Twice in a Lifetime \\ KELLIC

24

The past couple of weeks had been a breath of fresh air. I felt like a completely new person without all the struggles I was having in my head about Vic. Accepting that I liked him lifted that weight off my shoulders and I could feel myself getting happier, finally.

I hadn't completely forgotten about Ashton though. I couldn't possibly do that. I was learning to find room for both of them in my heart though, and it was proving to be difficult but at the same time, so completely worth it. It was nice to genuinely smile again and it was nice to welcome the fluttering butterflies in my stomach instead of pushing them away.

I spent a lot of time on Vic's boat. Being there was like an escape from the world. I couldn't be at home with him. That was when the guilt was the strongest. The boat was like a safe haven where I could be free and be myself without thinking too much. That was where I found myself right now.

Vic had me against the sliding door with his hands on my hips, keeping me close. His lips were on my neck, littering it with kisses. It was a desperate and futile attempt at keeping me there. I smiled as my skin went hot. His fingers trailed up my shirt and made me shiver. I took his hands in mine, lacing our fingers together.

Despite how he made me feel sometimes, in the physical sense, I didn't want to do anything more than kissing just yet. Even though I already had before, I couldn't in my right mind cross that line, at least not right now.

"Stop..." I warned him.

"Or what?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and let go of one of his hands so I could move his head by his chin, making him look at me.

"Or else I won't come back tomorrow morning," I told him.

"Hmm, now that would be a disaster. Maybe then I'd be forced to go get a job or something," he said.

"Ah yes, earning a living would be quite catastrophic," I said.

"I can't live on my savings for much longer. Soon I'll be homeless and you'll have to come visit me when I'm living in a cardboard box somewhere," he said.

"Sounds glamorous," I teased.

"Oh it would be. Totally five star. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and everything," he joked.

"You are such an idiot," I laughed.

"If you're gonna be mean then I guess I'll just let you go," he said.

He dropped his arms and stepped away. I shrugged and opened the sliding door.

"Okay, see you around," I said casually.

I stepped outside but, just like I figured, he was quick to grab me and pull me back.

"Not so fast," he said.

Once again I was in his arms. My cheeks must have gotten redder as he moved his head closer because he smirked and gently caressed the burning skin. He kissed me just as sweetly. I sighed into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. This was when I felt the most at peace; when he kissed me. Funnily enough it was also when I felt the most anxious. I didn't know how I could feel both of those things at once, but I did.

"Stay," he whispered when his lips left mine.

"I can't. Flash is home alone," I said, and I had told him that a dozen times before trying to leave.

"How about we go get him and bring him back here," he suggested.

"You really are desperate, aren't you?" I laughed.

"To have you sleeping beside me? You bet," he said.

I stepped back, but took hold of his hands. I was so reluctant to spend the night with him sometimes. I was scared of where it might lead, even though he's never pressured me into doing anything I didn't want to do. Sure, he'd try to give me a little push in the direction he wanted, but ultimately he never got aggressive about it and always let me do things at my own pace.