Now & Then (A Newland High School story)

8. Three Months Ago

I should go home. The alarm on my phone went off some time ago.

Although since Aric is the one who shut it off, as I peacefully went back to sleep, I'm not sure how long it's been. I peek my eyes open and see that it is dark outside. Aric's bedside lamp is creating a shadowy, golden hue across the bedroom.

I feel his arm shift positions on my waist as he pulls me closer, snuggling into my back even further. He exhales, and I feel it on my ear. It covers me in goosebumps.

And the final touch—the part that makes me want to nuzzle into his pillow further and never leave—is the satisfied purr he's been making since we both first fell asleep. I'm sure it's not a conscience action, it's seeming to come from deep inside his chest every time one of us moves, almost signaling that our nap time isn't over yet.

We weren't even supposed to be sleeping. I came over to help him with his Algebra homework while my parents thought I was at Lexi's. But we took one look at his bed, and neither of us could resist. Of course if we wouldn't have been talking on the phone until three in the morning last night, we might not be so tired.

I realize I'm not the only one awake when Aric leaves a kiss on my neck. "You smell really good." His voice is low and rough, like maybe he's still half asleep.

My shirt has bunched up slightly in my sleep, exposing a stretch of skin along my hip. I don't notice until Aric's fingers begin tracing patterns along it.

This should make me uncomfortable, all of it—the spooning, the bare skin, his body against mine—but it doesn't. I feel safe with Aric. We've spent hours every night talking on the phone. He's never given me a hard time about my parents' rules like every other guy I've been interested in. And sometimes when he looks at me, I feel like the most beautiful girl in the world.

His hand slides underneath my shirt, resting against my stomach. His lips are next to my ear. "So soft."

He still has that sleepy, heavy tone to his voice. It shoots an undeniable thrill all the way through me. His hand starts to move upward and, for a moment, the thrill is gone. I don't want to, but I feel myself freeze.

Aric notices. "Do you want me to stop?"

I have a very real love/hate relationship with my breasts. They are bigger than most girls my age, and Lexi never fails to tell me how jealous she is. But in the church world, I'm mortified by them, wearing everything I can to cover them. My mom is constantly searching for just the right tops that will do the job of hiding my natural endowment. It's a shifting scale in my brain constantly.

Aric exhales against my ear and it is instant relaxation. Instant comfort. Instant togetherness. I shake my head no, telling him that I don't want him to stop, and feel him relax against me, his hand continuing its northern journey.

As fingertips reach the bottom of my bra, I squeeze my eyes tight, willing myself to get out of my own head, forget about everything else, and just be in this moment with this boy I'm crazy about.

"If you want me to stop, tell me, and I'll stop."

I nod, once again melting into the sound of him.

He slides beneath the cotton fabric, cupping my breast into his palm. His movements are gentle, and tender, and pull a small moan from my throat. I can feel his chest speeding up against my back. His kisses along my neck become more rushed as he rolls my nipple between his fingers.

I bend my arm back, gripping onto his hair. It's gotten longer since Winter Break, and I can just barely pull on it. A growl comes out of his lips as they find their way to my cheek, I turn my head and let his mouth take mine. We kiss sloppily, smearing lips and tongues together. We're desperate for each other.