Gina

62.

~FLASHBACK~
"Kerem! Hey!"

"Hey babe!" His eyes slipped round her waist, effectively pulling her closer as he kissed her with passion. He tagged at her hair bun and it came loose.

"Did I ever tell you how much I adore your hair?!"

"You have," she replied, "but I love hearing it over and over again."

~END OF FLASHBACK~

Gina avoided looking up as Henna sat next to her in the car. Their parents had left as soon as the meet ended, allowing the girls to go sleep over at Lauren's beautiful house. They had stopped by the Pizza Shack to grab some delicious snacks and had been on their way, Henna negotiating her corners carefully, her full attention on the road as she tried to deliver her passengers safe and sound to the rendezvous point.

"Gina, can you please turn up the radio a bit? I love this song," Jenna spoke from the backseat and Emily smiled as the music got louder.

I wanna get back to the old days
When the phone would ring
And I knew it was you...

Gina hummed along, smiling as she remembered how she contributed two lines to the song.

You're the only one that I'll be needing
And I don't wanna be lonely anymore.

"She's amazing!"

"Yes, she is. Gina goes to school with her and they're actually buddies."

Gina turned to her sister and drew her eyebrow up in surprise. What was happening with Henna? She was being really good to her. What was up?!

"Are you really friends with her?! Whoa! Is she ever coming to Denver for a show? When she's on tour? Please talk to me!" Emily begged. "Please please please?!"

"I'll ask her. Okay?"

Jenna smiled before changing the subject to Kerem's attractive attributes and how she thought he was not over his previous ex, and Sasha.

"What does Kerem have to do with Sasha?" Henna asked defensively.

"What does Sasha have on Kerem?" Jenna corrected.

Gina rolled as her sister and cousin started to quarrel. She exchanged a look with Emily who shrugged her shoulders. Gina sighed before watching the scenery pass as the two continued to argue. She wondered how they even got along despite all the arguing. Then she moved on to Zayn who she really missed.

The first time they went out together, her sister had interrupted their kiss. Then she did it again. Gina blushed as she thought of how his lips would feel against hers-would they be warm or cold? Would he be a good kisser? Would she feel transported to a world of their own making?

How would he look after they kissed? Would his eyes be alight with desire? Would they be chocolate brown or the almost caramel brown hazel he had when he was happy? Would they look almost gray or green? She couldn't tell. She couldn't tell at all. All she knew was that she was dying to kiss him.

Admitting it made her blush even more. And talking about grey eyes, Kerem looked very attractive when he walked in on her talking to Zayn. His beautiful grey eyes had never been a bigger distraction than his biceps. Those arms that had kept her warm when they had gone out more than once in search of coffee during winter, and when they curled up on the sofa watching movies all day. Those biceps that she clung to when they stepped out to dinners and red carpet events. Those beautiful biceps and that six pack that made her fall for muscular men.

He really was quite the complete package, but Gina didn't want him that way anymore. She wished that it hadn't happened.

"Gina, talk dirty to me."

Gina jumped, making the girls all laugh. She rolled her eyes at Henna who giggled as she steered the car into parallel parking. It had been too soon for her to think that Henna was done embarrassing her.

Yes, Gina thought as she looked at her skinny model-like sister. She had spoken too soon.

"Did I ever tell you how lucky you are that you are is my sister?" Gina asked as soon as they stepped into Lauren's warm house once they'd jogged carefully to the threshold and the maid had let them in, announcing their presence to the house's inhabitants.

"Yup. Plenty of times."

"Did you also know that it still doesn't get you out of my hand's range?"

As Henna stopped to process what her sister had just said, Gina quickly smacked her on the back of her head and walked away as she commented, "she falls for it all the time."

"GINA!"

"Okay, Lauren, if you love me as much as you say you do, you better help me hide before I get murdered," Gina pleaded with her host who looked surprised.

"Ummm, I can't let you do that."

"Why? You want me to die before I have my babies?"

"Of course not! Here, let's go this way." Lauren grabbed her hand and led her to another room. She pushed Gina in. "You'll be safe here!"

"Lauren...!" Gina called but her hostess was already gone.

"Finally! We are alone together!"

Gina turned slowly, her eyes widening as she realized that she wasn't alone in the room and she could make out someone's outline at the chimney.

~FLASHBACK~
"Have you ever had a date infront of a fireplace?"

"No."

"Then I'm glad that I, Kerem, will be the first to take you on a date to my fireplace at mi casa."

Blushing, Gina hesitantly took his hand in hers. She looked down but he pulled her chin back up, and using her hand, drew her closer to his body. If someone were to walk in on them right then, he or she would only be able to see their outlines as the two lovebirds locked eyes.

"Why are you being shy?" Kerem asked her gently, his eyes looking like molten lead and the flames that were warming their bodies. "Gina?"

"I love you," she spoke quietly, and on getting no response, tried to draw away but Kerem held her even closer, stopping her from moving. His lips touched hers and she sucked in a deep breath at the contact and in surprise at what he was doing.

Her heart was beating a crazy tattoo when she heard him speak to her. Just her. Like it was their secret and like no one deserved to hear it.

"I love you too."

~END OF FLASHBACK~

"You came?"

"I made a promise. I had to keep it."