Hearts So Pure

I bit my lip, trying to keep myself composed. What was I gonna tell Garrett? Was I even gonna tell him?

Kenny sighed and said, “Well, here. He told me to give you this. He also told me to tell you he couldn’t make it tonight because he wasn’t feeling so hot earlier. He’s back at the hotel. He sent me.”

He handed me the tiny black box and walked away. I clutched the box tight as I watched him walk down the dark street, hands in his pockets.

When he was out of view, I sat back down on the bench. “Fuck!” I said out loud to myself.

I rubbed my forehead, and remembered the box in my hand.

Slowly, I opened it.

I pulled out a bracelet, with tiny little diamonds running down it. I doubted they were real, but it was beautiful anyway.

I smiled, and tried not to think about what just happened with Kenny. I put the bracelet on, and it fit perfectly.

I sighed and got up, and walked back to the hotel.

When I got back everyone was getting ready for bed. John and Nicole had gone to their room and closed the door, and Pat and Jared were getting settled on the couch. I didn’t see Kennedy anywhere, so I walked over to mine and Garrett’s room.

He was sitting on the bed, and he smiled when he saw me.

“Hey!” he said. He looked down at my wrist, to the bracelet dangling off it.

“Do you like it?” he said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t go, I had a really bad headache.”

I cleared my throat, trying to smile. “Yeah,” I said. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Garrett smiled and stood up, then he walked over to me.

“I missed you today,” he said.

I nodded, and he hugged me. I tried to think about anything else other than the park with Kennedy earlier, but I couldn’t.

Garrett noticed, and he let go.

“Are you okay?” he said, looking me in the eye.

I couldn’t lie to him. I wouldn’t want him keeping secrets from me, right?

“Garrett,” I said, exhaling. “I have to tell you something.”

He stepped back, and took a seat on the bed. “Oh,” he said.

I sat next to him, trying desperately to find the right words.

“Okay so I was waiting for you earlier at the park,” I said, and Garrett nodded.

“And I was kinda like looking down, and I saw the tips of Kenny’s shoes. And I thought they were yours. I don’t know I kind of jumped up, because I missed you, you know. And like I said I thought it was you and… I might have kissed him.”

Garrett winced. It had kind of all came pouring out, and I knew I should have said it differently, or at least, more carefully.

“So you thought Kennedy was me…. and you kissed him?” he said.

I nodded, biting my lip. He wouldn’t look at me, he was staring off to the other side of the room.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know it was him, Garrett.”

Garrett only nodded. “Okay,” he said.

He stood up, leaving me alone on the bed.

“I think I’m gonna go outside for a while, okay? I’ll be back. Don’t wait up for me.”

He walked out the door before I could respond, and I felt my heart drop.

Slowly, I changed and got into bed. I felt really bad, but did he have to be this upset?

I tried to go to sleep, but it took me a while. I finally fell asleep a couple hours later, and Garrett still wasn’t back.

I woke up a while later to the door to our room slowly opening. I saw Garrett walk in, and I pulled the covers over my head.

I felt him get into bed, and I turned to face him.

“Hey,” I whispered, looking up at him.

He didn’t respond as he slipped his shoes off.

He laid down on his back, placing his hand behind his head.

“Garrett,” I said, moving closer to him. I placed my hand on his chest, and I said, “I’m sorry.”

Garrett turned around, his back toward me. I felt my eyes start to swell up, but I made myself keep it together. I turned around, too, and eventually I fell asleep.

The next morning, it was decided we were gonna go back on the road. I woke up and Garrett was in the shower, so I packed my bags and stuffed everything in the van. When I got back Garrett was out, and I took my turn to shower.

We left a couple hours later, grabbing some fast food for breakfast.

Garrett offered to drive, but I think it was just to get away from me. I sat in the backseat with Pat, trying not to let my disappointment show.

We drove all morning, and then we stopped at a gas station to stock up on candies and chips. We all got down.

I was walking up an aisle, trying to choose between a candy bar and some gummy bears when Kenny walked up to me.

“Hey,” he said, giving me a half smile.

“Hey.” I said back flatly.

“Is um…. is Garrett mad at you because of me? Because I can tell him it was an accident, you know. I can talk to him.” he said.

“No, he-I talked to him already, Ken.” I said. “He just needs a little bit of time, I think.”

I stepped closer to Kennedy, closing the gap between us. I looked up at him and whispered, “Until then I think you and me should you know…. avoid each other.”

Kennedy cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s good. We should do that. Okay.” he said.

I backed away, and grabbed a candy bar. “Thanks,” I said, and I left to the counter.

When I got back to the van, Garrett was the only one in there. Everyone else was enjoying their bathroom break or still looking for food.

I took a seat in the back and watched as Garrett tapped his fingers on the dashboard impatiently.

“You don’t have to be mad,” I said suddenly. “I already told you it was an accident.”

Garrett didn’t turn around, but he said sharply, “Was it, Leah? What about that thing you guys used to have? I saw you in there, whispering to him. How am I gonna stop being mad when you’re over here throwing yourself at him?”

I felt the anger rise up inside of me. How was he gonna say that to me?

I stepped out of the van, and opened the door to the passenger’s seat. I slid in, and slammed the door behind me.

I turned to face Garrett, who was now sighing and readjusting himself in the driver’s seat.

“Do you really think I still like Kenny, even after all this time? If I still liked him, I wouldn’t have waited alone for you all night yesterday. I wouldn’t be here right now if I did.”

Garrett sighed again, I was getting somewhere.

“Garrett,” I said, and I placed my hand over his. “I love you.”

The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile, and he turned to me.

“Damn,” he said. “I can’t stay mad at you.”

He leaned across the seat and kissed me roughly, pressing his face hard against mine.

Just then the doors opened and everyone flooded back in. I didn’t even have time to pull away before I heard Pat behind us saying, “Thank God you two aren’t mad anymore. Now Garrett won’t drive like a maddened psycho.”

Garrett blushed, and he held my hand as we drove off.

We drove the rest of the day, and then stopped somewhere at these cheap looking motels.

Garrett and I got a room, and so did Nicole and John. Pat, Ken, and Jared all shared another.

We unpacked our stuff and got in, and the room smelled like stale bread.

Before I could even put my bags down, Garrett shut the door behind us and threw himself on me.

He pushed me against the wall, and I banged my head. I couldn’t react, though, because he grabbed both my wrists, and placed them over my head.

He pushed his hips against mine, and then his hands slid down my arms to my stomach.

I felt his fingers slide under my shirt, and his lips were pressing hard against mine. One of his hands grabbed my ass, and I felt him squeeze gently.

He started kissing a line down my neck, working his way to my collar bone. He nipped lightly at my skin, and I let out a quiet moan as my breath quickened. Garrett stopped only for a second to take his shirt off, and I felt his lips on me again.

I closed my eyes and rolled my head back, I had been waiting for this for too long.

Just then there was a loud knock on our door, and Garrett stood straight up, looking at the door, but not moving.

There was another quick knock, and Garrett rushed over to it.

He only opened the door up a tiny bit, so I couldn’t see who was outside. I watched as Garrett nodded at whoever was outside, and I heard muffled talking.

He closed the door quickly and walked back over to me, placing both hands on my hips and leading me to the bed.

“Wait,” I said as he sat on top of me, kissing my neck passionately. “Who was it?” I said.

I could barely hear Garrett as he said against my skin, “John said we’re going sight seeing tomorrow,”

“Oh,” I said, but I couldn’t say any more because Garrett was lifting my shirt up, pulling it off.

I felt my breathing begin to quicken again and suddenly I didn’t care who had been knocking. Garrett slid my pants off, and placed one hand on my thigh and the other on my stomach.

I felt chills run down my spine as Garrett kissed a line down my thigh. He pulled my panties off slowly, and soon I felt his hot breath against me, teasing me.

I bit down on my lip, waiting. Soon I felt Garrett’s tongue on me, tracing circles around my entrance.

I breathed out a soft moan, and tangled my fingers in his hair. I felt Garrett smile, and he nipped gently at my sensitive nub with his teeth.

My hips rocked forward as he slid his tongue inside me, and my head rolled back. I squeezed the covers in my hands as Garrett moved his tongue slower and slower.

I moaned his name, which I hoped would encourage him, but he only detached himself from me. I was about to protest when I felt his erection on my thigh, lingering over me. Garrett placed both hands on either side of my shoulders, and looked down at me, a smile forming on his lips.

He slid into me slowly, and I had to bite my lip to stay quiet. Gradually, he started to go faster, every thrust sending me deeper into euphoria.

I felt myself reaching my peak, and Garrett pushed harder and deeper into me. I twisted my head to the side, desperate. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I screamed his name, my back arching and head rolling back.

Garrett slowed down, and my last gasps were muffled as he placed his lips on mine and kissed me softly. I tried to kiss him back as my breath started to slow down again, and Garrett whispered in my ear, “I love you, Leah.”

I smiled as he slid next to me, pulling my body close to his so my back was touching his chest.

He wrapped his hands around my waist and I felt his warm breath on my neck. I fell asleep against his warm embrace.