Night in the Ruts

The Funner Funnest of Fun - Steven

Charlie was telling the complete and honest truth.  She looked me straight in the eye and sounded honestly hurt that I didn't believe her.  And I felt kind of bad.  But not bad enough to stop being mad at her.

        She explained to me that Nicky was her friend and that yes, she loved him, but not in the horrible, intimate way I was thinking.

        And believe me, I was thinking.

        I wasn't sure what to say to that, though apparently I didn't have to say anything, because Charlie plowed on.

        She took a breath.  "You, I like."  She kinda grins at that.  "I like a lot.  I can't tell you how sorry I am for all that lying, but like I said I was confused.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to get involved with you or not, but now I'm positive."

        "Yeah?" I ask, hoping she'll clarify what she's positive with.  She doesn't, though I have a pretty good idea.

        "Yes.  Really, I'm so, so sorry.  The lying killed me, too," she says.  "I feel awful.  But from now on–if you accept my apology–I promise: no more lies."

        She smiles sadly.  I attempt to return it, though I think it looks like more of a grimace than anything else.  I believe her completely, for some reason.  Maybe it's just because I want her so badly.  Maybe it's because I can literally see it in her eyes.  "No more lies," I repeat.

        "No more lies," she finalizes.

        I just look at her for quite some time, and she looks at me.  God, I want her.  "So can I call you my girlfriend again?" I ask kind of uncertainly and feeling like the biggest dork as I do so.

        Charlie grins the award-winning grin of hers, and replies, "I never told you to stop."

        "Good."  I pull her into me, with my arms on her waist, and kiss the lips I've been yearning for for the past several days.  Man, I missed that.

        When she needs air, Charlie breaks away smith a smile.  My hands are still around her waist and we're still very close together.  I go to kiss her again, but this one's only a split second.  Charlie's grin widens.  I obviously look confused, because I am very confused as to why she would be looking like that.

        Yes, it's adorable, but still puzzling.

        "I understand," she says.

        "What?" I ask, downright confused.

        "I know what it is now."

        She stands up on her tiptoes to kiss me again, and after a few seconds, pulls back once again.  I kind of frown, still confused.

        "Steven..." she trails off, then nods infinitesimally, as if reassuring herself.  "I love you too," she finishes with absolutely certainty.

        The way she said it was like there was no doubt in her mind.  I believed her completely and pressed my lips to hers in the most passionate way possible.

        She kissed me back with the same amount of–if not more–passion.  And in that moment, which seemed like heaven here on earth, I had no doubt in the world that Charlie was telling the compete and utter truth and that she does, in fact, love me.

        Though I'm kind of afraid that I don't just love her...

--

Once we were done kissing–which lasted a long time, may I just say–I said, "So now what?"