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Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Sleepless Night

"Those nights where you have second thoughts about everything and nothing feels right anymore." -Unknown

I crawled into bed with Connor that night and he fell asleep almost instantly. He's definitely had a long night. I mean, with Siena trying to get her hands on him all night and meeting my hectic family and having dinner with them, he had a long night.

But, I couldn't sleep.

I tried really hard to fall asleep, too. I mean, I cuddled up to Connor, putting my head against his chest while I listened to his steady heartbeat for half an hour. I tossed and turned. I tried reverse psychology on my mind; making my brain think that I wanted to stay awake so that it would "rebel" and put me to sleep. And I even played back the events of the day.

I couldn't find a single thing to put me to sleep. So, I gave up. I sat on the floor and leaned my back against the bed. I scrolled through Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, just for something to do.

I played Subway Surfers on my phone and played my music quietly so that the eery silence didn't bother me.

I beat my high score on Subway Sufers twice before I got bored and quit the game. So, I crawled back into bed.

Just as I was getting under the covers, Connor stirred. I froze and watched him as he let out a soft groan and his eyelids fluttered open. "Lani? Baby, where are you going?" he muttered tiredly.

I smiled softly and laid down next to him. I put my head on his chest and I answered quietly, "I'm not going anywhere. I was just laying back down. I can't sleep."

Connor wrapped me up in his arms and rubbed his fingertips along my bicep. "Why not? What's bothering you, Leilani?" he muttered to me, kissing my hair.

"I don't know. I just can't sleep," I whispered.

"Are you sure that the kiss that your cousin placed on me unsuspectingly isn't what's bothering you and keeping you awake?" he asked me softly.

I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. "I don't know. I think so... But I don't know for sure," I admitted.

Connor sat up and brought me with him. I looked away from him to avoid looking him in the eyes, but he reached around and placed a couple fingers under my chin. He brought my head around so that I was looking at him. I stared into his bright blue eyes, even in the dark, and I could feel my heart going frantic in my chest.

"Leilani, that kiss meant nothing to me-" I cut him off right there before he accused me of believing it did.

"I know that it didn't Connor," I protested.

"Then why is it still bothering you that she kissed me?" he asked carefully, cupping my face in his hands.

"She's my cousin and she kissed you to try and tick me off. She knew I didn't want her touching you, but she did anyways. That's what's bothering me about the kiss," I answered.

"Leilani, that's why she kissed me. She wanted to get under your skin and ruin your night," he informed me.

"I know," I mumbled, glancing down with my eyes only.

"Leilani, I promise that you are the only girl I have my eyes on," he told me, making me look back up at him.

"It's only a matter of time until you move on, Connor," I whispered negatively.

"I could never move on, Leilani. Even if I wanted to. You have no idea, do you?" he asked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

"Leilani, I don't just love you. It's not the kind of love that goes away after a couple of months. I don't care how cheesy this sounds, but whenever I'm around you, my heart races and my hands get all clammy, and I can honestly say that I can even see a future with you," he explained. I could tell he was about to continue, but he paused to take a deep, shaky breath in. "Leilani, I think I'm falling in love with you."

The slightest sound, crossed between a hiccup and a gasp, escaped from my lips and a tear slipped from my eyelids. 

"Connor, I... I don't..." I stumbled over my own words and couldn't piece together my own sentence. I was too shocked.

"You don't have to say anything, Leilani," he said.

"No, I... I do... I'm just not sure of what to say... You kinda caught me off guard..." I stumbled some more.

"I figured I would. I just needed to make sure you knew that before you began to really believe that I would ever- could ever- move on from you. I love you so much that I could spend the rest of my life proving it to you," he said to me.

The more he confessed his love, the more tears fell from my eyes.

"Connor, I... Do you... I mean... Ugh!" I stumbled so immensely that I groaned and covered my face with my hands. Connor wrapped me in his arms and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't control my tears.

"Take a deep breath, Leilani. Please? Calm down, baby," he soothed me, rubbing my back to help me calm down.

I took a couple of deep breaths before I looked up at him with curious blue eyes. "Do you... Do you think that we may be moving too fast too early? Do you think that... saying 'I love you' so soon might jeopardize the future?" I asked nervously.

Connor took another deep breath and I prepared myself for heartbreak. "Honestly? No, I don't. I mean, I don't doubt that it may cause a few speed bumps, but if we can work it out instead of letting it destroy our relationship, then I think we will be alright. Leilani, I really and honestly do love you and I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you."

I didn't bother with a response. I kissed him.

As soon as my lips connected with his, his hands went around my waist and pulled me closer to him. The kiss was full of utter passion and emotional sparks. There were no longer any strings that symbolized the secrets between us. There was just us.

The two of us got so wrapped up in our kiss, that Connor leaned backwards, never breaking our kiss. He managed to fall back onto his pillow, pulling me on top of him. I was straddling him at that point.

I realized what was happening when I felt one of Connor's hands on my bare skin underneath my tank top. I stopped kissing him and pulled back, panting majorly. "Connor," I whispered.

"Oh, sorry." He instantly let me go and I rolled off of him. I glanced up at his face and saw the red tint that glowed from the minimum amount of moonlight in the room.

"It's okay, Connor." I yawned, finally, and I put my head on his chest as he wrapped me in his arms again.

"Get some sleep, baby. I love you," he whispered.

It was the last thing I heard before I zoned into sleep.