A Spotlight Summer (Jack Gilinsky)

Chapter Twenty-Two

I didn’t think so. I never thought so.

But now she’s having all of these thoughts that are shaping to doubts and all of a sudden, I have no idea if she is even happy here anymore.

If she got the chance to go back to New York right now, would she go?

Kelsey must have read my face because her expression turned hard and she demanded, “Pull over.”

I snapped my head in her direction and said, “What?”

Her expression did not waver. “Pull. Over.”

I hastily pulled over to the side of the road and Kelsey hopped out of the car.

What the fuck?

Before I could collect my thoughts, my door was being swung open and my eyes were being met with fiery brown ones. Kelsey made a gesture with her hands that signaled for me to get out of the car. Normally I would protest or ask more questions, but I was too confused. The drastic change of emotion on Kelsey’s face made me get out of my jeep and meet her outside.

“Kels, what are you doing?”

“Listen to me. You know how you said you're always giving me these grand speeches? Well, I never thought you would need one from me because you're always so confident and complacent and happy. I thought you were able to read my mind and my emotions. But apparently, you cannot. So let me enlighten you.

“When I talk about New York, you get this annoyed and worried look in your eye. Like I’m going to pack up and leave at any second. Like I’m just using you for my summer until I can get on a plane and never return. Please do not be stupid enough to believe that, not even for a second. I wish that you lived in New York. I wish we could’ve went to high school together and I wish I had much more time to get to know you. But I don’t. We don’t. We have the summer. And I don’t want to think about what will happen when summer ends because I’m pretty sure I am in love with you and when the leaves start to change color, I don’t know what I am going to do. But don’t ever think that I don’t want to be with you here. Don’t ever think that I am not completely in love with everything we have done and everything we are going to do.

“I am confused. This whole merging of my past and present is confusing to me. So you just have to bear with me, ok?” Kelsey ended her speech and I swear she has never been more perfect than in this moment.

I bent my head toward her lips and she eagerly responded. Especially like our second kiss, I turned us around so her back was against my jeep and her arms found their way around my neck.

I knew that I would never spend enough time with Kelsey.

And I knew one summer would never be enough.

Because we’re on the fucking side of the road and I’m sure that if I got hit by a car, I wouldn’t even notice.

Kissing Kelsey was fully consuming, like fire engulfing a dry forest.

There is no better feeling.

Kelsey tore her lips from mine and before she could start babbling again, I whispered, “I love you too.”

Her mouth broke into the first real smile I’ve seen in days. Upon seeing it, I couldn’t help myself; I kissed her again, this time soft and gentle.

“Wow, we are crazy.” Kelsey concluded.

I nodded as I kissed her forehead.

Kelsey ran her fingers through her hair as I kept my arms around her waist, my back now against my jeep.