A/N: Ok so this is the last chapter :( however there will be an epilogue! I tried to write more but it turns out I'm not all that good at writing actual relationships, I definitely prefer the build up and the tension. I'm not sure when the epilogue will be posted but until then if you want you can check out my other story 'The Road to Verona' it's only six chapters so far but I have a feeling it's going to get really long so have a look if you fancy it. Thank you all so much for your support it's above and beyond what I could've imagined. Enjoy and look out for the epilogue!
For a while it’s nice to have our little secret. We smile at each other when no one’s looking and I don’t mind waiting so much. After a couple of months though it is a bit frustrating. Spending time with her without being able to actually be with her. We spend more time with her than when she was with Matt and it’s hard to not stare at her constantly. Everything she does is gorgeous and distracting. The way she plays with her hair, her laugh and the smile that I’ve loved from the start. I know Kevin, Mitch and Scott can tell something’s up, they were suspicious when we missed the movie. As long as we’re not arguing or making out though, everyone seems pretty content. Everyone but me. I’m not annoyed with her for making me wait. I understand. But the time is only making the feelings that I have for her harder to deal with and it starts to feel like forever.
It’s December and we’re in London. It’s freezing cold but I was determined to get out of the bus. The thing with Kirstie has been getting to me so even though it’s near the middle of the night I’m sat on a bench by the river. I want some time alone to think but when she walks over and sits down next to me I’m not annoyed. ‘Hey you.’ ‘Hi.’ We sit in silence for a few minutes, staring out at the river. ‘Kevin said that I’d find you out here.’ ‘I needed some time alone to think.’ As soon as I say it I realise that it sounds like I’m trying to get her to leave. ‘Well if you want me to go then I can just see you later.’ She starts standing up but I grab her wrist. She turns to face me and I take in her red cheeks and the way her hair is squashed into her hat. She’s wearing her glasses and they make her eyes look even bigger and brighter than normal. ‘Stay.’
She sits back down and then coughs to clear her throat. ‘So, it’s been a few months since we talked about everything.’ She’s removed her hand from mine and she’s currently tugging on the sleeves of her coat nervously. ‘Yes.’ I’m not sure what else to say. ‘And I think I’m ready.’ ‘For what?’ She rolls her eyes and smiles shyly. ‘To give this a go.’ She gestures between us and then blushes. I’ve been thinking about this moment and how I would react for months but it turns out that nothing has been able to prepare me for this. ‘Um Avi? If you’re not interested anymore then I understand. It’s been ages and you could totally be over me by now.’ Her nervous babbling brings me out of my shocked silence.
‘Kirstie. It’s ok. Of course I’m still interested. I’ve liked you since the first day we met and there’s nothing I want more than to be with you.’ She blushes and smiles so widely it looks as though it might hurt. ‘Ok. Well I have one condition. It might be a little difficult but can we try and take things sort of slowly? I don’t want to just leap into a super serious relationship. I want to go on dates and take our time.’ I nod vigorously. ‘That’s fine. When we get back home I’m going to take you on a proper date.’ She smiles again and reaches out her hand to hold mine. It fits so perfectly that I can’t imagine ever wanting to hold anyone else’s. ‘What do we tell the others?’ She grimaces. ‘Hmmm. I don’t think we should tell them anything for now. It’s early days right?’ ‘Very early.’
‘So. We’re going to wait until we get back home then.’ She nods. ‘It’s only a few days.’ ‘Why didn’t you wait to tell me? Not that I mind but wouldn’t it have made more sense.’ She sighs. ‘I didn’t think I was ready until this morning.’ ‘What happened this morning?’ She smiles ‘Nothing in particular. I just woke up and the first thing I saw was you and I realised that I want you to be the first thing I see every time I wake up’ I don’t know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t that. I didn’t think it would be something so simple and ordinary. I wanted to wait until after our first date. I wanted to do things properly this time round but now with the blush colouring her cheeks I can’t wait that long.
I gently place my hand under her chin and turn her face to mine. She looks from my eyes to my mouth and my heart feels as though it’s stopped beating. I lean in so that our lips are almost touching and I can feel her breath on my mouth. ‘I’m ready.’ She whispers. She presses her lips to mine and my heart starts beating again. My head instantly empties of everything that isn’t her mouth or her hands or my hands in her hair. I have no idea how long the kiss lasts but when it finishes my lips are tingling and I can’t stop smiling. She smiles back at me. ‘Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private?’ for a moment she looks shocked but then she understands and her smile widens.
‘So much has changed since you last said that.’ ‘Yep. We’ve grown up a lot.’ ‘Plus we’re both single now. Which is good.’ I smile at her ‘The main difference though, is that I don’t actually want to.’ She raises her eyebrows and smirks. ‘I’ll be sure to remember that.’ I roll my eyes. ‘What I mean is, we have time now. We don’t have to be desperate and sneaky. We don’t need to rush anything. I want to wait. The first time I kissed you I remember thinking that I imagined the first time I kissed you would be under the stars.’ ‘And here we are.’ ‘Here we are.’ I hold her hand gently in mine and she leans to rest her head on my shoulder. We’ve come so far since the first day we met and the time we almost kissed in Scott’s garden. Since the first time we kissed and then the time I made her cry. We’ve come so far in the last few months. We weren’t ready for this when we first met. But now, on a bench by the river we are, and it’s the happiest moment of my life.
