A/N: As promised, buckle up readers. The chapters' gonna be longer than usual. Comment and Vote! 😏
Maya's POV
11:59 pm (one minute to the New Year)
Before I could do anything, I felt a someone grab a hold of my hand and pull me forward.
I recognized the back of the head as Will's and I felt a huge sense of relief.
"Will?"
He said nothing as he pulled me through the crowd of people and towards the exit.
I was confused as to where he was taking me.
The countdown was starting and we were gonna miss it.
"Fifty-eight...Fifty-seven...Fifty-six..."
I could hear them beginning to chant as we moved past people.
He pulled me close to his back and we exited the dancing hall.
I could still hear the countdown with the doors closed as we moved across the lobby.
"Will, what are you doing?" I said frantically.
Wasn't he worried someone was going to see us together? I definitely was.
There was no one around. Everyone was inside about to ring in the New Year. It was what I should've been doing.
"Fourth-two...fourth-one...Forty..."
We moved around a corner and entered a hallway reaching a white door. A chair was placed in between the doorway to keep it open.
Will finally let go of my hand removing the chair, and pulled me inside the closet.
The door slammed shut leaving us in the darkness of this small space. His hand released my wrist.
"Thirty...twenty-nine...twenty-eight..."
I couldn't see him so I slowly moved my arm out, trying to make sure I didn't bump into anything.
"Maya?" His voice came out deep and hoarse.
"I'm over here. I just can't find the damn lights."
I heard a clicking sound and a hanging bulb illuminated the room. I realized we were in a storage closet of some sort.
Towels and bins of sheets were all around us. I could finally see Will's face in the yellow light.
"Fourteen...Thirteen...Twelve..."
"We're gonna miss the countdown," I said frantically moving towards the door. "Come on."
I felt his hand go around my forearm as he pulled me back. With a small yank, he pulled me straight to his chest, holding onto my arms.
I looked up into his eyes and felt my heart race faster. What was he doing?
"Seven...Six...Five..."
His lips parted and he looked down at my lips. He looked into my eyes searching for an answer. I recognized the look of want in his eyes.
He leaned his head closer to mine and I nervously moved closer to him.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
I heard cheers and yelling through the wall. The sound of confetti popping and noise makers could be heard from this far. Then Auld Lang Syne began playing.
We were still for a moment and suddenly his lips lightly brushed against mine. I felt a tingly sensation for a split second.
It was a small peck. It was almost as though it didn't happen. But I wanted it to.
I wanted this. Whatever it was. Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't know but I wanted more.
He moved back slightly and I opened my eyes. Why did he stop himself?
We were silent as our chests rose and fell together. Our breaths fanned each other's faces as we just stared at each other.
His hands dropped from my arms. What were we doing? The line between friendship and more was barely there and I wasn't sure if I cared anymore.
My stomach nearly flipped as he slowly placed his hands around my waist. He firmly held me and I felt like I was going to melt in his hands.
I listened to the voice in my head and placed a hand on his chest.
Our noses lightly brushed each other while our lips still remained centimeters apart.
I slowly slid my hand up his collared shirt and wrapped it around his neck.
I could feel the goosebumps on the back of his neck and I sucked in a small breath.
He licked his lips. "What do you want Maya? Please tell me." His voice came out husky and slow.
His said it quietly but desperate. My body felt like it was on fire. I was buzzing like a moth and we weren't even kissing.
I glanced back up at his lips.
I could do this. I just had to stop thinking about things for once.
"You," I whispered. I felt my heart thumping like a drum now.
One of his hands left my waist as he placed it on my neck, pulling me to him, and closing the space between us.
My eyes closed as our lips finally touched. I felt the firmness of his lips and the urgency of his movements.
Our heads moved together as he deepened the kiss. We were pushing our mouths against each other as if our lives depended on. He was just as hungry for this as I was.
I felt like I was on fire. I was literally getting chills and feeling hot all over at the same time.
My mind was numb and my body was beginning to shake.
He moved his hand from my waist to my back and pressed our bodies together. I felt his hand shake slightly as he held me.
He was nervous too? Thank God I wasn't the only one falling apart right now.
Our chests were against one another and I grabbed at the back of his hair, with our lips never parting.
He moaned against my mouth and I felt waves of pleasure spread throughout my body.
Our lips separated as we caught our breaths for the first time. Our heads rested on each other and I finally opened my eyes.
I looked at him and he smiled widely at me.
I felt my stomach flip again and I sighed nervously.
It felt like what they described in books and movies but so much more. My whole body would need a day to recover from this.
He closed his eyes again and pressed his lips back on mine. My mind was buzzing from the tingling sensation I was feeling.
He kissed me so much slower this time with a softness. More tentatively. He placed a finger at the base of my chin parting my mouth open slightly.
In that split second, he slipped his tongue into my mouth and I opened up wider feeling our tongues push against each other.
It was electrifying. My body trembled slightly against his. I felt the electricity rush through me like a wave.
I wanted more. I wanted more of him.
Then it happened again and again. Our mouths kept opening and closing as our tongues slipped in and out.
I didn't know I could feel this turned on.
I moaned this time, feeling him grip my waist tighter.
We were moving quickly and in a frenzy when I pushed against him, making his head bump into the shelf behind him. The hanging lightbulb must've been tapped too because it was swaying back and forth. Towels rolled off the top shelf and we finally pulled apart.
This time we actually separated our bodies and took a slight step back.
We just looked at each other while breathing heavily. His face was cherry red and I wanted to reach out and kiss him again.
The light was still swinging as I stared at the specs of hazel in his eyes.
I stretched my fingers and fanned my face. I was actually getting hot this time.
I was feeling overwhelmed for sure. That was a lot all at once.
He bent down and picked up the towels, placing them back on the top shelf.
I leaned against the wall that stood opposite of him and pushed the little flyaway hairs out of my face.
We said nothing and stared at each other for a moment.
"Um...maybe we should go. Our friends are probably looking for us." I whispered.
I turned and placed my hand on the door handle.
"Wait..." He started. I twisted the handle but it stopped moving.
It was locked.
I jiggled the door handle again but it wouldn't budge.
"Will, I think we're trapped in here."
"What?" I heard his footsteps move closer to me and he tried to open the door as well.
"Oh gosh." I inhaled and opened and closed my hands nervously . " I think that chair you moved was keeping this door open."
"What kind of door locks from the inside anyways?" He jiggled the knob one more time before giving up.
"Well, I guess we're going to be here for a little bit." He said casually.
"My purse is on the bar counter." I sucked my teeth and cursed underneath my breath. "Please tell me you have your phone."
He shook his head. "It's upstairs in my hotel room."
This could not be happening. I don't do small spaces and even though this closet wasn't full, it was too small for me to be in for too long.
I reached my hand out and banged on the door ima frenzy.
"HELP! WE'RE IN HERE!" I screamed.
Will grabbed my hand and placed another hand on my waist. "Relax, we'll just wait here till someone comes."
"Saying relax doesn't call me down at all it actually makes me more anxious."
He snorted and let go of me. He grabbed one of the towels on the shelf and placed it in front of the door.
I sighed in defeat.
We both sat down and leaned our backs against the door.
"So what now?"
He looked at me and smiled. "I think we should talk."
I looked at his lips and then back at the hanging lightbulb.
I'd rather do anything else but talk. But I promised myself that tonight I'd clear the air. I had to be honest for once.
"Okay, let's talk."
He leaned one leg up and held his hands together.
"We kissed." He blurted aloud.
"Yes, Mr. Obvious." I teased.
"And?" He turned his head to me. "It was..."
He hesitated, waiting for me to give him an answer.
Strangely enough, I wanted to laugh. He wanted to know if I liked the kiss.
It was weird because Will could have any girl he wanted and yet here he was asking me whether or not I liked how he kissed.
"It was good." I remarked.
He smiled to himself and rubbed his chin.
"The feeling is mutual."
I patted my leg nervously and closed my eyes.
"Okay, I think that we should just be honest with one another and talk about what we're feeling. I'll go first."
I opened my eyes and watched as he sat up straighter.
"I've had feelings for you....since about.....early November."
I froze and blinked rapidly. He said what now?
"I knew I didn't see you as just a friend after the argument we got into at the writing center." He paused for a moment and then continued. "I was angry and acted on emotion when I was fighting Cooper."
"I figured at that point that I cared about you in a different way."
I'm instantly brought back to when Sean came over to my dorm house on thanksgiving morning. I remember him saying something about how passionate and out of character Will's interaction with Cooper was.
Wait a minute. Since that argument he's had feelings for me?
I furrow my brows in question.
That's a long time.
That means that he liked me when I went to his house at thanksgiving, when we watched the princess bride, and the morning I woke up in his bed. Even at the hospital too.
It'd been like 2 months.
"I think what really messed with my head is when I saw you on a date with Spencer." He chuckled to himself. "I was a jealous mess."
I laughed nervously. "What happened to "don't fall in love with me, I know I'm hard to resist?" I said quoting something he said to me at our first tutoring session.
He closed his eyes and smiled. "I didn't know you then. Or.......how much you'd mean to me in a short amount of time."
I felt my chest warm and I wanted him to kiss me again.
He turned to me and awaited my response.
"Okay," I said swallowing hard. "Umm...well..."
I had to be honest with him. And with myself.
"After the hospital things were different. When I saw you collapse, I thought I wouldn't see you again. My mind goes straight to death in accident situations."
I stopped my thoughts, trying to not think of my mom and Steve.
I slowly looked over to him, scared to see his reaction.
He gave me a plain look and held his hand out. I placed mine in his with a small grin on my face.
"Look, I don't really have any experience in these kinds of things." I admitted.
"Well, neither do I."
I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah right."
"I'm serious." He gave me an honest look. "Most of my past flings were meaningless and had an expiration date before it had even started."
"So you're a recovering fuck boy?" I blurted.
He chuckled and shook his head with a bright smile.
"I just want this...." he said using a finger to refer to us. ".....to be different."
How did we know if it could be though?
"I asked you what you wanted and you said me. Is that the true?"
I nodded my head.
He grinned and stroked my fingers with his thumb. "Good, cause I want you too. Everything included."
He peered at my eyes then my lips and then my eyes again.
I twisted my mouth, trying to keep from smiling.
"I want to take this slow. Let's just be honest with each other about what we're thinking and feeling from now on." It was more of reminder for me than him.
He laughed. "Completely honest?"
I nodded my head.
He moved his face closer to mine and in a low voice he whispered, "I think you look fucking gorgeous in that dress."
My stomach dropped and goosebumps spread all along my arms. "Okay, maybe not everything."
I leaned my head back against the door and felt my heart beating faster.
"If I'm being honest, I don't really care what other people think. I want to be out with you in public, around people and not some secure location kept away from my life."
"I want you to come to my last game so I can look up in the stands and see you."
I smiled and laced my fingers in his.
"How about we keep it private while we're here?" I offered. "I want to be with you without all of the background noise and other opinions. At least for now."
"Okay."
"Really?" I said making sure he was okay with it.
"Yeah. You're more affected by this if it's public. I don't want you to feel pressured or worried."
I felt his hand go around my waist and I held onto it.
"Okay." I felt relieved. Like a big weight had been lifted off my chest.
I couldn't believe this was happening. I was with Will.
How did we even get here? A couple of months ago I would've laughed at the idea of it.
But now we were doing this.
I looked at his hazel brown eyes and leaned closer to him. He pulled me closer and I let go of his hand.
He smiled at me and winked.
I felt the flutters in my stomach as he put his lips on my lips.
***********************************
"Thank you so much." I leaned in and hugged Gen.
She laughed and patted my arm.
We'd be stuck in that closet for over an hour.
I was beginning to worry we would be in there all night.
I pulled away from her and looked at her hands. She had my purse in one hand.
"Oh thank God. I thought this was gonna get taken." I thanked her and she handed me my purse.
She looked at Will and then back at me. "What happened?" She mouthed.
"Later." I answered back. "I have to go and get Ben and Casey. It's getting late." I said.
I was kind of bummed that I didn't get to enjoy the party, but this night wasn't a total bust.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked. I pulled her in for another hug and smiled.
"I'll be there. You're gonna do great."
She smiled and Ben and Casey walked out of the main doors.
Casey looked at me and then at Will. She raised her eyebrows at me and smiled.
Ben raised his keys and looked at me. "You guys ready?"
I nodded.
"Cameron." Sean walked out of the hall and gave me a questioning look. "I haven't seen you in a couple hours. Gen was worried. You okay?"
"All good." He placed a hand on my shoulder and smirked.
"Good. See you at the game."
He took Gen's hand and they both walked to the elevator.
"Goodnight." Gen said over her shoulder.
I walked over to Casey and Ben and we made our way to the main entrance doors.
"You've got so much to tell me." Casey bumped my arm and I rolled my eyes with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
We stepped outside and Ben lead the way to the car.
"Maya?"
I turned around abruptly.
I forgot Will was still here.
Ben and Casey went on without me and made their way to the car.
The twinkly lights wrapped around the palm trees in front of the hotel made the night sky seem dreamlike.
I looked at him and bit my lip nervously.
He smirked and placed a hand in his pocket.
"I just wanted to say goodnight." The dimple on his right cheek was prominent as he smiled.
"Goodnight." I said turning away.
"That's it?"
I turned back to him and raised my eyebrows.
"What?"
"Well, I hoping that I'd get...." He licked his bottom lip and paused. "A good luck kiss."
I smiled and placed a hand on my hip. "Win tomorrow and we'll see."
He looked at me in surprise and I smiled to myself.
"Goodnight."
I turned and walked in the direction of the car.
"I'm looking forward to it Cameron!" I heard him call out.
I bit down on my bottom lip and my cheeks began to hurt from smiling too hard.
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A/N: I told you guys this chapter would be worth the wait. I really hoped you guys loved it as much as I loved writing it.
And how about the kiss?!
What are you're predictions for the next chapters. The story is far from over and there are so many more crazy things coming. Thank you guys so much for the love and support. We're already at 10k reads!! 🎉 See you guys next week!
Xoxo Sasha.