28. Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Sloane
I could have laid in Ky's arms all night long, but there was no way that would fly if my parents found me on the sofa with him in the morning. I was blissfully exhausted by the time I went upstairs in the wee hours of the morning, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. That beautiful boy was downstairs, and it drove me crazy until eventually, I fell asleep.
I awake to my door opening and Ky standing there looking all gorgeous and sleepy-headed with a mug in his hand. "Morning, sunshine," he says with a sweet grin. He looks adorable in sweatpants and a long-sleeved Led Zeppelin T-shirt.
I self-consciously run a hand through my hair as I sit up, pulling the covers up to my shoulders. "Hey," I smile, trying to knock the cobwebs out of my brain.
He notices my unease and says, "You look even more beautiful first thing in the morning."
My insides turn to mush, and I can feel myself blush. I laugh. "I don't know about that-"
"I do," he says as he seems to remember he's holding a mug. "Oh, here's some hot chocolate." He brings me the mug, then sneaks a quick kiss.
I cover my mouth with my free hand. "I bet I have morning breath."
He laughs, "No, you don't." He's back in the doorway with that grin that's doing all sorts of things to my insides. "I'm going to shower downstairs. Your dad's making breakfast, but we have enough time to shower."
"Cool," I say. "I'll be down soon." I take a sip of cocoa. "Mmmm, this is so good, thanks."
He winks at me then says, "Go get ready, I only have one day with you, and I don't want to waste it."
***
After breakfast, I show Ky around Dunwoody. It's not like there's a ton to see as it's basically a small suburb of Atlanta. "It's too bad it's winter because we could go to a park or the lake," I say as I'm wrapping up the short tour. "We could go down to Little 5 Points," I suggest, "but we'd basically be shopping or eating."
"Didn't you say there's a movie theater by the mall?" he asks.
"Yeah, wanna go see a movie?"
He rubs my right leg just above the knee. "Sit with you in a dark room or go shopping? No contest," he says with a devilish grin.
I clasp his hand and smile at him as the butterflies stir. "I agree."
As I approach a stop sign Ky reaches across the car and plants his hand on my forehead. I shoot him a quizzical glance trying to hide my irritation of his erratic motion while I’m driving. “What the heck was that for?”
“The sign said, ‘Stop Ahead.’” He laughs at his own joke and I politely chuckle but internally roll my eyes at his attempt at humor. I guess girls do mature faster than boys , I think to myself.
The movie theatre in the parking lot of Perimeter Mall is small so we only have a couple of choices. We walk up to the ticket counter and Ky checks his watch. "Hmm, so it looks like it's between Single White Female and Home Alone 2, based on the time.”
"Single White Female, don't you think?" I suggest.
Ky smiles and puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. He says so only I can hear, "Yeah, because it wouldn't be appropriate to make out in a kids' Christmas movie."
I feel my cheeks burn and I giggle. "Agreed."
Okay, so we only kissed a little in the theatre, but there were plenty of opportunities for me to bury my head in Ky's chest during that movie. Afterwards, we head across the street for dinner, then to my favorite place in town, a European-style café with the best desserts and coffees. We snuggle up in a corner of the small restaurant with hot drinks while we share a delicious chocolate and caramel cake.
"I never would have thought sharing a cake with someone could be this fun," Ky says as he feeds me a piece.
I smile as I savor the scrumptious dessert. "I know." I give him a sweet kiss that lingers only for a second. My face is close to his. "I'm not one for PDA, but I'll make an exception for you."
Ky smiles but then seems to realize something as his smile quickly fades. "I hate that I have to leave in the morning."
I inhale deeply. "I know," I pout. "I've been trying not to think about it and just enjoy the moment, but it's hard the later it gets."
"Do you think you'll be able to come down to Thomasville?" he asks, his eyes hopeful.
"I don't know. It's a long way for me to go by myself, but I can ask my parents and see if they'll let me." I think for a moment. "How far is Thomasville from Panama City Beach?”
"About two and a half hours. Why?" He asks, then takes a bite of cake.
"My friends and I are going there for Spring Break the first week of April. If I can't make it to Thomasville before then, maybe you could come to Florida when I'm there?" Now, I'm the one with hope in my voice.
"I could try," he says. "I'm not sure if I'd be able to get a place to stay, or the time off, but once I get back, I'll see."
I feel my shoulders slump. "I hate that you're so far away." I take his hand in mine and look down, gently rubbing the pad of my thumb along his knuckles.
He tilts my chin up with his free hand. "Don't be sad. Maybe I can come up here for another show."
I sit up straighter as hope fills my brain. "If you do and it's a weekend show, you can always stay at my house. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."
He smiles at me then pecks my mouth. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."
We finish up and head back to my house, after a quick make-out session in the car, of course. I'm discovering that these teenage hormones are no joke. When we get home, we spend a little time with my family before my mom ushers everyone upstairs so Ky and I can hang out together. Just like the previous night, we cuddle up under a blanket, watch TV, and yes, make-out some more.
Being with Ky, I'm totally beginning to understand when people talk about having chemistry. At least physical chemistry. When we talk, Ky isn't as deep as I would like, and he’s a bit immature, especially for a nineteen-year-old, but he’s sweet, and cute…and he likes me. Granted, I don't have a lot of experience, but when I'm with Ky, it feels way more passionate and natural than it did with Dave.
We stop to catch our breath, and Ky stares deeply into my eyes. He runs his index finger across my jawline. "I love you."
I blink hard. Holy cow, did he just say that? My insides are as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. What do I say? Do I love him, too? Are we there yet? I have to say something. "I love you, too," my mouth decides to say, though I'm really not sure if I do. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m not there yet. Since I know my face has a habit of betraying me, I pull him into a hug and bury my face in his neck.