Chapter 31 #2
She laughs. “Always.” Arriving at the garage, we exit the elevator, and she looks down at my feet. “How does your ankle feel? Can you drive?”
I walk to the Tesla and open the passenger door for her. “Absolutely. It was just a little strain.”
A little strain that hurt like hell for two days.
It’s quiet, the sound of the rain on the roof accompanying our drive through the rainy streets as the city lights reflect off the wet pavement. We reach the burger place, one of those all-night joints that always smells amazing no matter the time.
I park in the deserted lot, choosing a spot a little farther off beneath a tree, hoping its branches will shield the car a little from the rain.
“So, fries? Anything else?” I ask, unbuckling my seat belt and turning to face her.
“What? You don’t want me to come with?”
“As if I’d let you walk over there in the rain,” I reply, smirking.
“How gentlemanly of you,” she says, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I know,” I quip back, flashing a grin.
“Make it a large one, please.”
“Coming right up,” I say, winking at her before dashing through the rain.
The cool rain pelts through my clothes as I sprint over and inside, but nothing can dampen my mood.
The place is almost empty, and I quickly order our fries and add two strawberry milkshakes for good measure.
Making my way back to the car, I slow down to avoid spilling anything, getting thoroughly soaked in the process.
When I open the car door, Amelia reaches over and takes the milkshakes so I can maneuver into the car easier. I sit down, dripping water everywhere.
Oliver is going to hate me.
Oh well, I bet he already does.
“Oh my God, you’re soaked.” Amelia laughs. She seems happier, more relaxed, and pride swells within me.
She’s smiling like that because of me.
The aroma of the fries fills the car, and her stomach growls again. “Come on, let’s dig in. I’m starving,” I murmur, handing her the bag.
She takes a fry and bites into it, moaning at the taste.
I love that fucking sound.
“Thanks for this,” she says, looking over at me with a warm smile. “I needed it,” she adds, taking another bite.
“Always, Bug,” I say before taking a chance and adding, “You know, if you’re ever awake at night and want company, you can always text me. Chances are, I’m up too.”
I open the lid of my milkshake and dunk one of my fries inside, catching her frown.
“That’s naughty. Haven’t your parents told you not to play with your food?” she teases, raising an eyebrow.
“Naughty, huh? God, that sounds hot with your accent,” I reply, grinning.
She scowls, but then a grin curls her lips. “Idiot.”
“It’s an American thing, dunking your fries in a milkshake. Never seen it in a movie?”
“No, you guys have no taste.”
I laugh. “I’m Greek. And you Brits have no taste. You, in particular, microwave pizza.”
Her eyes widen. “How do you know?”
My heart skips a beat, but I play it cool. “I just guessed, but now I know.” She laughs and punches me lightly on the arm. “Ouch, you’re vicious, you know that?”
“Shut up.” She grins.
I dip another fry into my milkshake and hold it out to her lips. “Come on, be a little naughty with me.”
She hesitates for a moment, her gaze locked on mine, then leans in and takes a bite, her lips brushing against my fingers.
Fuck me.
Her eyes widen in surprise as she chews, then she breaks into a laugh. “Okay, that’s actually not bad.”
“Told you.”
This might have been a bad idea after all.
I try not to feed her again, and we eat the rest of our fries in silence. I’m licking the salt off my fingers, savoring the last of the fries, when Amelia sets her milkshake down and lets out a contented sigh, leaning back in her seat.
“I’m not ready to go home yet.”
I raise an eyebrow.
Me neither.
“Do you wanna drive around for a bit or just hang out in the back of the car and watch some videos or something? Talk a little?”
Amelia’s eyes sparkle as she considers her options. “Sitting here and talking sounds perfect.”
I nod, gathering up the trash. “Let me just get rid of this stuff real quick.”
I climb out of the car, the rain immediately soaking through my clothes again. Amelia bursts out from the other side, making a run for the burger place, her hair quickly plastering to her forehead. Laughing, I follow her, using the trash as a makeshift umbrella.
We dash across the parking lot, our laughter echoing through the rain as we dodge some puddles and splash through others, our shoes squelching with each step.
When we finally reach the diner’s trash cans, I toss the trash away and grab Amelia’s hand, feeling a jolt of electricity run through me.
Her glasses are fogged up, and droplets cling to the lenses, probably making it hard for her to see.
“Hey, come here,” I say, pulling her back into the rain.
She giggles, letting me spin her around, our arms outstretched like wings.
We tilt our faces up to the sky, letting the rain wash over us.
I pull her close, feeling her body press against mine.
We’re both laughing, our eyes locked on each other’s.
In this moment, it feels like we’re the only two people in the world, and the rain drums against us, a rhythmic beat that matches the pounding of my heart.
We stand there, catching our breath, and I brush a wet strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. I reach up and remove her glasses. Her gaze is fixed on mine, her eyes soft and full of something I can’t quite name.
But I bet my eyes are full of it too.
I rest my wet forehead against hers, whispering, “I could stay like this forever.”
“Me, too,” she replies, but her teeth chatter while she speaks.
It’s actually pretty cold.
Wiping her glasses with the edge of my soaked shirt, I place them back on her nose. “Come on, let’s get you out of the rain.”
We run back, our hands intertwined, slipping and sliding on the wet pavement. When we finally stumble back to the car, laughing and shivering, I open the back door and help her climb in before I follow her inside, closing the door with a thud.
Inside the car, the air is warmer, but we huddle together, our bodies close, sharing warmth as we kick off our wet shoes.
Amelia pulls her glasses off, the lenses covered in raindrops and fog anew.
She tries to wipe them with the hem of her soaked hoodie, but the damp fabric only smears the water around, making it worse.
With a frustrated sigh, she whispers, “Fuck it,” and sets the glasses down beside her on the seat before she cuddles back into me.
Her shivers slowly subside as I rub her arm, trying to chase away the chill.
“That was fun,” she murmurs, her head resting on my shoulder, a tender smile playing on her lips.
“Yeah, it was,” I agree, feeling a deep sense of contentment wash over me. “I’d do it all over again just to see you smile like that.”
Amelia pulls the hood of her hoodie over her head, probably to hide her blush, and I reach out to tug on the strings. The hood closes over her face, leaving only her nose peeking out. She squeals and tries to push my hands away, but I hold tight, grinning.
Leaning in, my face inches from hers, I press a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. She giggles and tries to squirm away, but I hold her in place, savoring the closeness.
Finally, I let her go, and she pushes the hood back, her face flushed, but her teeth are still chattering slightly as she grins at me.
I lean forward, reaching between the two front seats to crank up the heat. The warm air begins to circulate, and Amelia lets out a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry, that was a bad idea.” I chuckle, shaking my wet curls. “We’re wet, and it’s cold and… oh, who am I kidding? That was amazing.”
“Maybe we should get out of the soaking hoodies.” Amelia laughs, pulling hers off over her head and letting it fall to the side with a wet slap. My eyes widen as I see her in a thin white T-shirt.
She’s not wearing a bra, and I can see her small, beautiful breasts through the damp material.
Lord, help me.
I try to play it cool, but my eyes are drawn to the way the fabric clings to her body. I’m not supposed to be noticing this. We’re friends. I’m not supposed to be thinking about how beautiful she looks right now.
But my brain seems to have other plans, and I find myself stuck in a loop of admiration, my eyes fixed on the way her hair is dripping wet, her skin is glowing, and her chest is heaving.
I start to shiver, too, although I’m not quite sure it’s because of the cold.
Amelia notices and frowns. “Get rid of that wet thing,” she says, nodding toward my hoodie.
I hesitate for a moment but then pull the hoodie off over my head just as I remember I’m not wearing a T-shirt underneath. I left the house in just my sweatpants, socks and shoes, and hoodie. Nothing else.
Amelia’s eyes widen as she sees me, but she doesn’t say anything. She just rubs her upper arms, goose bumps spreading over her skin.
“Come here.”
She looks at me with wide eyes, and I can sense her hesitation. “What?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
I grab her hips and pull her into my lap so that she’s straddling me and start to rub her arms myself. “It’s going to get warm in here soon.”
She laughs a little shakily, her cold hands now on my chest, her fingers brushing against my chest hair. “How come I’m always freezing when I’m out with you?”
“It’s a scheme so I can have you close to warm you up again.” I chuckle, only half-joking.
Our eyes lock, and I can see the attraction there, the spark that’s been growing between us. I push her hair back, my fingers tangling in the wet strands.
“Hug me until you’re warm, and I smell like you,” I whisper.
She looks at me, her eyes searching, and for a moment, I think she’s going to pull away. But then she leans in, her arms wrapping around my neck, and I breathe in the scent of vanilla and Amelia.
Holding her close, my chest tingles, and it hits me that… this is it.
She is it.