I Dont Do Too Well On My Own

The Seventieth Chapter

That evening I meet Patrick at his bench by the water, his special place.

The sun is still setting when I sit down and Patrick clutches a guitar. So this is what "Pete approved" means...

His fingers slide over the rim of the guitar nervously.

"Hey, you made it." He says carefully.

He was out during the rest of the day so I said that Id meet him here.

"So, urm, this sounds kind of weird... But I wrote this song and want your opinion. I-wrote-it-with-you-in-mind. Well... Not just you but... Me and... Uh..."

He chuckles nervously, drying his damp palms on his jeans.

I bite on my lip as he starts strumming. This is so cute!

"I hear youve got troubles, or so Ive been told.

Maybe just a couple but Im not sold."

His voice sounds beautiful and heartfelt.

"And the stages of recovery can signify your age.

Like rings on a stump!"

And I point at him and he grins. Rings on a Stump.

"Lately its been getting a little crazy!"

The lyrics arent hard to decode. Theyre a bit like love songs...

"Wise men say only fools rush in... But Id burn the city down to show you the light!" He grins through the singing.

I cant hide the smile from my face. He wrote that whilst thinking about me...

"I kiss your shadow on the wall whenever Im down..."

I hold my hand over my mouth and he blushes.

"Things arent the same anymore, sometimes it gets so bad that I almost pick up the phone... Please dont trade Baby blues for wide-eyed browns"

I try and decode his message with a grin.

"I was born under a bad sign, but you saved my life...

That night on the roof of your hotel...

Cross my heart and hope to die..."

He is blushing and I raise an eyebrow with my smile.

"You are the last good thing about this part of town." He ends slowly.

He puts his guitar under the bench.

"Do you like it?" He smiles.

"I love it! You got me hands down." I cant hide the ruby red blush erupting from my face.

"I- wait, lets walk."

"Wont someone steal your guitar?"

"Nobody comes here."

We walk down the dock and through the nearby park. Slowly strolling, Patrick starts talking.

"So. Im just going to get to the point... The point being that I always felt like I wanted to hold you and... Love you. I wanted to wake up next to you... More often... And just place kisses all over your face. Then Id be there in the evening too and Id get to hear your laugh." He stands facing me.

My heart throbs and I try not to break his speech with a kiss.

"I dont know. I just really want to kiss you."

He is that nerdy Patrick again, awkwardly proposing for a kiss.

He looks at the floor and blushes, waiting for a response.

"Go on then." I reply softly.

He looks up in surprise. He doesnt say or do anything. Was this all a trick? I get stage fright, looking at my toes. Our toes are practically touching.

His thumb lifts my chin to look at him. Our eyes meet and I bite on my lip.

"Ive waited for this for so long." He mumbles before leaning in.

He presses his lips carefully against mine. His thumb keeps me in place as we share a kiss.

I can feel the tingling feeling spread through me slowly, consuming me.

Nothing matters right now. Everything melts away as I slowly place my hands on his chest.

This was definitely necessary. My first taste of my new favourite drug.

Eventually we pull back, just an inch or two, to take a breath.

If you see the same view as me, it is Patricks baby blue eyes staring into mine. He looks hungry for more.

I peck his lips once before letting go and spinning backwards.

"Oh, Patrick!" I laugh.