31. caleb
31
caleb
The sweet, charming boy I met years ago in that cafeteria. My best friend.
God, he kisses so damn well. Why did this take so long? Right—because I knew the moment this happened, there would be no going back. I am, and always have been, in love with him. And this? This wraps my feelings in a pretty bow.
His lips move perfectly with mine, pressing together in sync. I moan softly, inhaling his faint cologne. He smells so damn good. And tastes even better.
I part my lips, inviting him in—and the moment his tongue slides over mine, my whole body ignites. We fight for dominance as I back him up into the kitchen island, not far from where we were standing.
Nathaniel throws his head back, gasping for air, and I seize the chance to kiss, lick, and bite at his neck.
“You wore this for me tonight, didn’t you? And your glasses?” I groan into his skin, tugging on his shirt to pull him closer. Our thighs intertwine, heat building between us.
“I’m not telling you anything,” he chuckles. I nip lightly at his Adam’s apple as it bobs under my lips.
"This—" I lick a trail from the base of his collarbone to his jawline. "This should’ve been your first kiss."
He pants softly. "Really? Because I think we would've had a lot of explaining to do."
Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he pulls me back to his mouth.
Don’t mind if I do.
We kiss like we’ve waited our whole lives for it. Hell, I think we have. I lose track of time. My hands slide under his shirt, exploring his warm, rigid skin.
“We shouldn’t,” he breathes, pulling just far enough away for the words to come out. “Not here.”
“Oh, but we so should,” I pant, eyes flicking down to his puffy, bruised lips. “She wouldn’t mind.”
“You have a show,” he says, smiling. Our foreheads press together.
“Oh, fuck!” I laugh, turning toward the door. “I honestly forgot.”
“Mmm,” Nathaniel leans in, kissing me again—slowly this time. “We also have to talk.”
I close my eyes and breathe him in. I don’t want this to end. I’m not finished here. I don’t think I ever will be.
“Okay. Let’s talk after the show. Leave with me. Come to my apartment—Tony won’t be home tonight.” I bite my lip and pull him into me by the hips.
“Fine,” he says, smiling.
“Fine,” I echo, kissing him one last time before heading for the door. “I’ll be looking forward to that talk,” I call back, leaving him in Sarah’s apartment.
I can’t stop smiling the whole walk back to the rooftop.
I kissed Nathaniel Philips.
***
The rest of the night passes in a haze. For only having one drink, I feel completely drunk on life.
I scan the patio, watching Nathaniel talk to Sarah and his friend Theo.
Gripping the mic in my hand, I belt out the last note of the song. I love performing, but I’ve never wanted a set to end faster.
Nathaniel throws his head back laughing. His golden brown hair falls out of place, and I ache to run my fingers through it. He didn’t wear his backwards hat tonight, and it’s making things way too easy to imagine.
“Thanks for coming out tonight! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Airheads! Good night—we love you!” I shout into the mic.
The crowd cheers. I spot Nathaniel and Sarah clapping the loudest. My heart could burst.
Tony and the rest of the band come over, smiling, laughing, patting me on the back.
“I’m gonna need you to stay at Richard’s tonight,” I whisper to Tony with a wink.
He groans. “But his girlfriend scares me.”
I throw an arm around his shoulder. “Would you rather stay home and listen to me getting railed by that dude over there?” I nod toward Nathaniel.
Tony’s eyes go wide as he follows my gaze.
“Wait… you’re the bottom?”
I laugh. “I damn well hope so. But I’m not opposed to switching.”
He cringes and pulls away. “Ugh, okay, I’m out.” He hands me my leather sports jacket, and I nod in thanks.
He points at Richard. “You better lock up your dog and your girlfriend tonight. I don’t want to wake up to either licking my face.”
I shake my head at his dumb joke and make my way to the edge of the party. The music pulses from the nearby speaker. People sway and laugh, but I only have one thing on my mind:
Find him. Take him home. Finish what we started.
“That was amazing!” Sarah’s voice cuts through the crowd as she throws her arms around me.
“Thanks, beautiful.” I hug her tight, my eyes darting behind her.
There he is. Nathaniel stands beside Theo. Theo leans in to whisper something, and I try not to notice his hand resting on Nathaniel’s lower back.
“Sarah, the guys are heading out. Wanna introduce me to that Dating App Creator you know?” Theo says, nudging her.
“Oh right! She’s around here somewhere.” She glances around.
I roll my eyes. Nathaniel and I exchange a glance and share a smile. We’re thinking the exact same thing. Enough chatting, more lips smackin’. Or, at least that’s what I’m thinking.
“Night, you two. I’ll message you later… or maybe tomorrow.” Sarah winks before linking arms with Theo and walking off.
Nathaniel and I step closer until only inches separate us.
“Looks like you just lost your ride home,” I tease, my eyes drawn to his lips. I want to kiss them again, but I’m not sure how he feels about PDA.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine. You don’t mind giving me a ride…” His voice trails into a shy smile.
This guy will be the death of me.
I bite my lip. “I’ll never mind. I can’t get you home fast enough. Let’s go.” I tug on his arm, heading toward the exit.
“Wait.” He stops.
“What’s wrong?” My stomach twists. Is he backing out? Has he changed his mind?
Before I can take another breath, he closes the gap and kisses me.
Right there. In front of everyone.
His warm lips move over mine, slow and sure, and I melt into him. I pull him closer, nearly moaning into his mouth.
“Woah,” I whisper when we finally pull apart.
Now that we’ve crossed this line, I never want to stop.
“I wanted you to know,” he says. “There’s no running from my end. I want this.”
His jaw tightens as he nudges me toward the door.
I stumble, stunned. He’s not mad—he just doesn’t want me to leave again.
I nod and keep walking. He follows me down the stairwell to the main lobby.
Outside, I grab his hand and lead him to a nearby alley.
“This way,” I say.
His eyes go wide when he sees what I’m leading him to.
“Oh, no way.” He backs up a little.
I rode here with Tony, thankfully. That means I have the second helmet. There’s no way I’d let Nathaniel get on my bike without proper protection. He’s too important.
“Here.” I shove Tony’s leather jacket and the helmet into his chest.
I throw a leg over my Yamaha R7, reach for my own helmet, and pull it on.
“You ride this?” he asks, still eyeing the bike.
“Yep. And if you shut up and get on, it won’t be the only thing I’m riding tonight.”
I snap the visor shut and rev the engine.
Nathaniel’s eyes are still wide, but he hurries over and climbs on behind me.
“I trust you,” he says, strapping on the helmet.
Hearing that from him feels like everything.
I peel out of the alley and head toward home. It's only a 20-minute ride from Sarah’s place, but my heart pounds the entire way.
He’s holding on tight—arms around my waist, thighs pressed to mine—and I swear, I’ve never felt more alive.
Nathaniel Philips kissed me tonight.
And I hope we do so much more.