affluenza (1.) | ✔️

Turkey Day

        I nod once, so subtle I'm sure he's missed it. But of course he doesn't and less than a second later his lips are back on mine.

        Sebastian kisses me hard and I respond quickly, pressing my fingers into his waist as his thumb pushes lightly against my neck and his hand winds themselves around my throat. He smiled into the kiss, sighing softly into my mouth as my heartbeat picks up. I was dizzy and happy and confused all at once.

        Why did we spend all those years hating each other when we could've been doing this?

        Sebastian slows against my mouth, kissing me less feverishly but no less passionate. He presses his fingers into my throat again, pulling me closer as his lips kiss my cheekbones and the corner of my lips. I was sure I'd have small red marks from where his hands had been, but I didn't care. If those marks meant that he was mine, I'd wear them proudly.

        "No one can know about this yet," I murmur against his lips. He pulls back just a little so his eyes are looking at me. "There'd be hell to pay."

        Sebastian presses his mouth to my cheek once more before speaking. "I can't just go back to how things were before, Braylen. I want you." He presses a finger into my chest to further prove his point. I smile.

        "I didn't say we had to stop," I murmur, lifting my chin and kissing him again. He breaks away from me, more interested in talking than kissing. For the moment, at least. "We'll have to be smart about it. Sneaking around, I mean. If anyone finds out..."

        "They won't," he assures me, reaching and grabbing my hand. "We'll be smart." Sebastian smiles again, pulling me in for another kiss. I laugh against his mouth, sighing as he kisses me deeply before pulling away.

        "It's not smart for us to stay out here," I whisper. "We've gotta go back inside."

        He sighs. "Okay."

        Neither of us moves.

        I couldn't help but wish we could stay in Devin's little garden for the rest of my life. I felt safe here, tucked in the corner and in Sebastian's arms. I felt like I could be anything and not even have to worry about the repercussions. I knew he felt the same way.

        "What're you going to do about Hayley?" he asks, rubbing his fingers along my thigh in a way that made it hard for me to think.

        I shrug my shoulders once. "Not much I can do, right? It'd be suspicious if I just stopped hanging out with her. But I guess I'll have to rip the bandaid off at some point. When I figure things out."

        "Do you like her?" he asks tentatively.

         I shrug again, not able to clearly answer the question. "It's different than you and I."

        "How?"

        I sigh. "Hayley's easy to be with. She's beautiful, she's nice, smart."

        "And she's a girl. And I'm not," he mumbles. His voice sounded angry, but I knew it wasn't at me. He was angry at the unfairness, angry at the difficulty we'd face for even liking each other.

        "Everything else still applies to you, though," I say before scrunching my nose. "That's not true. I wouldn't say 'nice' is 100% accurate. I mean, we spent our entire lives hating each other."

        He chuckles darkly. "I could never hate you, Braylen Adams. Not a chance."

        And then he kisses me once more and I shut my eyes, dreading the moment we'd have to go back inside.