A Month to Love

A Month to Love (43)

‘I am not! I thought you were serious!’ I grumbled. ‘Stop laughing,’ I added, snatching up her hand and dragging her after me. ‘You made me get up from my comfy spot just to torture me.’

‘I really was creeped out,’ she replied as we made our way back down to the living room.

I turned off the light once more and managed to bring us back to the couch or, as I liked to call it, the spine breaker.

‘Happy now?’ I asked as we got cosy once more.

‘Happiest I’ve ever been,’ Raegan replied. She adjusted the flat couch cushion under our heads slightly before dropping down so our faces were close. ‘I love you.’

‘I don’t think I’ll get used to you saying that,’ I murmured, feeling my chest tighten. If she kept saying it out of the blue like that I’d be in and out of A and E from all the cardiac arrests.

‘Good, I don’t want you to take my love for advantage,’ she teased.

‘I could never.’

‘Kiss.’

‘You’re asking me for a kiss?’ I said, confused. ‘You know you can kiss me whenever, right? It’s not exactly like I’m going to say no,’ I laughed quietly, edging closer even as i spoke.

‘I know. But I don’t want to kiss you, I want you to kiss me,’ she pointed out as if it were obvious.

‘Hmm,’ I mused, trying not to laugh again at the serious expression on her face. ‘I didn’t realise there was a difference.’

‘Of course, there’s a difference!’

‘Well, what is it?’ I pressed.

Maybe I was enjoying taunting her a little too much. But she’d had weeks to torture me with her old lady jokes so I didn’t feel too guilty.

‘I don’t know! There just is!’

‘Not a very good explanation,’ I grinned, kissing the corner of her mouth and jerking back as she turned her face. ‘See, I’m someone who likes facts.’

‘Here’s a fact: I want you to kiss me,’ Raegan retorted making me laugh.

‘This is why I love you,’ I murmured before giving her what she wanted.

It still felt odd actually going ahead and kissing her. I’d spent the past few weeks mentally training myself to do the exact opposite even when I thought it’d be near impossible. But here I was now finally free to give in to my temptations. It would take some getting used to. I was fine with practicing.

‘Satisfied?’

She shook her head not bothering to open her eyes and I kissed her again. I think she was right, there was a difference between kissing someone and being kissed. It was difficult to put into words though. In my head it was a sort of given that I’d want to kiss her but when she went out of her way to initiate it, it made my heart ache. It had been aching a lot the past few hours.

‘Homesick.’

‘You’re feeling homesick now?’ I asked, easing my arm beneath her head as she scowled at the cushion not for the first time.

‘No, before. Now I feel fine. I missed you a lot,’ she said, placing one of her hands on my face. ‘How do you feel?’ she added quietly. ‘I seem to have this habit of dumping a load of dramatic stuff on you...’

‘I’m... fine.’

‘Really?’ Raegan asked, looking sceptical. ‘I don’t believe you. I mean, this time is obviously better than last time, being good news and all, but it’s a lot to take in. I’ve had a few days but you’ve had only a few hours.’