Chapter 15
7 Years Ago
It was two days after Christmas, and Nolan sat at his desk, trying to catch up on schoolwork he’d fallen behind on. He had no idea what possessed him to take multiple AP classes, but he was kicking himself now. He could’ve breezed through his senior year, but instead he overdid it.
If he failed any of his classes, he’d be benched. Coach was all about the team performing well, both on the court and in the classroom. Being benched wasn’t an option. So instead of enjoying his vacation like the rest of his friends, he was frying his brain with AP computer science and AP calculus.
A knock on his bedroom door jolted him out of his textbook. He spun in his chair, and the tension that had been plaguing his shoulder blades eased at the sight of Isla. She looked adorable with her reddened nose and red knit hat with a big pompom on the top.
She waved a gloved hand at him, and he got up to give her a kiss. He could feel her smile against his lips.
He pulled back and kissed her forehead. “Hey.”
“I was knocking on the front door, and when you didn’t answer, I just let myself in. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.” He ran a hand over his face. “Sorry I didn’t even hear you.”
“I’m guessing your parents already left for upstate?” His parents were going skiing at Gore Mountain for a few days and would return in time to ring in the new year.
“They did. This morning.”
“Then why aren’t you downstairs, eating ice cream out of the carton and lounging on the couch in your underwear?”
He laughed. “I would, but I have a lot of work to do.”
“But it’s Christmas break.”
“I can’t get any more behind in my classes than I already am.”
“Is that why you’re stressed out?”
“I didn’t say I was stressed out.”
“No, but you were sleep walking the other night.”
“You were here for that?”
She nodded. “Your mom said you do that when you get stressed out.”
“Between midterms, college applications, and work, I guess I’ve been a little more stressed than usual.”
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“You have your own problems. I didn’t want to weigh you down with mine.”
“Nolan, your problems are my problems. That’s how relationships work. We talk to each other, tell each other what’s on our minds.” She wrapped him in a hug, and he melted into her comfort. “Tell you what. You finish whatever it is you're working on, and I’ll go downstairs and whip something up for dinner.”
“Isla, you burn water.”
“Okay, I’ll call for a pizza. I’m really good at that.”
He laughed. “That would be great. I haven’t eaten since… I don’t remember, actually.”
She tsked at him. “You know better than that. How can you even concentrate on an empty stomach?”
“Maybe that’s why nothing is making sense.”
“I’ll go order that pizza.” She kissed his cheek, and with a little sashay of her hips, headed out the door. He stared after her long after she was gone. His mind kept drifting to her, so he put his pencil down and went to the kitchen.
Isla hung up the phone and turned to him with a smile. “Pizza will be here in twenty minutes.”
“What should we do until then?” he asked.
She came to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Whole house to ourselves. I can think of a few things.”
He dipped his head, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. She kissed him with the same amount of passion. Not wasting anytime, he picked her up and carried her to the couch. He sat down and she straddled him, never letting their mouths part.
Her body rocked against his, and he bit back the desires running through him. They’d been here so many times. Hot and heavy. Their kisses turning more desperate with each move of their lips. They were both still virgins, holding out for when the moment was right. He thought every moment was right, but Isla wanted to wait still, and he respected that. He would never rush her, and he would wait for however long she needed.
Many nights he suffered a bad case of blue balls, but the pain was worth it. Kissing Isla was his own personal Utopia filled with joy and pleasure.
Her fingers slid beneath his shirt and he bucked at the cold press of her hands on his skin.
She laughed. “Sorry.”
“Never.” He kissed her harder as her hands ran up and down his abs. His pants tightened as his erection became impossibly hard.
He eased away, framing her face with his fingers and running his thumb across her kiss-swollen lips. “We should stop.”
She pouted, which was incredibly adorable. He nipped her lip, and she smiled, swatting at his chest before dipping her head and kissing him again.
Pleasure and desire mixed together, making it impossible for him to focus on anything other than the soft feel of Isla’s touch, her intoxicating scent that filled his senses and the torturous grind of her hips. He knotted his fingers in her blonde strands and thrust his tongue against hers.
“We need to stop,” he said, forcing himself to pull his mouth from hers. He dragged his tongue down the curve of her neck, loving how the single action caused her to moan. The moan was his undoing, and before he made a mess in his pants, he thought about random basketball stats.
She met his eyes, and the stats vanished. All he could focus on was her droopy, desire filled gaze.
She cupped his jaw. “I don’t want to stop.”
“You know we have to.”
She rested a hand on his chest. “I’m ready.”
His eyes widened, and his head flung back, hitting the couch. “Ready? As in ready?”
A beautiful smile cracked the corner of her lips, and she nodded. “I don’t want to stop.”
A knock at the door echoed through the house, and Isla sighed. She went to climb off of him, and he clamped down on her sides. “Oh no, you are not walking away.”
“But the pizza is here.”
“Fuck the pizza.”
“You need to eat.”
“You just told me you’re ready to have sex. The last thing I care about is food.”
Another knock reverberated through the house. “Pizza!” The delivery man called from outside.
“Yes, but if I don’t get the door who knows what the town gossip mill will say, and we don’t need it getting back to either of our parents.”
She had a point. “Okay.” He let go of his hold on her. “Go get the pizza.”
She got off of him, and he instantly felt the loss. He felt complete whenever their lips came together. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like when they finally went all the way. Was it actually going to happen tonight?
He didn’t know if Isla had said it in the moment and would backtrack, or if she really was ready. He heard her speaking with the pizza man then the door shut.
He met her in the doorway, and she tossed the pizza on the closest surface and jumped into his arms. “Now, where were we?”
“We were going to eat.”
She shook her head, her lips never leaving his. “I don’t want food. I want you.”
God, he’d been waiting for this moment for so long, but he didn’t want to rush into it. He didn’t want Isla to have any regrets. He rested his forehead against hers, their breaths coming out in heated gasps. “Are you sure? Because we can wait.”
“I’m done waiting. I love you, Nolan Parker. You were my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and I want you to be my first.”
He sighed. “I love you too, Isla Garrick. Always have and always will.” He kissed her slowly and sweetly as he carried her up to his bedroom, making Isla another first for him, too.