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"I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight. And as we fly, we still may not know where we are going to. But the miracle is in the unfolding of the wings. You may not know where you're going, but you know that so long as you spread your wings, the winds will carry you."
-C Joybell C, The Sun Is Snowing.
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Chapter 24 | Rolling in the deep.
Playfully shoving Hunter away from my neck, he groans, planting a chaste kiss on my cheek.
"You're no fun," he complains digging into his food.
We're waiting for everyone to arrive in the sanctuary of the empty courtyard. Their French teacher tends to let them out later than usual, reciting her patented, 'The bell doesn't dismiss you, I dismiss you.'
I can barely get Hunter off me. He loves physical contact at all times of the day.
"I'm sensible." I bite into my hotdog.
"Only sometimes," he takes a sip of his juice.
Mason, Dré, Brie and Eames flood into the quad, complaining about their late dismissal. They take their seats with frustrated grunts, diving straight into their own food.
I haven't said anything to them about Hunter and I. I'm unsure if it's a good thing or not but Hunter hasn't said anything either. It's not like he hides his affections, he's just an affectionate person and without him saying anything, you would never know that he'd upped it a thousand notches. It is also not like I want us to throw a coming out party but at the very same time, I haven't a clue as to why he hasn't told anyone. From 'What are we?' to 'Am I a secret?' By the looks of things, Eames doesn't have the foggiest clue.
When it's just the two of us, just like before the rest of the group arrived, he's openly affectionate but when surrounded by our friends, he tones it down. For example, the hand that previously lay on my knee before they arrived has since left my knee after their arrival.
6 days.
It's only been 6 days since he asked me to be his girlfriend and I'm already spiralling.
Girlfriend. That's another thing. He never said the word. He said mine. Do the two words mean the very same thing or otherwise?
Just 6 days. But in just 6 days, I keep finding out more things about him that I like. He was mine. Whatever the hell that meant to him.
He let me run off on Sunday without question which I'm still grateful for, -mine or not-. The voice inside my head, however, keeps reminding me that it's never a wise decision to keep secrets from your boyfriend. Especially something like what mine is. I wholeheartedly agree with voice. Furthermore, I couldn't skip two consecutive Sundays and I can't tell him yet.
Caught off guard, he'd kissed me during our one-on-one free period on Monday. I liked spontaneous kisses from him and since then, he lays them on me whenever he can. It somehow manages to feel different every time. Luke left that very same morning so I'm guessing he was celebrating his new liberties and some renewed old ones that he couldn't use with Luke around.
On Tuesday, I couldn't get him to stop touching me during classes. From drawing lazy circles on my thigh to slipping his hand into my jean pockets. On a day with no free periods, this was his lovely loophole. He's behaving like Mason when he's around Brie but somehow, worse.
He leans to my ear, "I almost forgot, you look beautiful today," he whispers as the rest of the group discusses their impending Literature class. It used to bother me that they could have lengthy discussions about their classes together, have study sessions and so forth with me feeling slightly left out or the rather unpopular, forth wheel. Now I have Hunter and our nightly, window sessions.
I blush, tossing jelly beans into my mouth having just cleared my tray of everything on it.
I really need to get used to his more direct, underlyingly sexual compliments. At least that's what I think they've become with the new development.
The coaches of both the football and baseball teams had given the boys the afternoon off on Wednesday. I presume it was for the purpose of them catching up on some school work, study or just plain rest as they had no fixtures this coming weekend. Mason, Eames and Hunter had however used the opportunity to come and lounge by the benches at the swimming pool. How the tables have turned. The other girls had blushed and strutted like proud peacocks at their presence but the opposite was true for Brie, Dré and I. I watched as Brie threw her bottle of sunscreen at Mason and proceed to shout, "Leave!" I agreed wholeheartedly. Coach Lewis did not appreciate Brie's actions and continued on to note, "I have on many occasions seen you girls at both fields, lazily watching those boys train, let them be." I was tempted to raise my hand and exclude myself from the equation but upon further thought, I realised that I was indeed a part of the equation.
The only good thing that came out from that experience was that with the boys not having practice and ours ending so early, we could go get ice cream before we all left for our homes.
The siren wails to signal the end of break but we stay put and Brie says something to Dré in French that causes me to raise my eyebrow at her. She doesn't notice that I'm catching what she's saying as she goes into further detail. I look at Eames who is smiling knowingly.
When she's done, I reply for myself before Dré could say anything. "Excuse me, Aubrey, you could've at least waited until the two of you were alone. Now the whole table knows what you were talking about. There's no way Hunter can't speak French. And no, I don't need a date to a stupid dance which, by the way, is months away. I refuse to go with your cousin," at that, Hunters hand returns to my knee. "This year, just like the 2 years past, I might just boycott the whole extravaganza," I fold my hands over my chest.
"You all understood me?" She asks.
"That's what you took from everything I just said?"
"Pretty much," she focuses her attention on the folder in front of her labelled dance. How did I forget she's on the committee?
"Unbelievable," I throw my hands up in the air.
"I love you too but seriously, Archer, I'm not letting you skip the dance."
Hunter squeezes my knee. "Talk to me in a month or two and I'll see how I feel about it then." The second term hasn't even ended yet and she's already planning for the leavers dance. Eager beaver.
"Good."
They jump back into discussing their Literature work after the sudden tangent she took them on and I start to doodle in my book as Hunter replies to a few emails from what I can catch in the corner of my eye as he furiously types away on his phone. How does he make it look so easy? Being a monarch never looked so good on anyone.
On our way to Biology, he wraps his arm around my waist as usual and we walk exchanging back and forth banter about the profession I'm hoping to get into.
"You want to be what?" He almost chokes.
"An opera singer." I'm only joking.
"I'm assuming you need all A's to qualify," he catches onto my fib.
"Well of course, only the best get selected."
"What piece will you perform for the audition, if I may ask?"
"You may. Nessun dorma will be the piece. Anything else and I will quit this 10 minute dream of mine."
"Why?"
"It's called 'commitment'."
He laughs as we stroll into the classroom. "Why Turandot?"
"You know it?" I ask then roll my eyes after he nods. He's probably seen it live at the damn opera in Vienna. I shrug, "I don't know. I just thought the story was fascinating."
"A great pick," he pecks my cheek as he takes his seat beside me.
"Thanks," I pull out my notes from my bag.
The hour flies by because of Mr. Tuckers infectious happy attitude and soon the shriek of the siren fills the room as I pack away my utensils.
As we exit the classroom, Mr. Tucker happily bids each student a good rest of the day as he also reminds us to study up, end of terms draw nearer with each passing day. No need to remind me. I have the countdown on my phone that does that job daily. Next week, the suffering begins.
Zooming off the school premises, we head for KFC to pick up food before we head to Forest's school and pick up the little angel.
"What will it be today, Bow?" He's studying the menu as we wait our turn in the drive thru.
"A krüsher, 3 pieces of chicken, the lemon lime spice ones and chips," I reply, pulling out my wallet.
"You know what, I think I'll have the same. Sounds tasty. I'll get the kids meal for Forest because she does not like spicy chicken," he claps his hands together at the choices, moving up in line. We'd learned that little bit of baby sister information the hard way. I move my hand in front of his face clutching a few bills. "What's that for?" He questions with a raised eyebrow.
"For my food?"
"Don't worry, I got it," he pushes my hand out of his face which I quickly bring back.
"You can't do that," I complain, still holding out the money.
"I most certainly can. You're my girl, I want to do this. Always," he says, quickly reciting our order to the lady at the drive thru window.
When we move to the pick up window, I notice a tip jar and exit the car.
"Where are you going, Bow?" I ignore him as I move to the window and shove my money into the tip jar almost triumphantly. I get back into the car with a victorious smile plastered all over my face. "That wasn't necessary," he comments as he passes the food to me and placing Forest's order at the center console. I'm an independent woman gosh dangit.
"I disagree." I drink my oreo krüsher through the straw as he drives to his little sisters school.
He laughs. "Only you, Bow."
I blush, biting into a piece of chicken.
He parks close to the entrance and we wait for her to come out. He and I slowly chow down as we wait. I wonder how Forest's security works when she's at school.
"Would you like to go get something to eat with me on Saturday?" He breaks the comfortable silence and my train of thought. "Maybe hang out, do something fun. I don't know," he shrugs, looking at me.
"We do that almost every Saturday, Hunter," I roll my eyes. He doesn't have to ask me at this point. I enjoy our han...
"Like a date," he clarifies.
"Oh." Well damn.
"Yeah." He looks at me expectantly. I blink. "Would you like to go on a date with me?" He asks more to the point than before.
I decide to play a joke. "I'll have to check my schedule and see if I can squeeze you in," I pull out my phone, opening the calendar app.
"Oh," he starts to slurp his krüsher. He's so adorable.
"Would you look at that, I'm absolutely free," I say showing him my phones screen.
It finally dawns on him that I'm just joking. The smile that graces his features erases the smidgen of guilt I felt when I saw his face fall. "I was almost in pieces, Bow," he shoves me playfully.
"I'd love to go on a date with you." I peck his cheek, flashing him a huge smile. Feeling a lil cheeky all of a sudden.
His eyes flicker to my lips then to my eyes and he starts to lean closer to me. The back door opens before our lips could touch and we pull away from each other.
"A krüsher!," an excited voice squeals from behind my seat as she climbs into the car. She carefully sits in her seat, buckles herself in and reaches for the drink.
"Ah, ah, ah," Hunter stops her.
She looks up at us as if only now seeing that we were there. "Oh, afternoon, Siad. Afternoon, Bow," she greets almost sheepishly.
"Good afternoon, Forest. How was school?" He asks driving out of the school.
"It was fun," she reaches for the drink again, this time, he doesn't stop her.
I poke my head through the center console space, handing her the rest of her food. "Eat up so we have energy to kill Hunter later," I joke, picking up one of her chips.
She laughs, nodding her head. "I heard that," Hunter interjects from the driver's seat which causes Forest to laugh harder.
I sit back properly in my seat and smile at him. He reaches over, intertwining our hands.
When we turn into our street, Forest starts talking.
"Bow, do you want to play house with me?"
"I'd love to," I reply with a smile. "When can we play?" I ask.
"Right now," she breathes biting into a chip. "In my play room," she adds, licking her finger.
"Sure." Hunter pulls into his driveway.
We all get out, helping Forest with her food and her bag, mine in Hunters clutches. When we walk into the house, Kim bursts from the kitchen and Forest runs into her open arms. She leans down and lifts her when she's in her grasp. "I missed you so much baby. How was school?" The love is genuine.
"I missed you too," she speaks then pecks Kim's cheek. "School was fun. I learn to count to 100," she tells her.
"That's my smart girl. I see your brother got you lunch so finish it all up then nap time," Kim says, immediately inciting a pout from the little girl in her arms.
"Can me and Bow play house?" How can anyone say no to that?
"It's 'Bow and I'," she corrects. "Play time in the play room is Friday after school. Right now, eat then nap." Well, my question has been answered. That's how you say no to the little girl. "You and Bow can play tomorrow," she says this looking at me at the end of her sentence. I'm definitely picking up what she's putting down.
I nod, moving towards them, "We'll play tomorrow, okay?"
She thinks it over for a second then nods, "Promise?"
"Pinkie promise," I raise my pinkie and we interlock pinkies. Kim and Forest leave to go sit in the living room and start finishing off the rest of her food as Hunter comes back downstairs.
"What's up?"
"No house for us today. Play time is Friday after school," I pout at the end and he laughs.
"Bummer," he leans down and slurps on my unfinished drink.
Pulling it out of his reach, "Mine. My precious," I hug the cup to my chest. He chuckles.
I distractedly start drinking it again. "Since you're already here. We could watch a movie upstairs," he suggests, grabbing my free hand and running his thumbs over my fingers.
I glance at the living room TV, as if on cue Boss Baby starts playing. "Sure." Before half the word is out of my mouth, he's already dragging me upstairs. "Be careful, you'll spill my precious on the floor and you'll have to buy me another one," I state. We walk into his room, he wastes no time in kicking off his shoes and I follow suit. He climbs his bed leisurely, grabbing the remote and turning on the screen mounted on the wall.
He pats the spot next to him with a welcoming dimpled smile. I quickly finish off my drink, climbing onto the bed to join him.
"What will it be?" He asks scrolling through the options. "Horror?"
"No. I don't like horror," I say too fast for my liking.
"Okay, no to horror," he slings his left arm over my shoulders, pulling me slightly to him. It turns out everything I've seen, he hasn't and vice versa. It takes a while to find a movie, by then I'm tucking my toes slightly under his foot and thankful for his body heat. This room is chilly.
We settle on Love Birds as it's new and neither of us has seen it. 15 minutes into the movie, I shiver and Hunter notices me basically burrowing into him.
He pauses the movie. "Hold on," he gets off the bed, into his closet, walks out holding a pair of warm looking black socks and a maroon hoodie with the the words Cambridge University on the front. "Here," he offers the items to me and I graciously receive them.
"Thank you," I breathe, already pulling the socks onto my feet. If I'd known I would be watching a movie in an icebox, I wouldn't have worn a vest, sandals and jeans.
"No worries, this room gets a little cold," he sits back next to me, fixing his long sleeved shirt.
I pull the hoodie over my head, "Where'd you get this?"
"The school. I almost attended but in the end, I chose not to," he breathes waiting for me to finish situating myself.
"You got into Cambridge!" I exclaim. Smart goat.
He nods, "I was meant to be placed there before I chose to come here instead."
"You could've been at Cambridge University and you willingly chose, Northpine High School," he nods. "Where you of sound mind, idiot?" I shake my head in disbelief.
"Of very sound mind, non-idiot. Genius is more accurate. If I'd been at Cambridge, I would've never met you. I stand by my choice," he catches my lips in a kiss which I thought would be short but was proven wrong when he tipped up my chin. Startled, I open my lips to his. His warm mouth feels so good, I can't think anymore. His tongue slipped into my mouth. I can taste the Oreo krüsher on his tongue. Deftly, he removed my glasses and set them on his bedside table without breaking the kiss. One large hand and massaged my neck and shoulders. Of their own accord, my hands wonder into his hair.
"You taste good, Bow," he murmurs.
"So do you." Flustered, I pull back. Can you believe this is all new to me? I've been missing out, right?
He smiles, pecking my cheek and proceeding to tuck me back into his side. We fit together perfectly. Two pieces of the very same puzzle. "You look good in my clothes."
"So I don't look good in my own clothes?" I hide my smirk with the hoodie.
"You look great always Bow, you know this. Don't get me wrong but you look sexy in mine," he kisses my temple, resuming the movie. I think he and I could win The Amazing Race. Definitely.
I look up and watch him as he watches the movie, he looks at ease, content even. I think he feels me watching him and looks down, "What's up?"
"Do you think we could win The Amazing Race?" That's not really what I meant to ask but the smile that shows up on his face convinces me I made the right choice of question.
"Without a doubt," It feels like he answered a completely different question. I nod and turn back to watch the rest of the movie. Without a doubt.
If he'd chosen to go to Cambridge, I would never have reconnected with Eames, I would never have started slowly leaving my shell, I would never have been to a baseball game, I would never have been given my new heirloom ring, I would never have figured out what I've decided I want my art project to be, I would never have been to 'Pride Rock', I would never have met those girls at the fair, I would never have gotten to be my own messed up version of Cinderella and most importantly, I would never have, not in a million years, never have met him. Not in this lifetime.
The movie ends with me slightly sleepy and warm, wrapped up in his arms. "Another?" He whispers into my ear.
I attempt to stifle a yawn as I nod. He scrolls through the options as I check the time. 15:47. I don't have any place to be or anything to do so I rest my head on his shoulder as he scrolls.
A question suddenly fills my head as I play with the drawstring of his hoodie. "Hey, so are you going to write your exams again?"
"Nope." He scratches his chin with the remote.
"So why do you study and show up at school everyday when you could be attending to your princely duties," I dig my hands into the hoodies pocket.
"That's easy, that's because you want to study and show up to school everyday, so I do too," he says it like it's the most absolutely obvious and easy to comprehend thing. "I can attend to my duties anytime, anywhere," he scoops me from his side to his lap and I squeal.
"Let me go," I shove him and jokingly attempt to escape as he wraps his arms around my waist.
"No. You're mine," he leans back on his headboard. He's just watching me as I start to play with the locks on top of his beautiful head. So long, so dark, so silky, so think and so very needs a trim. "I know you think I say it to mess with you and see you blush, which is true but you're absolutely gorgeous, Bow," he breathes, rubbing patterns on my back and meeting my probably clear gaze.
What do you say to something like that? My hands move to his neck on their own accord, I use them to tilt his head back and swoop in for a kiss. The answer is, you don't say anything. Oh. My. Guac. Somehow his hands are now under the hoodie and my strappy vest, rubbing gently. I feel like my body is on fire. He let me lead the kiss, I think to allow all my emotions to pour into it. Swiping my tongue across his bottom lip, I feel him smile into the kiss. Classic Hunter being himself. He lets me slip my tongue into his mouth to dance with his in a dance only the two of us know. His hands on my waist under my clothes pull me impossibly closer to him which causes me to lightly bite his lip. He groans appreciatively at the mistake, pulling me to him again and giving my flesh a tight squeeze.
Something rumbles at the back of my throat and it comes out as a small moan which makes Hunter groan again. I pull his face tighter to mine as my tongue gently rubs against his, furiously too. I can't breathe properly. Every breath I take causes me to be consumed further by his scent, going straight to my core. My oxygen is polluted with Hunter with Hunter but I don't think polluted is the correct word.
"Bow," he breathes then plants a kiss on my jaw and sucking slightly. His voice so hoarse, like he just woke up from a good nights sleep or better. I bring his lips back to mine which, this time, he bites my lip and I kid you not, a giggle left me as I start to drop light teasing pecks on his lips, hands still gently holding his head. Trailing my hands up into his hair, tangling in the locks I'd previously been innocently playing with and now I'm tugging gently on them.
My body is on fire as Hunter groans again from another one of my tugs. I really need a large glass of oxygen to cool me down or maybe water if that doesn't work.
He tries to follow my head when I pull back and I hold onto his hair to keep him back. Smiling at him, I shake my head no. "Evil," he breathes just taking in my facial features from the darting pine orbs. I laugh, releasing his hair from my grasp and starting to play with it again. We stay like this for a while, me playing with his hair, him drawing patterns on the small of my back and the second movie long forgotten and unchosen.
A knock interrupts our sanctuary but the bouncing happy girl holding Iorek makes up for the interruption. "You're still here!," she exclaims.
I nod at her having resisted to urge to say, 'No shirt, Sherlock Holmes.' She climbs onto the bed next to me. "I was waiting for you to have enough energy to protect me from Hunter."
"Hey!" He rebuts with a smile.
"Don't worry, Iorek will protect us," she thrusts the bear in front of me, between Hunter and I.
"Thank you brave King," I say to the bear and she giggles.
Kim leans on the door frame watching, when Forest finally notices, she turns to me, "I have to go do my homework." Props to Kim. The kid is drilled with good things.
"No problem." She jumps off the bed.
"See you tomorrow," she wiggles her pinkie finger.
"Yes. Tomorrow."
As soon as the door closes behind the two of them, he wraps his arms around my waist again.
My phone buzzes and I see the time when it turns on with the notification. It read: Polish up on your organic chemistry. This notification was redundant because I'd panicked and done that yesterday. The time makes me look up at Hunter and he's moving his eyebrows up and down mischievously. 16:30. I shove him.
"Come, I'll walk you home," he jumps off the bed, holding my glasses.
The walk home is short because, stating the obvious here, we are neighbours. I did suggest I jump to my room but my suggestion met deaf ears as he proceeded to drag me downstairs with my bag on his shoulder.
Mom isn't home yet, so I head upstairs going over every moment that took place in Hunters room. I can't believe I initiated that. I cover my face with my hands, inwardly cringing at me saying, 'so do you' to Hunter. Who says that? Me, apparently. He's probably never going to want to kiss me again. Was I doing it right? I can probably watch a tutorial. No more kisses til I get confirmation I was doing it right. I mean he would've complained if I was doing it wrong. He's too nice. He probably thinks I was trying to bald him. Who pulls on someone's hair when kissing? Me, apparently. Fork.
I'm so glad he didn't try move his hands higher than my waist under my vest. I might've initiated that whole scene but I'm not sure if I would've liked more than what I got. I could tell he wouldn't do anything I didn't want him to do and that earned him some serious brownie points. Somebody pinch me. This is surreal.
I pace about my room putting things in place and picking what I wanted to cook in my head as I tried very hard not to be embarrassed by my own actions. I'm currently failing.
I sit at my desk chair, frustrated with myself for being so very cringy. Also, I have no idea what to wear on a date, how to act on a date, who to be on a date, when to be on a date. What? Fork!
"Penny for your thoughts, peanut?" Mum asks at my door, looking perfect. Now there's someone who knows the who, what, when, where, why and hows of the date.
"I've been asked out on a date," she raises an eyebrow, "I said yes," she raises the other, "Can you please help me?"
She bounds at me at a dangerous speed in kitten heels and hugs me off the chair.
"Of course!" My poor ear drums suffer at her delight. She pulls back, ruffling through her purse, producing a penny and placing it on my table.
That's just my mum.
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SJ talking
See ya next time!!!
Because I don't have a posting schedule (which I should) I try not to end a chapter on cliffhangers but in the chapters to come I might have to cause IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN!!😎
Anyone who knows my writing who's been here since before this book was even a book, those people know the very first book I ever published on Wattpad was literotica and the rest is history. So imagine how hard it was for me to write #Arciad taking it slow in that make out scene. I've always known they'd take it slow, it's literally one of the only things in my notes but actually having to write it was difficult. I do hope you like it.
Enjoy. Comment. Vote. Share. Love you.
xoxo SJ signing off