Be My Juliet [on hold]

Chapter 27

*Dan’s POV*

“I love you too, Dan,” she replies, nearly slipping off into sleep.  I’ve imagined hearing it from someone other than my mom for a while… someone besides a few close friends.  To be honest, I’ve tried to imagine Penelope saying it back: the way her mouth would curl up into a faint smile, her soft and harmonic voice turning it into a sweet lullaby that I’d listen to on repeat for days on end, how the words would dance around in my ears for hours afterwards.  However, I’ve never quite gotten it.  I guess there had always been the smallest twinge of doubt in the back of my mind, something telling me I cared more about her than she cared about me.

“You love me?” I whisper into her ear, wanting to make sure that I heard her right and silence that annoying voice that tells me she doesn’t for good.  I lay a kiss on her temple as her eyes open fully, as if she’s not tired anymore.

She nods, flipping around to face me.

“Say it again.” I take hold of her again, letting one of my arms rest on her waist, hand pressed delicately on the small of her back, and the other underneath her cheek.

“I love you, Dan Howell.”  Silence overcomes us for a few moments, letting what she said hang in the air.  It’s just us now. No one else matters besides the beautiful girl in my arms, staring into my eyes and daring me to make a move. I prop myself up on my elbow, then bring Pen’s lips to meet mine, holding her head up.  Suddenly, she shoots up, flipping over to sit on my lap, and I see her smirk.  Almost instinctively, I grab both sides of her face and crash her lips against mine, not being able to stop myself.  She loves me, I tell myself. Tilting my head, I deepen the kiss and trace my tongue along the contour of her soft lips.  She said it.  She loves me back.  They part and I can taste her sweet tongue as mine runs across it and I feel a cocktail of happiness and passion churn in my stomach.  My hands snake slowly around her waist, my fingers running along the cozy fabric of her top.  They travel down, now starting to play with its hem.  She loves me back, I repeat.  After thinking for so long that she didn’t… she’s mine.  And I know she is.  And I’ll never let anyone or anything hurt her, no matter what.  She breaks us apart, letting me remove her shirt and take a look at her gorgeous body.  It doesn’t matter to me that she has scars.  The only thing I care about is that she gets better and that she doesn’t feel the need to do that anymore. 

“You’re beautiful, Pen.” I tell her, meaning every single syllable.  She shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” she blushes, her hands tracing my already exposed sides.

“I mean it…” I insist, wrapping my arms around her again, fingers playing with the drawstring of her pajama pants.

She grabs each side of my face and pulls me towards her again.  A quiet moan escapes my mouth as she slings her arms around my neck and brings her body even closer to mine.  I flip us over so that I’m on top of her, and start leaving a line of kisses down her front.

*The next morning, Penelope’s POV*

“Hey…” Dan says groggily, his grip tightening around my naked torso. 

“Hi.” I reply sleepily, my eyes still closed.  “How did you sleep?”

“Very well.”  He gets up and pulls on boxers and sweatpants, leaving me to let me wake up fully.

“I’m going to take a shower!” I call out, grabbing a towel from the closet and I make my way to the bathroom.

“Alright, love.” I hear Dan reply as I shut the door.  I turn on the water and step in, letting the steam swirl around me.  After a few minutes, I hear a knock at the door.