One Way Bridge

Chapter 35

"I don't know, I figure we will know when it's the right time," he looked at me for approval. I nodded and finally got my chance to cross the bridge.

"I'll text you when I get home, alright?" Justin asked as we both hopped out of the car. He gave me a quick hug before walking towards his house without a reply from me.

At about nine, grandma went to bed. An hour later, I went to my room, but sat on the computer waiting for a text. When it did come, it wasn't what I expected. 'Don't freak out when you hear a knock at your door,' was typed on the small screen of my phone. I looked over to the door which was blocked by curtains. Just as I was about to pull them back, a small knock sounded from behind the fabric.

Pulling back the curtains revealed a smiling Justin. "Hey," I opened the door.

"Hello, grab some shoes and come with me." He replied, his smile only growing. I'm sure my face had the same expression.

"You know, I'm pretty sure my mom told me not to go running off with strange men in the middle of the night." I teased him.

"Oh really?" Justin stepped through the door. I stumbled backward to give him room. He caught me before I could fall over the bedframe and pulled me close to his body with a mischievous smirk on his lips. "I'm a stranger?" his warm breath blew over my face and I suddenly found it really hard to concentrate. "I'm not a stranger, am I?" he repeated himself.

"N-no," I shook my head.

"Good, then come on," he released me only keeping hold of my hands. I rolled my eyes, but slipped on the shoes I kept near my backdoor for my trips from there to Justin's house. I let Justin pull me through the door and towards the evergreens that sat in the corner of mine, Justin's, and his neighbor's yards.

As we got closer, I noticed the trees formed a small open space in the middle where Justin had laid a blanket. He laid down first before pulling me down in an awe stricken state.

"You are so sweet," I said from where I laid next to him with my head on his shoulder, but when I realized I couldn't see his face I shifted so my head rested on his stomach.

"Every time we make contact, I get goose bumps. Every time you look at me, I get shivers. Every time I think about you, butterflies erupt in my stomach. From the very first time I met you."

I looked up at him to see him staring back at me. I let us gaze in silence before speaking. "See, you're just too sweet and skinny. Your stomach would make a much better pillow if it was fatter." We both laughed. I took his left hand in both of mine while his other played with a lock of my hair. "But I feel the same way," I spoke up a few minutes later.

Justin's hand went to my cheek and I leaned into it. "You're cold." It wasn't a question, so I didn't bother denying it. "Here," he sat up and shrugged off his jacket before handing it to me. I gratefully put it on, taking a big waft of his smell before lying back down.

We sat quietly enjoying each other's company and the stars above us. "Penny for your thoughts?" Justin asked softly as not to disturb the nighttime peace. I looked up at him to find him looking down at me with an expression to match his voice.

"When I was little we played this game where we would make a big chain of people lying with their heads on each other's stomachs. The first person would say 'ha' and then it would go down the chain. After each person felt the stomach below them move, they would say 'ha' and whoever laughed first lost. It was so hard back then to not laugh. Everything was so funny, so easy." I began speaking more to myself than him. "We were so protected by our parents, but now I have no one to protect me." A tear started to roll down my face and I lifted a hand hidden in the jacket sleeve to wipe it away, but Justin stopped me before I could.

We both sat up and Justin placed his hands on my cheeks. His thumbs wiped the tears that continued to fall. "Shh, Emma, I'll protect you." He pulled me into his chest. "I'll protect you." He placed a kiss on the top of my head.

After a few minutes, the tears had stopped and I pulled away. "I'm sorry," my voice was low and rough and my eyes refused to meet his.

"Don't be," one of Justin's hands left my hips to raise my chin. "Don't be afraid to be you around me, because I-I have fallen completely for you, and there is no way I could ever climb back up, or want to." I smiled.

"Will you go out to dinner with my brother and me on Friday?"

Justin laughed at the sudden change in topic. "Do I have to protect you from him?"

"No," I laughed leaning into his chest. "You might need to protect yourself; he's definitely the overprotective big brother."

Justin nodded as if he was debating. "Good, we'll have a lot in common." I could feel his chest move against my cheek as he chuckled.

I hit him lightly, causing him to teeter backwards and pull me down with him. Neither of us bothered to sit back up, instead we laid in each other's arms and watched the stars above us.

"Emma," a voice muffled by my hair from the owner pressing a kiss to the top of my head woke me. "Emma," it repeated, this time clearer.

"Mmm," I moaned feeling a hard chest beneath my hand. I smiled as the memory came back.

"Emma," Justin's arm around my waist tightened. "You fell asleep," his voice was rough from lack of speaking, yet low as if to not wake the creatures that were asleep around us.

"But I'm comfy here!" I protested as my dreams slipped away, not that I was entirely disappointed with reality, especially when I was in his arms. His chest rose and fell beneath me as he chuckled.

"I'm cold"

"I'm not," I countered, nestling into his jacket that engulfed me.

"I wonder why," his free hand ran up and down my jacket covered arm.

I rolled my eyes before asking the question that had been on my mind since I first woke. "What time is it?" Justin reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone which reminded me that mine was still in my room. He hit a button bringing the screen to life before turning it my way. Just after one thirty. I sighed before sitting up. "Okay"

Justin stood up first and then held out both his hands for me. I took them, letting him pull me up until we were near the same height. We stood close enough I could feel his warm breath blow over my face, warming my near frozen nose. "By the way, you're adorable when you sleep."

"And you're a cuddler," I shot back.

"As long as you're my teddy bear," I rolled my eyes before pushing him in the chest with both arms. Justin stumbled backwards. Unfortunately, he took me with him since both his arms had wrapped around my waist. "Come on," he helped me right myself before releasing me, keeping hold of only my hand.

Together we walked to the door to my room. "Goodnight, Justin," I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling my body to his. He stepped back, resting his forehead against mine.

"Goodnight, teddy bear," Justin breathed. I pushed him again, this time making sure he didn't have a hold of me, before hurrying inside. I smiled after locking the door and yanking the curtains shut. With the same smile on my face, I collapsed onto my bed and quickly returned to slumber.

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