Come Back to Me
Closer
Alex lies down and looks up at the ceiling.
"Thank you for giving me one of your special Amy massages. It was amazing."
"Anytime. Does that bruise hurt? The one next to your eye?" I ask as I roll over on my side to face Alex with my elbow propped on the pillow. We are lying close to one another, not touching but still close. Alex looks at me and smiles.
"No, it's fine." He stares at me, his eyes moving from my eyes to my cheeks, my chin, my hair, then back to my eyes.
"What?" I ask.
"I've just never had someone care this much about what happens to me. Apart from your mom.. You're a lot like your mom. Your caring."
"Isn't Tom? I mean, he's your best friend.."
"Tom is caring in his own little weird way but, I would say he's more like his dad. You get a lot from your mom."
"I don't understand how.. I was raised by criminals with no feelings, nothing good. How can I have a lot of the same things as my real mom when I don't even know her?"
"Well, you were raised by criminals but you didn't end up like them, did you?"
He has a point. He turns and props his elbow on the pillow just like I am and faces me. His face is close to mine.
"Even though you don't know her, I guess some traits are passed down, right?" He asks, raising his eyebrows.
"I guess so."
We both go silent as we lay facing each other. My eyes wonder around my room just past Alex's shoulder. I can feel his eyes on me, and I'm deliberately looking away so I don't get caught in his dreamy stare. But it's too late, my eyes drift to his and that's it, I'm caught. A strand of hair falls down on my face, Alex tucks the strand of hair behind my hair and rests his palm on my cheek, his thumb gently stroking my cheek bone. I don't think I can hold back anymore, I really want to kiss him but I'm scared of the consequences. I don't know who started moving first, but we both lean in closer to each other.
"Thank you for giving me one of your special Amy massages. It was amazing."
"Anytime. Does that bruise hurt? The one next to your eye?" I ask as I roll over on my side to face Alex with my elbow propped on the pillow. We are lying close to one another, not touching but still close. Alex looks at me and smiles.
"No, it's fine." He stares at me, his eyes moving from my eyes to my cheeks, my chin, my hair, then back to my eyes.
"What?" I ask.
"I've just never had someone care this much about what happens to me. Apart from your mom.. You're a lot like your mom. Your caring."
"Isn't Tom? I mean, he's your best friend.."
"Tom is caring in his own little weird way but, I would say he's more like his dad. You get a lot from your mom."
"I don't understand how.. I was raised by criminals with no feelings, nothing good. How can I have a lot of the same things as my real mom when I don't even know her?"
"Well, you were raised by criminals but you didn't end up like them, did you?"
He has a point. He turns and props his elbow on the pillow just like I am and faces me. His face is close to mine.
"Even though you don't know her, I guess some traits are passed down, right?" He asks, raising his eyebrows.
"I guess so."
We both go silent as we lay facing each other. My eyes wonder around my room just past Alex's shoulder. I can feel his eyes on me, and I'm deliberately looking away so I don't get caught in his dreamy stare. But it's too late, my eyes drift to his and that's it, I'm caught. A strand of hair falls down on my face, Alex tucks the strand of hair behind my hair and rests his palm on my cheek, his thumb gently stroking my cheek bone. I don't think I can hold back anymore, I really want to kiss him but I'm scared of the consequences. I don't know who started moving first, but we both lean in closer to each other.