Light in the Storm

My eyes snapped open, the faint sunlight streaming in through my blinds and dancing over my face, blinding me. A groan fell from my lips and I blinked, trying to comprehend everything. It was a dream. The same dream I had been having frequently lately. The dream that made my heart flutter and my nerves act up. The wedding dream, and I knew it was coming sooner than I expected.

After we defeated the black magic, Nick was more open with me. He told me that he realized he didn’t want to lose me and that he loved me. He wasn’t as afraid to admit it now and, sometimes, when he was in a good mood, he’d get all riled up and kiss me. Those were the times I lived for, the times that made me smile and feel like I really was important in the regular world.

I had gotten to see Nick graduate. Everyone was cheering him on: all the guys he didn’t make friends with jealous and all the girls who worshiped him swooning. But I was there and I smiled and he gave me a wink before getting that diploma. He was done, out of school, ready to focus on being the great wolf while I, Lonnie Stewart, still had three more years of high school to go.

Great.

I was already two weeks into sophomore year. Anna was my best friend, Mr. Cornell was my ear, and Josh… Josh and I weren’t exactly on the best terms. We talked though. That I was glad for. And dad had grounded me fiercely as soon as I got home. Straight to school, straight home: that was my life. He did let me get a summer job and allowed me to save up my money for what I wanted to… Nick’s birthday present. Grounding me didn’t serve a purpose, though. The only person I’d sneak out to see would be Nick and dad let him in whenever he wanted. He even gave him a key, saying that he was welcome anytime, as long as we didn’t do anything that he didn’t want to hear. We had told him… about everything. About mom, about Nick being a wolf, about me being a witch. He actually fainted and broke his glasses, but he got over it, realizing that he loved Rosalind either way and that I was his daughter that he loved unconditionally. It was nice to know I wasn’t a freak in his eyes.

And today was Nick’s eighteenth birthday. I remembered my sixteenth birthday, just a month and a half after the senior graduation. Nick took me out to dinner at one of those fancy restaurants, making me wear a blue dress: he said he liked it when I wore them. It made me feel pretty and special. But what he did was even better. Once we finished at dinner, he took me into the forest that was so familiar to us. I remember it being a full moon and I joked about him turning into a wolf. He already was one, so he found it funny, to my surprise. He didn’t want to phase, so I couldn’t read what was on his complex mind, but he gave me a soft, yet unsure, smile.

“Thanks for taking me to dinner,” I mumbled breathlessly, doing my best not to trip over the large tree roots, or bang my head on the branches. He smiled and nodded shortly, his curls bouncing with every easy stride he took. His fingers laced with mine and he pulled me closer, swinging our arms a little once we finally made it to a clearing; not as many trees surrounded the area, but it still looked closed in.

Nick treated me more and more like a girlfriend; holding my hand in public, kissing me when he thought the time was right rather than to just shut me up, allowing me to snuggle with him even though I knew it still made him slightly uncomfortable, and the best part was that he told me he loved me more frequently. It wasn’t much because he didn’t want to throw the word around, but it was enough to keep me sane and delusional with happiness.

“Well, it is your birthday,” he finally muttered, squinting under the moonlight. His face looked paler under it’s sparkling shadow, my gold glow only illuminating half of him. He looked like a complete angel, the way his curls were perfectly styled, but still messy, and the way he dressed casually, but formerly to accommodate the restaurant attire. I couldn’t help but smile. “And I feel really bad about not giving you a gift…” he trailed off, biting his full bottom lip. I inhaled deeply, shaking my head, my curls delaying to a slow reaction.

“You don’t have to get me anything-”

“I never said I didn’t get you anything,” he quickly interrupted, a small smirk covering his lips. I furrowed my eyebrows, scrunching up my nose in confusion.

“But-”

“I just said I didn’t give you anything. Now, technically, this shouldn’t count, but I used all my money on it… so if you want a real birthday present, you’ll have to wait,” he informed me.

He led me deeper into the field, motioning for me to sit on the soft grass, the blades blowing gently in the breeze, along with the many wildflowers and daisies. It was beautiful in the darkness with the stars and the moon, and my glow, of course. I was used to it by now… mostly.

I sighed and smoothed the bottom of my dress out, quickly plopping onto the ground, crossing my ankles. My shoes had a bit of a heel to them, but I still wasn’t as tall as Nick. I caught him trying not to laugh every time I almost tripped, but I found it amusing myself, so I didn’t blame him. Plus, that smile was irresistible.

He sat down next to me and let out a sigh, turning so he was facing me a little more. I opened my mouth to speak, but he stopped me. His hand gripped my chin warmly, pulling me in closer, my hands gripping the blades of grass in front of me. His eyes intensified and locked mine while his warm lips made their connection, making my stomach lurch with continuous anticipation for him to keep going and my heart race into a quick jumble. He kissed me slowly, my eyes fluttering closed just as his seemed to, and I took in the way this felt. Brilliant. Amazing. Beautiful. It was all there, in just a simple kiss. It made me feel like we really were soul mates.

The breeze tickled my skin, but his fingertips grazing over my cheek was the thing that made me shiver. I pulled one shaky hand up and set it on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly, making him relax even more into it as I tried to do the same. His hand cupped my cheek and brought me forward some more, and then he pulled away. I could feel his gush of breath being let out, the warmth of it contrasting from the cold as they both hit my face. I tried not to grin like an idiot, but I was sure I was failing.

“So….what’s my present?” I giggled, trying to break the silence that followed our kiss. He chuckled melodically. I succeeded.

“This isn’t really a present, like I said. I can’t say that I got it because I thought it was the perfect time and I can’t say I got it because I needed this to happen because, either way, it would have; we don’t even get to pick the time. And I can’t even say that I’m ready, because I’m not, and I can’t lie to you. But what I can say Lonnie, is that I will be ready for you. I know that I can’t even ask you like I always imagined I would, or how anybody asks the person they’re supposed to spend their lives with, but I can tell you; I can tell you that, a part of me is happy for this, in some weird way,” he sighed, holding out his hand. I trailed my eyes down to it, cocking my head when I spotted what was in it: a box. He held it out for me and I slowly took it, clearing my throat as I sat back a little.

Opening the box in silence, my eyes caught sight of the sparkling ring inside, the moon bringing out it’s immediate beauty. I knew I was young, probably too young to even comprehend the full emotional feeling of this… this proposal, but I wasn’t stupid; this ring was beautiful, this boy was beautiful, and they were both mine.

“I, umm, I don’t know. I thought you’d like it, especially if I gave it to you on your birthday,” he muttered shyly, looking down to his hands, which were now tugging at the blades of grass.

“I would’ve liked it even if it wasn’t my birthday,” I grinned with excitement, feeling like bouncing up and down. “Did you think I wouldn’t have?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I know we both understand that this has to happen, but… I guess I kind of wanted it to be special…” This was out of his element again, but at the same time, the romance of it fit him so perfectly. I felt myself blush.

“I think it’s very special. Thank you… so much,” I breathed, directing my attention back down to the ring and how dainty it was, still holding so many sparkling diamonds. It was perfect. Exactly something I would want, but I’d want anything from him anyway.

“Oh, here,” he muttered quickly, grabbing the box gently. I watched him carefully, the look of concentration on his face being completely adorable as he took the ring out and grabbed my hand. He slipped it on without another word, the usually empty spot now being filled with a ring that would stick there. It was weird, but I guess I really didn’t mind. I knew I didn’t.

When he glanced up, I couldn’t help but smile brightly, my heart soaring when he returned it.

“You’re doing it again. You’re eyes are sparkling,” he muttered, his voice low while his eyes locked mine. My glow brightening was my response.

“Why do you like that so much? I’m just smiling,” I breathed, watching him intently.

“I think it’s genuine. It’s unique. And it’s beautiful, honestly. Kind of like you.”

My breath hitched and I smacked his arm, crossing my own over my chest. “Would you stop making me feel all mushy? My face is going to burn off.” He didn’t laugh or smile, he just stared at me with those same wide, innocent eyes, his hand cradling mine. Right before his lips crashed down onto my own. It was beautiful, the way he kissed me. And when he pulled away, his breathy words hit my ear.

“Happy Birthday.”

That was, without a doubt, the best birthday I had ever had. When Anna saw the ring, she flipped. She didn’t know though, about anything. I told her it was just a promise ring Nick had bought me. He stuck to the story, too. Josh hated the idea and I knew he’d go crazy even more if he realized what it really was. And Anna was happy. Mr. Cornell didn’t even know, but something in me told me that he knew a little more than I thought. I just didn’t know what exactly that was.

And now I was off to school, getting a ride from my dad until I got my license next week, and then meeting Nick there who agreed to wait for me in the school parking lot, even though he wasn’t supposed to be there anymore. I was excited. He was going to love his present.

[&&light]

“Have a good day, ‘kay kiddo? I won’t be there when you get back, but you can have Nick stay over for a while. Love you,” Dad smiled, giving me a wave as I jumped out of the car, doing my best to fix my hair.

“Thanks dad, love you. Bye,” I answered quickly, a smile permanently etched on my face for the time being. His car rolled out of the lot and I quickly glanced around, sighting when I spotted Anna standing with Nick. She just stared at him, her mouth moving quickly, no doubt telling him a story.

Nick and Anna had been getting along. He found it awkward to talk to her alone though, and he hated even looking at Josh. Especially when he tried to flirt with me. Luckily Nick didn’t go here anymore. I didn’t want Josh dead. And no matter how many times Nick denied it, I knew he was jealous; it made him even more adorable than he already was.

I readjusted the bag on my shoulder and began to make my way over to them carefully, smiling at the few people who mumbled their hello’s to me. Anna glanced up and I placed my finger on my lips, winking at her. She continued to smile and go on about her story, getting nods from Nick and the occasional ‘uh-huh.’ I tried not to laugh.

When I was close enough, I dropped my backpack and quickly wrapped my arms around his neck, placing my hands over his eyes. His hand immediately shot up out of reflex, grabbing my wrist gently. I held back a giggle.

“Did you switch perfumes?” was the first thing Nick asked. I sighed dramatically and released my hands from his eyes, dropping them down to rest on his chest

“How did you know it was me?” I whined, leaning forward some more so I could see the side of his face; he was smirking. And then I remembered that I glowed. Duh. But Anna couldn’t know that.

“I would hope that I’d know you enough to know you like sneaking up on me,” he answered factually, not missing a beat.

“Well,” I scoffed, my smile quickly returning. I leaned forward some more and placed a kiss to his cheek, giggling when I saw his skin turn a rosy color. Moving forward some more, I trailed my lips from the corner of his, back towards his ear nervously. I could feel him shiver and tilt his head; I giggled again.

“Did you ask me to come here for a reason?” he cleared his throat, his hand still locked around my wrist. He slid it down, lacing our fingers together. It was such a small but sweet gesture. He turned his head the best he could, our eyes meeting when I stood on my tiptoes. They sparkled softly, his eyebrows raised in question.

“I wanted to give you your birthday present,” I sighed, motioning for Anna. It was then I realized that Josh was behind her, his arms crossed, sulking like a child. I ignored his gaze.

“A present?” he couldn’t hide the interest in his voice. He was so going to love it.

“Yeah. And… I was going to make you a cake, but my dad’s on this diet, and Anna didn’t have a cake pan, so I had to make cupcakes instead,” I rambled, taking it from her with a smile. It was chocolate with vanilla icing; simple, yet delicious. And there was one blue candle sticking out, already lit.

I allowed him to turn around, his eyes immediately meeting the cupcake, and he chuckled.

“Now, make a wish.”

“A wish?” he muttered, glancing up to meet my expectant gaze.

“Mhm. How about you wish for something you really want… like that mustang?” Anna grinned from behind as I spoke and moved slowly away, going to get it.

“Okay…” he sighed, leaning forward.

“Ah! You have to close your eyes,” I instructed, guarding the flame. My glow was about the same color; it was cool. He rolled his eyes and then closed them, heaving out a breath that easily blew out the candle. I smiled, handing him the cupcake.

“Thanks,” he smiled slightly.

“You can eat it later, but close your eyes again!” I said quickly, hearing the car in the distance. He furrowed his eyebrows and began to protest, but I quickly placed my hands over his eyes, managing to move around to stand behind him again. He let out a sigh and allowed me to stay that way, silence following. I noticed most of the kids entering the building already, but this was more important.

Anna quickly pulled up and parked, cutting the ignition as soon as she could. She stepped out, hurriedly sticking the keys in my jacket pocket. My eyes settled on the sign we had stuck to the car, careful not to cover up the white racing stripes that he loved so much.

“Okay Nick… ready to see what’s about to become your favorite birthday present ever?” I giggled, my voice anxious.

“Yes,” he answered smoothly, unsure of what it could be.

I quickly dropped my hands and took the cupcake from him, bending down to set it on my backpack, carefully positioning it so it wouldn’t fall onto the ground. That’s when Nick finally settled on the car. His mouth dropped open, his eyes widening in full shock.

“Oh…” he breathed, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes trailed over the shiny black exterior, the white stripes sticking out brilliantly. The windows were lightly tinted, but you were able to see the black leather interior. “This… is mine?” he asked in disbelief, finally tearing his eyes away from the car to face me.

“Uh-huh!” I grinned, nodding quickly.

“How… what…how’d you get this?” he asked quickly, shaking his head.

“I saved up all the money from my summer job. You know how I worked so many hours? Well the guy was trying to pay me less than what I deserved, so… I kind of used my magic to even it out,” I whispered, smiling when he laughed, his face lighting up immediately. I don’t think I had ever seen him so happy. Except for when he saw his family, but that was different. And I was so happy that I was the one causing these smiles.

“You bought me a car for my birthday? All I got you was that stupid ring,” he muttered, shaking his head again. He rubbed his cheek and licked his dry lips, shifting almost anxiously.

“The ring isn’t stupid; I love it. Besides, this car is equal to this ring. You wanted the car, I wanted the ring. And I thought you deserved it, since you walk and run everywhere. And-”

I was quickly cut off when his arms slipped around my waist, picking me up slightly. I squealed and shut my eyes, my breath catching when his lips connected to mine so quickly. The kiss was like magic--better than any of my magic, that was for sure. His lips moved so delicately against mine after a moment of excitement, my own arms finding a way to snake around his neck.

“Stewart, Jonas; is that you two?” a deep, familiar voice called. Nick quickly pulled away, dropping me to my feet. There stood the coach who always seemed to catch us doing something. Only this time, it was worth catching. “I always knew you two were up to something, in the halls, goofing around last year. The bell’s about to ring, so you better get to class Stewart. And as for you Jonas, it’s good to have you back, but get outta' here! Who’d wanna come back to this place?” he muttered with a chuckle, shooing us off before he headed towards the school entrance. I blushed. Nick cleared his throat, still smiling lightly.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

I nodded, my face flushed. I couldn’t find my voice, so I just smiled and let out some weird squeak, trying to balance myself on my own two feet.

“Uh, come on,” I cleared my throat, reaching for his hand slowly. He grabbed mine without hesitation and we walked over to the car, his eyes still holding amazement as he looked at it. “This is the one you wanted, right? The guy kept asking me if I knew any specifics, and I’m not a whiz on cars or anything, so…”

“Lonnie, it’s perfect. It’s absolutely amazing,” he reassured me, rubbing his thumb over my skin to help. I swallowed the lump in my throat, reaching out to touch the smooth metal.

Digging into my pocket, I handed him the keys. He took them eagerly and practically raced over to the drivers side. It reminded me that, even though Nick was now eighteen, he still had a childlike side that was dying to come out after all of these years. I was thankful that I brought some of that out in him. He opened the door and slid in, staring at the inside.

“My dad said you can come over, if you want to. He’ll be gone,” I mumbled, slowly moving towards the door. I grabbed my backpack and the cupcake, handing it to him through the open car door. He accepted it with a thanks and gently set it on top of the middle compartment, sticking the key in the ignition, revving the engine with admiration. The few kids around did look jealous. I felt like laughing.

“Yeah. I’ll pick you up after school,” he answered after a moment of the loud noise, turning his head to give me a sure glance. I smiled.

“Okay, cool.”

He quickly cut the ignition and slid out, immediately stepping closer to me. His eyes locked mine and his breath hit my lips. We had never been as close as we were now, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d ever be normal. Not the normal definition of…normal, but our definition. Our definition was being us and being in love. That’s what I wanted.

His lips met mine again, but it felt different. I didn’t understand why, especially not now since he had just kissed me moments ago and it felt like it always did. But this one couldn’t be described. It was as if he couldn’t pull away, like he didn’t want to pull away. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the way his hands rested on my hips seemed different too. More personal. I shivered.

“I’ll see you then,” he muttered once he pulled away, pushing his curls back almost nervously. He quickly turned around and slid back into the leather seat, shutting the door carefully. It hit the sun perfectly, blinding me. I smiled.

The tardy bell rang just as he began to pull out of the lot, giving me a quick wave. Yep; he made that car look even cooler than it was. I was just glad he liked it. I sighed in relief.

The shrill sound of the bell rang through the parking lot and I jumped, my yes widening. I could not be late. I hurried towards Anna and grabbed her arm, pushing past Josh without a sound. I heard him mumble, but I didn’t care. We weren’t exactly peachy.

Anna stayed silent as we rushed through the emptying halls, the classroom door farther down. The best part of being a sophomore wasn’t the new lockers or classrooms, but it was the fact that Mr. Cornell was my home room teacher. He attended the senior graduation, just as I had, and he had cheered Nick on too. It was embarrassing to have both my dad and Mr. Cornell yell and whistle and bump into me when Nick walked across to get that diploma. He smiled though. It was also odd that, despite Nick’s lack of want for friends, he sure had many. Or at least many people cheered for him. I cringed at all the noise, but I had definitely contributed. I still teased him about the way he blushed when he saw me yelling for him. It was too cute.

I stumbled into the classroom with Anna in tow, and smiled sheepishly as Mr. Cornell glanced over. All the other kids were too busy being loud to notice my presence. I sighed with relief. Ever since the school found out about Nick and I last year, all the girls wanted to be my ‘friend.’ Definitely not going to happen.

“Well Miss Stewart, nice to see that you being late for, not only the first week of school, but also the second,” he chuckled, his tone teasing. Mr. Cornell was somewhat like a brother to me. Or another father. Him and my dad were good friends now. I had wanted so badly to introduce my father to Eve now that Coimbra was gone--Nick still hadn’t found him--but the whole rule about no one seeing the council members was still in tact. But I knew they had met before.

Eve was now the leader of the council, which was perfect. She had also brought in her own faithful members. I hadn’t met any of them; no one had, but we trusted Eve. We could tell she missed Sheba, though. And without the two there, she lived alone… lonely. She had Nick and I come over frequently, but if she had business to talk about, we had to go into the village. That was always good because then I could see Nick’s family. It was a win-win.

“Sorry. I was giving Nick his birthday present,” I smiled, pushing my hair back. I readjusted my backpack and slowly walked over to his desk, his face interested.

“Was it that mustang I saw Anna pull up in today?” I didn’t have my license yet, but I would… hopefully soon.

“Uh-huh,” I grinned, nodding quickly. “He loved it.”

“I bet,” he chuckled. “It’s the second week of school and I never properly asked how your summer was.”

“It was great. I mean, I worked a lot, but Nick and I spent a lot of time together. I was still grounded, as my dad probably already told you, but, you know…” I shrugged.

Mr. Cornell didn’t know of my other world like my dad did. I wasn’t exactly sure if dad was serious about my indefinite grounding, but so far, he had kept up on it. The only time I was actually allowed to go into town was if Nick was with me, and it was a special occasion. Like when he took me to dinner for my birthday, or to a movie as a date that I begged him to try. He had told me that, although we were ‘dating’ he didn’t want to actually go on dates. I had bugged him to know end, to which he finally caved. And when my dad wasn’t home, I made Nick cuddle up on the couch with me to watch a movie. I knew he secretly liked it.

“How was yours?” I didn’t really find it weird that I was conversing with Mr. Cornell. I was growing up, thank goodness. Nick still had the advantage of dropping the “I’m older” bomb, though. I hated when he did that.

“Not as eventful,” he chuckled. My dad was just as lonely.

[&&light]

The day practically flew by with no excitement. Now that Nick was out of school, I sat at lunch with Anna and Josh and whatever friends they had made. I felt like a loner, even with all those people. Nick was the only one who truly got me.

Slamming my locker door, I smiled with excitement and quickly said goodbye to Anna, skipping out of the building. Carefully taking the large steps, I bounded into the parking lot and spotted the shiny mustang instantly. Nick was sitting in the car, looking down at something intently. I smiled. I pushed my hair back and carried my heavy bag over to the car, knocking on the door. The window was rolled down, I just wanted to scare him out of amusement. He jumped with wide eyes, quickly sending me a glare. I smiled.

“Hey Nick,” I giggled, opening the door carefully. It didn’t take long for him to sigh and smile back, setting the tattered book down on the compartment between us. Mr. Jonas had given Nick the book last time we visited. It was all about the duties of the great wolf, which he was soon to be completely. I was sure Nick knew everything already and that he read it out of want rather than need. He smiled.

Nick was still shy about the whole dating thing, and I was too, but I pushed myself to push him to open up. I was often confused on where we were in our relationship, though. It was weird, how much time we spent together still. He didn’t have to get up and go to school anymore, so we didn’t have that time, but he’d be there. We had the whole summer to ourselves without any drama… not much anyway. There were a few times where we had to break down a fight between the wolves and the witches, but it only made us closer--not only as individuals, but as a couple. And then there were our many arguments. They had died down some, but they were still present. One of us would apologize and everything would go back to normal. I also believed that made us closer.

Maybe I was too happy for my own good, but I loved it. I loved us.

At that moment he chose to lean in and press his soft lips to mine in a greeting of his own. My stomach gave in to it’s usual butterflies and I found myself just ready to fall over. He smiled slightly, his cheeks a light rose color when he pulled away.

“How’s the car?” I smiled, grabbing the buckle. He smiled back a little wider.

“It’s perfect. I absolutely love it. Best birthday ever.”

“Good to know, because now I’m going to ruin it by making you watch the Titanic with me.” He heaved a sigh and rested his head against the seat, revving the engine a bit.

“Can’t we watch something else?” he muttered, turning to face me. I shook my head.

“It’s okay Nick. I have two shoulders; pick which one you want to cry on.”

“I don’t cry during some stupid movie,” he grumbled, narrowing his eyes. He pushed a few stray curls back before sighing yet again. His hair had gotten longer, naturally. It was even more fun to tug on. “Besides, that never happened on the real Titanic. They took an epic tragedy and butchered it with a stereotypical love story of upper class meets lower class.”

I stared at Nick, raising my eyebrow. He always had to turn something into some sort of logical explanation. Although I hated it at times, I found it amazing too. He was too intelligent for his own good. It made me feel stupid sometimes, but he insisted that I wasn’t.

“Well, whatever you think it is, I think it’s heart wrenching and beautiful. Besides, Celine Dion’s song always brings me to tears.”

He finally gave in and pulled out of the parking lot, careful not to go over the speed limit as he drove down the road. He was familiar with the streets that went to my house--he couldn’t very well drive through the forest.

[&&light]

I sat on the couch and stared at the screen with blurry eyes and tear streaked cheeks. I always cried when Rose told Jack not to let go. It always killed me inside. It was so easy to lose your love… I didn’t know what I would do if I lost Nick. I wouldn’t tell him that, of course. That would be far too much information to relay. I hadn’t even told him about my recent dreams, and I definitely wasn’t about to. Sniffling, I curled farther up into his side, pleasantly surprised to find that, instead of tensing up, his arm wound tighter around me, sending a surge of warmth and a brighter glow through me. I sighed and lifted one hand up to wipe my tears away, curling up my legs to rest on the rest of the couch. I had basically pushed Nick up against the arm of it, trapping him with my persistence. He tried to push me away when I got to close, but now he was giving in and embracing it… just like he always seemed to do.

Persistence was the key with him. I learned that first hand.

Glancing up, I found myself smiling through my tears at the sight. Nick’s face was focused on the screen intently, his eyes hazy. I could even see his lip quiver some. This was the first time he had ever watched this movie… and he was crying.

“Nick,” I sniffled, tugging on his button up shirt. The bottom was tucked into his tight black jeans and I could see his white tank top underneath the thin fabric. I tried not to focus on all his muscle, but that was one thing I always failed on. “Nick, you’re crying,” I sniffled again, catching his attention. He looked down with his hazy eyes and furrowed his eyebrows.

“I am not crying,” he said sternly, but his voice weakened at the end.

“Oh, right,” I cleared my throat. Sitting up a little. “Your eyes are just raining.”

He rolled his eyes and sucked in a breath, straightening his back. “Believe what you will. And don’t you have homework to do?”

“Thanks dad,” I murmured playfully, biting my lip.

“I may be older than you, but I’m not that old,” he smirked, finally managing to push me away from him.

“I did my homework. Mr. Cornell let me skip my last period and work in his study hall.” Nick nodded and reached for the remote, quickly turning the movie off. “Hey!” I pouted, reaching over him to grab it. He was too fast.

“I’m not watching that anymore.”

“Oh come on! It’s your birthday, you can cry if you want to!” I giggled, looking up at him through the bangs that spilled over my eyes.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re very…” he trailed off, trying to find the exact words.

“I’m just in a good mood,” I sighed, sitting back in my seat. My stomach rumbled. “Do you want some pizza? My dad left some money…”

“You know, I think I should go,” he muttered, shaking his head.

“Why?” I quickly asked, almost jumping on him. He raised his eyebrows and I blushed, sliding back some. “I just don’t want you to go.”

“Don’t you think it’s weird that I’m here all the time?” he asked absentmindedly, running his fingers through his curls.

“No,” I furrowed my eyebrows, shaking my head. “I like that you’re here all the time, and my dad does too. He always says that you're welcome.”

“I just…” he trailed off, twisting up his features in confusion. I waited, trying to be patient, but I found myself toying with the orb around my neck. “I think I’m too attached to you,” he finally admitted, his eyes slowly meeting mine. I bit my lip and cocked my head, leaning forward some.

“Nick, we’re more serious than just some random couple,” I pointed out, catching sight of the ring on my finger. Sometimes I forgot it was there and just thought we were two teenagers in love. Sometimes I completely remembered it and just stared at it, wondering how I could be sixteen and getting married--whether I wanted to or not, but I kind of did want to. And then I wondered if Nick was really as interested in me as he said he was. Sure, he said he loved me… but I still had issues believing him. What he said was sweet, I just… with the way I had been feeling lately, I just didn’t know. I gulped.

“Yes, I realize that,” he replied calmly, his own eyes resting on the engagement ring he had gotten me for my birthday. “But I just-”

“You know Nick, sometimes I wonder if this even means anything to you,” I blurted out, pushing my hair away from my face. It was silent for a minute, the faint sound of the cars rolling by outside the only reminder that time didn’t stop. I scratched my head nervously, not daring to lock his gaze.

“You know that isn’t true,” he finally murmured, his voice a mere whisper. We had gone through this so many times, I just didn’t know what to say anymore.

“No actually, I don’t.” I knew I was being stubborn and by the look in Nick’s eyes, he hated it. But I didn’t care. I crossed my arms and told myself to calm down. It was funny how it didn’t help for me, but it did for other people.

“Look,” he breathed, licking his lips. I seemed to be concentrated on every little action he did, engrossed in him completely. Was he like that with me? He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, rethinking his words. “Stop doing that,” he finally blurted, catching me off guard. I stared at him in confusion, narrowing my eyes.

“What?”

“That-” he grumbled, pointing to my lip. Idiotically, I looked down. Another duh moment. “Stop biting your lip. You always do that when you’re nervous.”

Had I? I never really noticed. And why was it bugging him?

“Stop staring at my lips then,” I retorted, realizing my voice had attitude in it. If Nick was anyone else, he would’ve made a wise crack about it being ‘my time of the month.’ That’s what my dad did.

“I can’t. I…I really want to kiss you right now,” he muttered quietly, his eyes locking mine. I felt my mood lighten almost instantly. “But I don’t know if you’re going to slap me.”

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh and smile, his own lips twitching up nervously. I guess I got hostile when I was angry. He now knew what I was capable of. When I was done giggling, I sighed and rubbed my arm, glancing back up to see him staring at me. He began to inch his way closer, his nose finally touching mine. His hand slid up to cup my cheek, caressing my skin with his thumb before he gripped my chin and pulled me closer.

“Why do you always think I don’t take us seriously? I do. I love you,” he breathed, his hot breath massaging my lips. I couldn’t handle it. Before I knew what I was doing, I had pushed his back into the arm of the couch and smashed my lips onto his, gripping his collar. I could tell he was surprised but it didn’t take him long to kiss back, but I found him slowing it down. I took a moment to calm myself down and blush, wondering if there was any way to turn the heat down on my glow. I was burning.

It may have been Nick’s birthday, but we were both growing up. I knew that and I hoped he did too.

Nick pushed me away slowly, his eyes wide and his lips parted. I opened my mouth to mumble a sorry, but he quickly pressed his lips back onto mine. I wasn’t manipulating him, was I? I didn’t think so. I knew I wasn’t when he pulled back a moment later.

“I think I’m in the mood for pizza,” he finally muttered, wrapping his arms around me, his hands resting on my back. I couldn’t help but smile as I leaned farther into him, tucking my head underneath his chin. It always made me feel safe when he was this close.

Things were pretty good.