That Stupid Little L-Word:

Chapter Thirty Eight:

"You like otters?" Blue-Eyes asks. He leans against the wall beside the glass window, his arms crossed. He looks pretty bored. I am focused on a slender brown otter who was playing with a faded red ball. 

"I love their personalities," I respond. The otter tosses the ball toward the other side of his miniature pond and darts through the water after it. 

Blue-Eyes hums his response and watches me for a few more moments. I can feel the boredom emanating from his person, and with a sigh, I stand and arch an eyebrow at him. "Alright, we've seen it all. What else do you want to do?" 

He shoots me a crafty smile and takes my hand. "This way." 

A small alcove is built into the wall across from the shark exhibit, with nothing but a single black door marked: Employees Only. "No one ever comes near here," Blue-Eyes says as he leans against the alcove wall. His hands immediately find my waist, and he pulls me into him. "We have all the privacy in the world here," he murmurs and presses his lips to my forehead. 

I snort. "Excluding the sharks." 

He shoots me a crooked smile. I rest my hands on his chest, palms pressed flat against the smooth material of his t-shirt. His thumbs massage small circles into my hips, almost completely invisible beneath my somewhat baggy t-shirt. He rests his forehead against mine and I close my eyes. This is actually kind of comfortable. I can feel the stress from today slowly starting to fade away. 

"Okay," I admit in a whisper after a few moments. "I'm glad you brought me here." 

"Yeah?" I can almost hear his sly grin. He dips his head closer, his lips brushing mine, and I bite back a sigh, pressing my lips harder against his. Our lips move in perfect synchronization. I feel his fingers dip down, brushing the brim of my old pale pink granny-panties. 

I pull back slightly and arch an eyebrow at him. "What do you think you are doing?" 

He arches an eyebrow back, his lips curved into a delicious smirk. "Making you feel better. You've had a pretty rough day today, and we can't forget about last night. Pleasure like this has been proven to reduce stress." 

I grumble under my breath, my cheeks flushed a bright red. 

"It will make you feel good," he teases in a sing-song voice, and then craftily dips his hand lower. I squeeze my eyes shut. Nerves flutter around inside my stomach like butterflies on crack. I'm not sure that I'm entirely ready for something like this, but Blue-Eyes seems to want to do it. 

I ignore the burning in my cheeks and lean forward, pressing my lips against his. Blue-Eyes lets out a low chuckle and I almost leap back in shock when I feel his hand slide completely inside my underwear. He gently moves his hand. It's the weirdest, uncomfortable, and most embarrassing sensation ever. 

I try to ignore everything and focus on the kissing; his lips move against mine, nibbling and sucking. 

All of a sudden, a door bumps into my back. I yelp. Blue-Eyes elegantly slides his hand out of my pants and wraps his arms around me, holding me close, as a surprised boy maybe two years older leans his head out around the door. He wears the signature aquamarine colored shirt and name badge of an employee. My eyes are wide with surprise. 

"Sorry," the employee fumbles, and he closes the door behind him. "I didn't see you." 

"It's fine," I answer before Blue-Eyes can snap back a retort. I can almost hear my boyfriend grind his teeth in irritation. I pat Blue-Eyes's chest and wriggle free from his embrace. "We were just passing through. Come along, boyfriend." 

Blue-Eyes follows me back into the building's lobby, a sour look etched into his face. I ignore his quiet grumbling and tug him toward the gift shop located near the exit. Wooden bookshelves line the walls, filled with small trinkets, books about marine life, and stuffed animals of the creatures we just saw inside the exhibits. We roam around and glance everything over. I pause in front of the jewelry counter, my gaze glued to a small silver necklace. A small piece of mint green sea glass hangs from the silver chain, and I adore the color. It reminds me of an old glass soda bottle. 

"Which one do you like?" Blue-Eyes asks, leaning against the counter as I press my nose against the glass in an attempt to examine the necklace closer. I point to the pretty green one and the plump woman  behind the counter opens the counter, pulling it out. 

"It's thirty dollars," the woman says as she sets it down on the glass between us. 

I almost choke on my spit. Thirty dollars for a piece of glass? 

"We'll take it." Blue-Eyes shoves a hand into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. I press my lips together and shoot him a look that clearly reads he doesn't have to do it. He shoots me one back saying that I should just appreciate the gesture and enjoy my pretty necklace. 

The woman places the necklace into a small box, and then slides it into a tiny plastic bag. I take it from her as she finishes ringing Blue-Eyes up. He squeezes my hand as we leave the aquarium and presses a kiss to my temple. "Thanks," I murmur. 

"Anytime, my love." 

We climb into the car and I glance at the clock. School is almost over, so there is no point in going back.  The car speeds through the city streets until we turn into my neighborhood. I sigh and lean back into my seat, cheeks flushing as I replay the events in the aquarium. "Thanks again for making me feel better," I say as the car stops in front of my house. I shoot him a grin. 

He grins back and leans forward, planting a kiss against my lips. "I wish we hadn't been interrupted," he says as he leans back into his seat. Then he winks and says, "Next time." 

"Keep it in your pants," I laugh and roll my eyes. I wave goodbye as I climb out of the car and start toward the front door. The car speeds away from my house and I let out a sigh as I enter the house. I walk over to the answering machine and click through the messages, deleting when necessary. 

My mother came home from work at around four, and she seemed in much better spirits. I believe it was because she found me sitting at the kitchen table, skimming through one of the textbooks. She eases into the chair beside me and folds her arms atop the table. "I just remembered that your Homecoming Dance this weekend. Do you want to take a break from studying and go shopping? We can even pick up some of your friends, if you want." 

I stare at my mother for a few moments, unable to respond. It's at that moment that I realize the harsh truth. 

I have no friends, other than Blue-Eyes. 

A/N: 

Sorry for the long wait! I just recently finished my novel Supers, which was the main reason for the hiatus on this story :) I'm editing it now, so I should have a bit more time to write. Thank you for all the support!