Living Silver

“I’m tired,” I said, rubbing my eyes and pulling at the bottom of my dress. Pax Weston sat on the other end of the couch, yanking on his tie and making odd choking noises to get his parents to understand he wanted to take it off. They weren’t giving in.

“Leave it,” his dad hissed. “If it’s that big of a bother, then just go home. We’ll be there in a few minutes anyway.”

“Mom, can I go too?” I asked, looking over at her with desperate eyes. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the Hawthorn’s party because I had an absolute ball. I was just exhausted and I had spent so much time dancing with little boys stepping on my toes and picking up the oldest Hawthorn's daughter that I was about to collapse any second now. I could have fallen asleep on Pax’s mother’s shoulder right then and there but chances were, she wouldn’t like that.

My mom looked at her watch and sighed. “All right, but walk home with Pax. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“By who? The little kids two houses down?” I snorted. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

She handed me her key and continued her chat with the other adults. Trey and Karlee were sitting in the dining room holding hands, talking and laughing about their current relationship. It had taken long enough for them to get together. After all, the two of them were practically made for each other and yet, she was completely oblivious for four years straight. I was surprised Trey didn’t give up so that just showed how crazy he was about her, and how determined he was to make her his girlfriend.

I jumped off the couch and grabbed Pax by his tie, pulling him off. He made another choking sound and I smirked.

“Jeez, let go,” he said, swatting my hand away and looking in the mirror to fiddle around with it. “This thing is a pain in the ass but I don’t need you to kill me with it.”

“Need some help?” I asked, taking off my heels and slipping my boots on. Pax shook his head while I made a quiet moan of pleasure from the final release of confinement and torture my feet had been placed in for over four hours. I wiggled my toes. “God, that feels so good.”

“I know what you mean,” Pax said and I looked at him with my eyebrows raised. “I told you about that stiletto heels race. I swear on my mother’s grave, Trey made me do it.”

“Your mom’s not dead,” I laughed, grabbing my jacket and pulling it on.

“Not yet. If she makes me do another one of those races, she will be.”

“You just said Trey made you—”

“Shh! I love you but you’re so annoying,” he said, holding up a hand and sighing from happiness when he finally got his tie off. He put it in his pocket and adjusted his jacket. “All right. You ready?” I gave a nod and stepped out into the chilly winter night air. “I’m so pumped for Christmas. You’re still coming over in the afternoon, right?”

“Absolutely. If I hang out at my house for too long, I may have to eat Nick’s face.”

Pax laughed. “You might want to work on your threats. That one was embarrassing and wildly inappropriate,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and beginning to belt out the lyrics to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” for the second time tonight. He expected me to sing with him but I wasn’t that loud and obnoxious when it was past midnight already and the only lights we were getting to illuminate our walk home was from the streetlights.

“Be quiet,” I said, putting my hand over his mouth but he continued to sing his muffled tune even when I was covering his only source of making noise at the moment. Then he licked my hand and I screamed, releasing him and rubbing my hand on his shoulder. He laughed.

“That’s what you get,” he said. “I want hot chocolate. Do you want to come in for a bit? Your parents are probably going to be over there until two or something and Trey and Karlee will be up talking all night. I really hope they don’t become one of those icky sappy couples that don’t want to leave each other’s side for even a second and moan when they kiss.”

He pouted his lips out, closed his eyes and made a weird “mmm” sound. “Please stop,” I laughed. “I should really be getting home. If I don’t, they’ll get angry at me and probably refuse to give me any gifts under the tree.”

“That reminds me!” He pulled me to him and kissed my cheek. “Merry Christmas!”

I smiled. “Merry Christmas, Pax.”

“Come on. Get your butt inside and we’ll talk for a bit. I promise, I won’t keep you any later than two and if I do, I’ll let your parents know that it was my idea.” He put a hand on his heart. “Scout’s honor.”

“You weren’t a Scout,” I argued.

He scowled at me. “You ruin everything,” he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside his house. Since he didn’t live far from Karlee, it was only a short walk to his house but mine was a good ten minutes away still. His older sister Sarah was sleeping on the couch in the living room so if he had planned on watching television, his plans were out for that one. Sarah was on the wrestling team when she went to our high school so if he made any move to wake her or hurt her in any way, she’d have him face down on the hardwood floor before he even had a chance to say “ow”.

Pax was strong, but any strength he had was infinitesimal compared to his older sister.

I sat in the lounge on the chair Pax’s dad has claimed as his and rested my eyes while Pax made the hot chocolate. By the time he got to me though, I was asleep so he had to kick me to wake me up.

“What?” I groaned, pressing the heels of my palms to my eyes. “See, I really need to get home and go to bed. I’m going to be no good to you right now.”

He smiled and sat down across from me, handing me a glass. “Yeah you will.” He took a sip and then put his glass on the table beside him. “So, I’ve got something to ask you and don’t laugh.”

“All right,” I said, crossing my legs. “Shoot.”

“Have you ever thought about us?”

“Like what? Like as friends?” I asked, running a finger over my dry lips. I paused. “Wait, are you somehow leading into how you don’t want to be friends anymore?” I sat forward, alarmed. “What did I do?”

He laughed. “No, not like that,” he said, shaking his head. “I mean, have you ever thought about us as a couple?”

I froze. And that one simple question was how my ten minute visit with Pax turned into an all-nighter.