Freaks

36 • hopes & regrets

❝maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets❞
ａｒｔｈｕｒ ｍｉｌｌｅｒ

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ＴＨＥＲＥ＇Ｓ a certain thrill that comes with having someone's lips on your own.

A desperate sort of dependency when they hold you closer. Hands gripping at your sides, breaths intermingling. Their taste on your tongue consumes your thoughts. You become their oxygen, their only reason for breathing.

Letting out a small groan, Cole deepens the kiss with urgency, backing us into the wall of the clock tower. My hands develop a mind of their own: one is pressed to his chest, clutching tightly to his shirt, the other is lost in Cole's soft hair, pulling him closer to me as I return the kiss with vigour.

Once the need for air becomes too great, Cole's lips grudgingly leave mine, trailing down my jaw and the side of my face, resting at the crook of my neck, where he continues his ministrations, leaving my skin burning with a series of light pecks.

I close my eyes to concentrate on the feeling, when suddenly... he stops.

What?

My eyes flick open abruptly to meet a pair of apologetic blue ones.

"Wait." Cole lets out a frustrated sigh. "Sorry. We should talk about this first. I didn't think I'd get so carried away." A cold chill replaces the patch of skin where Cole had held me. "I can't imagine what you must think of me n—"

Panic surges through me when I realise he's backing away. On instinct, I reach my hand out, grabbing his shoulder before he can fully turn away.

"Wait," I call. "No. Stop." He stops. Slowly, cautiously, Cole brings his eyes down to mine again, looking foolishly confused. Tentatively, I bring my hand to his face, letting my thumb trace his lips lightly. Then, bringing my face closer to his, I whisper. "Don't talk. Just kiss me again."

And then I close the gap between us.

This time, there is no hesitation. Cole wastes no second returning the kiss, pulling me even closer to him. This is almost better than flying. In the moment, it feels like we're invincible, like not even time could affect u—

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Unfortunately, the universe has a way of reminding us, time did in fact affect us.

The loud chiming from the clock tower causes Cole and I to leap apart, Cole's swearing drowned out by the sound of the booming bell. We look at each other in alarm, then at the clock.

"Nine o'clock," we say in unison.

I take a look at our surroundings. "When did it get so dark?"

Cole rubs the back of his neck nervously. "Your uncle's going to kill me. I promised I'd have you back by half eight."

"Half eight? We left at seven. Our practices are usually two hours long — that would never have worked."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say we've been using the last 15 minutes of our practice time efficiently."

Ah. A violent red blush erupts on my cheeks.