Happy Anniversary.

15. Don't Go.

My foot tapping at rocket speed and the acceleration of the car against pavement were the only things I could hear. We were only about half an hour away from my house. I only had another half hour - forty-five minutes, if I was lucky and we hit traffic - of my perfect vacation with Jack. My front teeth dug into the delicate skin of my lips in hopes of stopping the tears aching in my throat and burning my eyes. 

The driver's hand calmed my twitching leg, rubbing my knee in soft circles. My hand, out of instinct, grabbed his and curled them together. Jack smiled, eyes still on the road. "Hey. What are you thinking about?"

I sighed shakily. "I just can't believe this is over."

Jack nodded in agreement. "I'll definitely miss cuddling you every night and waking up to your beautiful face."

More like ugly face. "That was my favorite part." I said honestly.

Jack's lighthearted grin turned into a smirk. "I think mine was the night I accidentally spilled your bag."

My face went bright red as memories of that night flooded back to me. He's terrified of having sex with you. You're just a joke to him - you know that. My inner thoughts hissed at me as Rian's "gifts" to me lay in between Jack and me.

He reached out and grabbed the box of condoms and examined them, then did the same with the lube. "You know," He spoke after long moments of silence, "chocolate is my favorite flavor, although I am a little upset that you only got medium-sized condoms." Jack joked, immediately eliminating some of the tension in the room, although my face was still a solid apple red.

"They're Rian's idea of a gift to us." I mumbled, staring at my toes squeezing the carpet.

He laughed loudly. "Damn it, Rian!" I kept my eyes focused on the floor and bit the inside of my cheek, embarrassment still my most prominent emotion. "I swear, I'll have to have a talk with that boy...hey, hey, Alex? What's wrong?" When he realized I wasn't laughing with him, he jumped up and put his arms on my shoulders, waiting for an explanation.

"N-Nothing." I let a small, breathy laugh escape my lips. "Just a little..."

"Embarrassed?" Jack's lips were in a half smile. I nodded. His arms went from my shoulders to the small of my bag as he hugged me. "You don't need to be embarrassed. I don't find many things awkward. You can tell me you have a third eye instead of a bellybutton and I don't know that I'd think twice about it. It's not even your stuff, so there's no need to have that cute little blush on your face." He pinched on of my cheeks and tickled my side, making my heavy emotions fade and a fuzzy warmth invade my thoughts.

"I don't even know how to use a condom, really." I said absently, regretting it just as the words flew from my mouth.

Jack laughed again, kissing me softly. "You'll have to let me show you someday."

"Okay." And I knew I wasn't just saying it. Jack was the only person in the world I'd actually thought about the intimate sides of a relationship with.

Once I'd said that, the room grew warmer and Jack spent the rest of the night experimenting with the lube on me. It was definitely the most pleasurable night of our getaway.

I jabbed at his side. "Shut up!" I groaned.

"I don't know if I should thank Rian or yell at him for pulling that..." Jack replied thoughtfully.

"If we thank him, we'll never hear the end of it."

"True." The conversation naturally ended and Jack turned on the radio to fill the silence. Despite knowing that I only had less than an hour with Jack, I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting closed as I leaned against the cold window and took slow, relaxing breaths.