An Open Sky

Chapter Fifty-Four ~Aidan~

                She froze. “Right. Do we actually have to go home?” She plopped down on the bed next to me.

                “Yeah, Alexa, we really have to go back. Your father is worried sick.” I remembered how he had cried to me.

                “I bet it’s all an act. I bet he’s ecstatic now that I’m gone.” She looked out the window.

                “You’d be surprised,” I said. “Actually, look around in my backpack, there might be one in there somewhere.” She arched one eyebrow. “What?” I asked. “Lots of girls’ stuff has gone into that backpack,” I paused to flash her a grin, “I’m just that popular.”

                “Yeah, it really seemed like that.” She smiled back at me, digging through the bag. A few moments later she resurfaced with a black hair tie.

                “See?” I laughed, “I told you so. Who’s popular? This guy.” I flicked my thumbs at my chest. She laughed, pulling her hair up into a slightly off-centered ponytail. I couldn’t tell if she’d done it on purpose or if she was just too tired to redo it.

                She walked over and slid into the covers next to me. A few strands of hair fell into her face. I brushed them away from her brown, bloodshot eyes as she slid her hand over my chest. I grinned, pulling her head into my shoulder, twining my fingers into hers.

                “Promise me you won’t abduct me, too,” she whispered into my burning skin.

                I laughed, “I promise.”

                She slid her body over mine, careful to avoid pressure on my wounds. She pressed her hands around my chest, burying her face into my neck. She glanced up at me, my breathing had increased. I cupped my hand around her cheek, my thumb gently tracing the freshly formed scab under her eye.

                I grinned as she tilted her head and pressed her lips against mine. My heart was racing. I traced my fingers along her spine, trying to keep my breathing under control. She moaned under my touch. I moved my lips against hers. I’d never wanted her so much before. She ran her hands through my hair, before pulling away.

                We laid there, inches apart, just as far as we’d been so many times before. But this time neither of us turned away. I kissed her again, letting my brain take in the feel of her pressed against me, the scent of soap mixed with my own. I flinched under her as she massaged my shoulders with her hands. She traced the waist of my shorts with her fingers as she settled next to me, talking into my ear.

                “I’m sorry,” she breathed, “that I didn’t listen to you.”

                I shook my head. “It’s okay, I wouldn’t have either. I’m insane remember?” I turned my head to kiss her again. She held my jaw as she moved her lips against mine, harder this time. She stopped, leaving me wanting her, and buried her head into my chest. I stroked the side of her face with my fingers. I didn’t know how long it would last, but at that moment it was just me and her. Nothing else mattered.

                “You said that Layla used to sing?” She asked.

                “Yeah,” I sighed, her voice still floating through my mind in the background behind everything else that had resurfaced in my head.

                “Do you miss her?” Her hand traced my turning stomach.

                “Yeah.” My head was starting to spin.

                “Do you sing?”

                I laughed, “Not really. That was her thing.”

                “I bet you’d be an amazing singer.” She shifted to look up at me. “You should sing something.”

                “Um, I don’t really sing…ever.” I could feel the heat bubbling up from inside of me changing the color of my face to a more noticeable shade of red by the second. “Besides, I wouldn’t put you through that.”

                “Shut up. Besides, Mr. Terrible at everything, I bet you saw me dancing and could hear me singing in my room at night. That was bad.”

                “I – I didn’t mean to,” I panicked. The last thing I wanted to talk about was me watching her in her room at night.

                She laughed, hugging me tighter. “Sing me one of Layla’s songs.”

                “I don’t know if I can-“ I started.

                “Please?” Her eyes penetrated mine, begging me for reasons I didn’t understand, and I couldn’t say no.