started with a lie ➳ raura revised

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I don't get a chance to finish of course. Ross loves interrupting me and I love interrupting him and I don't think I—what was I saying? His lips are warm on mine and nice and I can't think straight. Where am I? My hands grip his plaid shirt and it's the only thing holding me down to the ground right now.

He pulls away, grinning. "You don't think I'm supposed to what?"

"Uh, that, uh, um, fuck—fuck you," I mutter, looking at my hands on his shirt. "You did that just to mess me up. Quit it, Ross. I really—"

My hair has his fingers woven into it and he's ushering me closer and he's kissing me again and peppermint is exploding in my mouth. I grip his shirt harder. I'm going to lose my mind before he's done with me.

"You really what?" Ross murmurs against my lips and I try to speak.

"I really...I really...um," I say, searching for words. School and education and everything I've ever learned is gone. I'm the equivalent to a dumb rock as I open and close my mouth for words that won't appear. "I can't think—"

I'm going to rip his shirt if I grip it any harder as his lips touch mine again. He's so and so wonderful. If I had known kissing was as great as this before, I don't think I would've wasted so much of my time before. Ross makes everything seem holy and I kiss him with everything I have. 

I pull away first. "We should stop."

"Why?" he whines, getting closer as I talk already.

"This could end up like the car. You're still not even dressed properly," I say, skimming my hands to the top of his shirt where his buttons are all disarranged.

Ross looks at me. His hands go to my hands and he gives them a squeeze. He stares at me with playful eyes and they crinkle in the corner when he grins. "So?"

*******

The feeling of falling wakes me up with a jolt. My eyes are open and I look around, confused and disorientated in that way you are when you wake up.

I'm in Joel's car and it's parked in front of the New York City view. For a second, I'm panicking because when and how and why is his car here? And what if it falls over the cliff? And where's Ross? How did I get here?

I look around and he's not in the car and I look outside the window and he's not there. Ross is not here. The feeling of worry and terror courses through me because I start imagining worst case scenarios. What if he fell down the cliff? What if he walked through the trees and a wild animal got him? What if he fell and he's laying unconscious? Or worse, he left  me realizing how we could go nowhere.

I jump out of the car, screaming, "Ross! Ross!"

Tears are threatening to fall out of my eyes when I see him nowhere. Did he really leave me or is he in trouble? I have nothing, no evidence, for both theories.

"What? What's wrong?" For the good love of god, I've never been so happier to hear him speak. I follow his voice and he's behind me. He's on top of the car—on its hood—and he looks like he's just woken up himself. He's holding himself up on his elbows as the rest of his body is in a horizontal position over the roof of the car.

I walk over and use the front of the car to climb up to him. Instantly, I fall onto him and wrap my arms around him. I don't know if I'm crying but it feels like it.

He stiffens and he sits up immediately, thrown o by my strange behavior. His arms are around me and I'm between his knees, hugging him as tight as possible. He probably can't breathe but he doesn't complain. Ross soothes my hair. "What's wrong, baby?"