Change | E.D

Thirty Six

Charlotte

Running my thumb underneath his bottom lip, I tell him sincerely, "I could never hate you, Ethan. Honest."

He says in a broken whisper, "You really should."

I shake my head at him and say, "No...I really shouldn't. Look, what you did two years ago, it sucked. It sucked big time. I had a really hard time getting through sophomore and junior year. But how you've been to me recently...it makes up for it. It so does."

"Then why'd you almost leave?" he asks me, "If not because of me then..."

This time it's me who cannot look at him, who cannot tell him that I did in fact almost leave because of him but have been telling him all of these other things. I can't lie to him, not when I feel like our relationship is about to be started on a new ground. I don't want that ground to be lies. I want it to be on honesty.

So that's why I tell him truthfully, "Well it was...because of you, I guess. But then I went and talked to Annie and she told me all of these things that I hadn't really thought of before. I still left though, but on the walk to the bus station, I got to thinking. I changed my mind."

"Well," he says, his voice surprisingly stronger than it was moments before, "I'm really really happy you did. I don't know what I would have done without you here."

"I'm sure you would've been fine," I tease lightly, trying to make this highly emotional scene outside lighten up a bit. There's been enough heartache and sadness today-too much, actually. But now that I know...now that I know how much he actually cares for me, I know that our relationship is going to be just fine. I know it will.

He then scoots in closer to me, that dark and self-deprecating mood of his from moments ago easily disappearing. He grabs my legs from where they're stretched in front of me and then twines them around his waist, anchoring the two of us together.

And then he cups my jaw in his hands, letting a pleasurable warmth spread throughout my belly, as he tells me, "I really would not have been. I would've been a wreck."

"Well...I'm here now. I'm here for good."

-

"You look beautiful, by the way." he says, his cheeks becoming slight red.

I feel my whole face heat up, as I look away. We were now sitting on his bed, just enjoying each other's company. "No I don't, I look exhausted." I chuckle.

He stares at me, "Yet you still manage to look beautiful. Effortlessly beautiful."

"Thank you." I say, smiling like a little girl.

He smirks smugly at me. "You know..." he trails off, licking his lips. "Being away from you for two years made me fantasise about things." he says, grabbing the neck of his shirt and pulling it over his head.

"Really? What kind of things?" I ask him, watching as he came closer to me.

His voice was low and seductive, "You."

I like where this is going.

He gently pushes me down on the bed, hovering directly over me. Both his arms were on each side of my head. My heart beats rapidly as his thighs brush against mine. I swallow hard, trying to contain myself.

"Your body." he says, staring hungrily at me.

I bit down on my lip. His eyes study my lips, desperation clouding them. I wrap my arms around his waist, "What about my body?"

He whispers into my neck, "I can show you."

Ethan leans his head down, covering my mouth with his. I instantly close my eyes, cupping his face with hands. His tongue slips out of his mouth and edges against mine, a soft moan leaves my mouth as he trails his hands all over my body.