As A Friend

18: Midday Naps

As we move along the bases, I feel the overwhelming emotions returning. I try to swallow them down but I find myself staring into his eyes and urging to express myself. Three words teeter on the edge of my tongue but I bite them back, feeling fear settle in my stomach. Oh shit. Why do I have the sudden urge to tell him that I love him? Do I love him? Is that what this newfound feeling in my chest is?

I find myself holding in those words until he collapses beside me a while later. The thought stains my mind as I stare at the ceiling. It persists even after I slip into the bathroom with my pajamas and he pulls on his underwear. We return to our spot in my bed and he lays his head on my stomach. I lightly comb my fingers through his hair and his eyes focus on the television hanging on the wall.

Do I love him? Is that why everything we do feels so passionate and...good? Does it feel that good to him, too, or do I just have so many feelings for him that everything is intensified? He turns his head and gazes up at me with a boyish grin on his face. I look into his green eyes and feel my heart skip a beat. Swallowing nervously, I silently confirm my suspicions. I do love him and I know deep down that there's nothing I can do about it.

"Are you okay?" I'm guessing hen notices the disoriented look on my face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answer as I massage his scalp with one hand. "I'm just thinking."

"May I ask what about?" he questions as he adjusts his positioning. He flips onto his stomach and lays between my legs.

"It's not important," I dismiss with a quick shake my head.

"Do you want me to take your mind off of it?" His fingers lightly trace the band of my shorts and my stomach does a somersault. He stares up at me as he pushes my shirt up, leaving light kisses on my stomach.

I lay my head back and exhale quietly. "Yeah that sounds good." I put both of my hands in his hair as he moves lower and lower. He proceeds to remove my shorts for the second time today. The door is suddenly thrusted open and I gasp loudly, looking over to see my little sister staring wide eyed at us. Dominic practically leaps off the bed and out her line of sight as I rush to pull the blanket over myself. She slams the door and I look at him as I quickly tug on my shorts.

He gapes at me with wide eyes from his position on the floor. After swearing a few times, I jog to her room and curse myself for not locking the door. I let myself in and find her laying on her bed with her eyes locked on the ceiling. "Maritza." I hesitate as I step into her room. My face is bright red and I feel embarrassment wash over me. I take a seat on the edge of her bed and she sits up with a slightly rattled expression.

We're both speechless as we stare at each other. I decide to be the one to break the ice and clear the air. "Are you okay?"

"I will be forever scarred," she confesses with a slow shake of her head. "I'm putting that on the list of things I wish I hadn't seen."

"I'm sorry," I apologize awkwardly as I rub my hands on my thighs. "I'm not going to pretend like you don't know what we were doing but can I count on you not to say anything? You know, to mom and dad?"

"I won't. You know way too much stuff about me anyway." She heaves another long sigh, tilts her head, and wears a disappointed look on her face. "I was excited to barge in and bother you guys, specifically him. But you guys clearly had other plans. Now I'm just confused. I thought you guys were just friends."

"We are." She gives me a dubious glance. "It's a long story."

"You'll tell me later, right? I'll force it out of you."

"Fine." I'll find some way around it.

"You know, I've always dreamed about seeing Dominic half naked like that. But you were never in the dream, and you definitely were not underneath him. I was," she explains, which causes my mouth to turn upside down.