Sweet as a Strawberry

19 ~ Sweet as a Marshmallow

a/n: dedicated to xXBeBraveXx for being an absolute doll and making me the cutest covers! one of them is posted up top, but she made a hell of a lot more and i am so grateful :) it took me ages to pick one lol bc they were all so cute 

Chapter 19: Sweet as a Marshmallow

I was not a lip virgin. I was nineteen years old, but the last time I was kissed by a boy called Seamus Ronan. Back then, Seamus Ronan was a cute guy in my co-ed grammar school, but he kissed like a dog. Overeager, wet, and sloppy.

I liked to think that he didn't count, because it was a pretty juvenile kiss at that. But he was, and it saddened me to think that he was who I had to set standards with.

I knew Ben could surpass that, because all he had to do was keep his tongue to himself unless he knew how to use it. I turned into Ben when he shifted and felt my face heat up. Ben stared at me and leant in very slowly, giving me the opportunity to move away if need be.

I didn't though.

I knew that I liked him. He was gorgeous, but that wasn't all. He was kind in his own way and treated Queenie like his baby sister. He was mysterious and calm and kind of ill-mannered, but when he smiled or laughed...oh God. It was the best gift in the world.

I peered into his eyes, pursing my lips. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked gruffly.

"Huh," I said in surprise, mesmerised by the colours swirling in his eyes. "I always thought your eyes were brown, but they're not." I squinted my own eyes.

Ben's mouth quirked up and it made me smile. I loved his smile. "Lottie, I really, really want to ─"

"Yeah?" I asked hopefully.

His face smoothed out into an indecipherable expression. Almost as if a switch was flipped, he scooted away and turned his head in the opposite direction. And suddenly, the old Ben was back.

I cocked my head, the lack of warmth glaringly obvious without him next to me. I was confused. "What do you want to do, Benny?" I prompted.

"Don't call me Benny," he said simply. My eyebrows furrowed. It had been a while since he'd said that to me, and to be honest, it made me feel really awkward.

"Oh, okay. S-sorry." His abrupt change in attitude was messing with my head, but I had to stop being so lame. I took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "I need to get to my next class," I said after checking my watch. "Bye-bye, Ben."

He turned back to me, a slight frown marring his handsome features. I let my smile become lighter, happier, and I shoved my earbuds in my ears before moving out of his way. 

I sighed. "Nice work, Charlotte."

***

Ginny threw her arm around my shoulder. "What's wrong with you, poppet?"

I glanced at her from my job of wiping down the counters and flicked soap at her nose. "Oh yuck, I have a thing on my back. Get it off."

She smirked. "That's the repressed sexual tension I hear, isn't it?"

I laughed. "All I hear is 'fwa fwa fwa fwa,' from a snuffy little pig!"

"Don't distract me with your nasty snorting, I did notice that you're lacking enthusiasm, you know," she said sternly. "Now, tell Auntie Ginny what the matter is."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know, Ginny. Nothing really. I'm being stupid?"

"Was that a question or a response? Because either way, I agree."