The Strength of Us

Chapter Ten - It's Too Late For That

Chapter Ten - "It's Too Late For That"

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There's a lot of things that go through your mind when you picture yourself kissing the person you really, really like.

How their lips are going to feel pressed against yours. Wondering if they'll be able to feel your racing heartbeat through your chest. Thinking about how they'll taste and where their hands will be on you and how you'll probably die from excitement and eagerness.

I could say that all these things have crossed my mind before. But right now, with Oliver's lips on mine, all I can think about is how numb I feel.

I feel so incredibly numb that I probably could pass as dead. I can't be sure if I'm even still breathing.

His hands are holding my cheeks, and he's pressing himself close to me as my hands just hang down by my sides. Like a limp noodle. This tingling, numbing sensation lasted for a little bit, maybe less than a minute or so. Then the real feelings kicked in.

I suddenly felt my heart come back to life. I could tell I was breathing again. I couldn't hear or concentrate on anything other than the fact that Oliver is willingly kissing me. His lips are on mine because he wants to kiss me. No alcohol involved whatsoever.

And it was sweet. It didn't last quite as long as I would have wanted it to, but it was so, so sweet.

He pulled away slowly and my eyes fluttered open. His one thumb is ever so gently stroking my cheek, and his other hand tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. I felt chills erupt through my spine at the gesture.

And as sweet and perfect and incredible as that kiss was, it still confused the hell out of me.

"What?" I felt myself whisper.

You always know how to ruin the moment, Stevie.

He smirked a little. "What?" He said softly.

"What was that for?" I clarified.

Stop talking right now.

Then he chuckled. His eyes dropped to my lips for a second and he spoke again.

"I like you, Stevie."

And his voice made my name sound like it was the greatest thing he had ever discovered.

"Y-you do?" I choked out stupidly as a response.

Please stop ruining the moment with your dumb-ass responses.

"Yes, I do," he chuckled again. He dropped his hands from my face and ran them through his hair, a bit nervously if I'm not mistaken.

Oliver? Nervous? Never.

He's known to be Mr. Cool with such a suave attitude. Why would he be nervous around me?

I tried to talk again, to say something stupid and pointless, but my voice was gone. It vanished somewhere before I could even begin to form the words in my mind. So he just kept talking.

"I-I've always had this thing for you, and... and I never really knew how you felt about me because I'm stupid like that," he stuttered on.

"You're not stupid," I interfered, smiling gently.

He paused to look up at me and smile, and I felt a swarm of butterflies dancing around in my stomach.

"So when you kissed me at the party, I thought that maybe that meant you liked me too. Then we never really talked about it so I assumed you were drunk and didn't know what you were doing. But... I did a lot of thinking today. And I thought, 'if I really do like this girl and care about her as much as I say I do, then I need to tell her'.