Josephine "Finn" Harwood has lived a frustrated life. Her husband never loved her. Friends and family are non-existent. She has lived much of her life in affluent solitude. On the night of her 56th birthday, she decides to end her marriage and make...
It's the first time I've ever kissed anyone with my eyes open.
When Wesley kissed me...well, it was never a kiss. Instead, he's a vacuum, sucking me into the vortex of his mad, frenzied desire. I'm gasping for air afterwards, sputtering some misplaced compliment. Don't get me started on French kissing. A Saint Bernard dog would less messy with a kiss than Wesley ever was. I never enjoyed it. It felt more like him asserting his position as my boyfriend than anything else. It was disgusting.
Ari kissing me...isn't like that.
It's...not even close.
My face tingles. No...not just my face - my entire body. Everything feels soft and as the kiss deepens, I feel like I'm melting since my body is running hot. I can taste that sweet and fruity lemon tea on his lips. I can smell his cologne in the corner of his neck. I'm not sure if reminds me of a spices or a fresh rain shower. It doesn't matter - it's heady and intoxicating and it makes me want to swoon.
I swear I can see stars. Or maybe I'm the supernova, bursting forth into countless specks of light, unable to contain the powerful forces swirling inside me.
I don't know what makes me step away. Maybe it's how jittery I feel. Or maybe it's just so much to take and I couldn't stand it any longer. Ari looks at me, his eyes swimming in the same confusion that flutters inside me.
"I...I don't know where that..." he manages through his breaths. As he stumbles toward the door, I can't seem to find the words to say. I don't even know what I should say. "I'll...see you later."
Ari rushes out, slamming the door behind him. I can't move. I can't speak. And then, I feel my hands move up the length of my body. My fingers brush against my lips - where his were a moment before.
Wow...is that what a real kiss is supposed to feel like?
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On the surface, it seems like everything is as it should be. Ari still texts me three times a day - in the morning, at dinner time, and before I go to bed. We still see each other in class. He's still prepared to protect me if Wesley decides to visit me on-campus again.
But it's not the same. We don't hang out alone. It's always with the others. He goes his way after school. I go mine. We share friendly words but neither of us want to talk about that kiss we shared on Friday night.
There's distance between us. We're friendly, yes, but we aren't as friendly as we could be.
Because he kissed me.
Because I let him.
I can't stop thinking about it, either. And I don't know what to make of that. I'm in my own "choose-your-own-adventure" book and I've selected a path this is both familiar and not. Ari has a crush on me. I've always known that. And I just thought that as sweet as that was, Ari would be nothing more than a friend.
