vampire?" I asked incredulously, keeping my eyes off his back and on his soft black hair which were unusually wet.

"Wait, forget that, did you take a bath?" I looked closely at the droplets on his skin as he turned around. The water on his body was shinning under the sunlight and caught me off guard. He looked like he just stepped out of a magazine, and not because he had abs, no, because he was so perfect top to bottom even with the deep scar running from his right upper rib to waist, just below a hidden tattoo. It looked like a painful story hid behind it. His arm was littered with tattoos, only small parts of his skin visible. When he moved his hand, I saw the peeping inked excellence, it was a heart with hand two arrows piercings in it, I couldn't think over the meaning because he quickly pulled his shirt on.

"Well, the river we used to go to for our bath, yes, that flows a little to the north from here."

"Wait, doesn't that mean they'd be up stream?" I asked, suddenly excited at the possibility of finding other people.
"No, we don't know that. We were supposed to find our way to the next camp. But I guess if we see the map and look at the coordinates properly we can reach back by today." Hope sparked in me as he said that.

"Anyhow, I'll go take a bath then." I shrugged, picking up a different set of clothes from my bag and a towel. Thank goodness I had packed all this in.

"You can't find the place on your on-" He started but before he could finish my feminist side flared.
"Why? Because I'm a girl?" And a certain sense of déjà vu hit me.

"No, because even I took a while to find it and it'll be faster if I took you there. Why do you always assume I'm some sexist male from the nineteenth century?" He chuckled shaking his head.

"It just happens." I shrug in an answer, "Well, let's get on with it. Where do we go?" I asked, packing up my belongings.

"Follow me." He gestured with his hand for me to walk after him.
We both didn't make much conversation, and I came to realize it was the awkward tension screwing with us.

I wanted to regret the kiss, with all my heart, I did. But the moment I remembered the few minutes of passion we shared, I forgot all the rules in the handbook.
He hadn't made his stand on this clear, the kiss cannot be concluded as a green signal to a relationship.

Not that I want a relationship, the last one did a heavy number on me.

"Here we are, Your Highness. Your royal bath is prepared and awaits your presence." Vince sarcastically gestured to the side of the stream which had a rock.

"Well, my faithful servant, I'm thankful of your extravagant workings. Do turn around and spread your arms as I let myself enjoy nature's charm." I retorted with a posh accent. He turned around and did as instructed as I placed my towel and other necessities on his arm and peeled open my clothing, leaving on my undergarments which consisted of a purple bra and a matching set of panties. I put my previously worn clothes on his arm as I proceeded to the corner of the stream and sat down on the rock.

I repeated the process of taking a bath whilst cupping some water in my hands and pouring it upon myself.
It was quite like a sponge bath, just without a sponge.

After washing all the grime off my body, I got up to get my clothes from the human hanger infront of me.
I took the towel out of his hand and started running it over my hands and legs leaving them dry.

I quickly put on my clothes right after and cleared my throat.

"So, when do we start our journey back to the camp?" I asked, folding the wet towel.

"Right after we finish breakfast, I guess, the faster we reach the better."

Faster the better?

**********
Cracks on the surface?

Love,
Rojesta 💜