Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
CLOUDS OF COTTON CANDY
I t all felt so surreal.
Folding my legs under me, I smoothed my dress out while Oliver pulled out his phone and changed the music. It switched into a soft melody that was accompanied by a woman singing in French. He lifted his gaze to mine, his green eyes shining back at me as a smile spread across his lips.
I watched him carefully as he grabbed the small remote for the projector and pressed a button on it. It flipped the picture on the screen, and I looked over at the side of the house, watching as it shifted into a video that began a tour of France.
Lifting my hands to my mouth, I caught my own gasp and my heart rattled inside its cage as I watched the beauty unfold in front of me. From the corner of my eye, I caught Oliver grabbing one of the baskets and as I glanced over at him, he was pouring each of us a glass of wine.
“Wine from Paris, France,” Ollie said softly as he handed me the glass. I glanced up at the screen, watching as it continued with its video tour and the music playing in the background. “And some cheese to go with it,” he told me as he passed me a small plastic container with cubes of cheese.
“How did you manage to pull all of this off, Ollie?” I questioned him as I slowly sipped my wine. It had a tart flavor, one that lingered on my tongue with a tingling sensation. It warmed my throat as I swallowed it, but it did nothing to calm my emotions. “Where did you get all of this stuff?”
Oliver smiled at me and winked. “I have my ways, Looney Tune.”
He scooted closer to me on the blanket, his shoulder brushing against mine as he lowered his mouth to my ear. “Paris would be the first place I would take you to in France. I’d hold your hand as we strolled up and down the streets. We’d visit the Louvre Museum and of course, we’d see the Eiffel Tower.”
Oliver leaned forward, pulling out two small croissants from the first basket. He placed one on a napkin and handed it to me before situating himself right beside me. His warmth radiated against my skin and every nerve ending in my body felt like it was on fire.
“We would have to eat the best pastries before taking a tour of the countryside. That’s where the wine would come in, so I guess I served the food backward.”
I quickly chewed the bite of croissant I just took before responding. “It’s all perfect, Ollie. Everything about this is more than I ever could have imagined.”
Oliver turned his head to look down at me, his eyes slowly searching mine. He lifted his hand, his fingers brushing against my lip as he brushed away a flaky piece of pastry from my mouth. His expression was unreadable and his hand lingered, his thumb slowly stroking my bottom lip.
At that moment, I felt the oxygen draining from my lungs. They screamed in protest, my body reminding me I needed to take a breath before I started to shift into a state of oxygen deprivation.
He tore his gaze from mine, his hand abandoning my face as the music changed and the video from the projector shifted to a new country. And just like that, the moment was gone, even though the remnants of it hung heavily in the air around us.
Oliver continued to take me on a tour through Europe, handing me different foods from each country. The music perfectly shifted with each video that played through the projector. The entire thing was flawless and exceeded any expectations I could have possibly had.
The sun had already set and the chill was settling into the air around us. Oliver began our tour through South America as we traveled the beaches of Brazil. He looked over at me as I wrapped my arms around myself to chase away the coldness settling in my body. I watched him as he grabbed my sweater and another blanket.
He helped me put on my sweater and he rose to his knees, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. Oliver moved behind me, stretching out his legs on either side of mine as he pulled my back against his chest. A sigh slipped from my lips as I rested my head against his chest and felt his warmth envelope me as he wrapped his arms around my body.
“I don’t think I planned the food accordingly…” His voice trailed off, his breath warm against my ear. “I thought I had all the countries covered but I just realized the only thing I have left is dessert from Mexico.”
A soft laugh vibrated in my chest. “It’s fine, Ollie. This is more than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful to you for taking the time to do this for me.”
Oliver tightened his arms around me as he pressed the side of his face to mine and we both stared at the video on the side of the house. “I wish I could actually show you the world, Luna. I wish I could give you so much more than this.”
“Oliver,” I started, my throat feeling like it was coated with peanut butter. “You’ve already given me more than I could ever want.”
He nuzzled his face against the side of mine, his chest expanding against my back as he inhaled deeply. “I just want to give you the entire fucking world.” He paused for a moment, his breath sweet and warm against my cheek. “You deserve everything.”
My heart pounded erratically in my chest and my breathing grew shallow as I turned around in his arms to face him. I was taking a risk, putting both of us in this position, but I was finally taking Oliver’s advice. I wanted to enjoy every step of the journey I was on.
“Luna,” he murmured, his eyes staring into my soul as he brought his hands up to cup the sides of my face. “Luna, Luna, Luna.”
The videos stopped playing at some point, and I was still sitting between Oliver’s legs as he stroked the sides of my face with his thumbs. My heart crawled into my throat and the air around us was palpable with tension. His eyes kept dropping to my lips before finding my gaze again.
“I really want to kiss you right now,” he admitted, his voice cracking around his words. “Is that okay with you?”
His words caught me off guard. I had been dealing with my own feelings for Oliver for so long, but I never allowed myself to believe that maybe he felt the same way. I swallowed roughly over the lump lodged in my throat. It could be that we were both just caught up in the moment right now, but I wasn't about to turn down my first kiss… especially with Oliver Hart.
I nodded as my eyes rapidly bounced back and forth between his. “I’ve never been kissed before.”
“Good.” Oliver smiled, even though he already knew that. “I always wanted to be your first…”
His voice trailed off as he inched his face closer to mine. My eyelids fluttered shut and I swear my life flashed before my eyes. My heart was an erratic mess and Oliver’s breath was warm against my mouth as he dipped into my space.
His lips were soft, silky and sweet like clouds of cotton candy as he pressed them to mine. Neither of us dared to move and my lungs screamed in protest as I held my breath. After a few moments passed, Oliver slowly pulled away, a sigh escaping him as he pressed his forehead to mine.
Silence settled around us as I struggled to catch my breath. Oliver didn’t let go of me and kept his forehead to mine until my breathing grew even and as regular as it could be.
“Thank you, Luna,” he whispered as he lifted his head from mine. I watched the waves rolling against the shores of his ocean eyes.
I stared at him, my eyebrows pulling together in confusion. “For what?” I questioned him. He had no reason to be thanking me for anything.
“For being the best part of my life.”
And just like that, my heart kicked into overdrive again. There wasn’t a single flaw in Oliver and I had loved him for as long as I could remember. But in that very moment, I knew there would never be room for anyone else in my heart.
My heart would always belong to my best friend, even if he didn’t have the slightest clue.
“You’re the best part of my life too,” I admitted, my voice quiet as I didn’t fully trust it at that moment. I couldn’t fight the yawn forcing its way out and I quickly brought my hand to my mouth to cover it.
Oliver chuckled softly. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get you inside so you can get some rest.”
We pulled apart from each other and Oliver rose to his feet, extending his hand for me to take. He lifted me up with him and as I stood up, the exhaustion really began to kick in. It was as if Oliver could sense it and he slid one arm behind my back and the other under my legs as he scooped me into his arms.
A gasp escaped me as he lifted me into the air and began to walk toward my house. “You don’t have to carry me, Ollie,” I whispered to him as I reveled in his warmth. “I can walk.”
“I know you can,” he said matter-of-factly as he paused to open the front door and walked us inside, kicking the door shut behind him. “But there’s no reason you have to when I can hold you in my arms instead.”
He warmed my soul with his words, and I relaxed against him, resting my head against his shoulder as he carried me upstairs into my room. My mother and father were nowhere to be seen and I was thankful. It felt like an intimate moment I didn’t want either of them seeing.
As we reached my bedroom, Oliver walked me over toward my bed before he set me down. My feet hit the floor just as Tank pushed his way through the door. Oliver lowered me to my feet, his hands gripped my waist until he knew I was steady.
Tank pushed his way between the two of us and Oliver chuckled as he took a step back. He watched the two of us as I patted Tank’s head, letting him know that he was a good boy. As I turned my attention back to Oliver, I was suddenly overcome with so much emotion as the entire night replayed in my mind.
“Thank you for all of this, Ollie. Everything tonight, everything this summer… I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay you for making this as special as you have.”
Oliver stared down at me, a mix of emotions washing over his eyes. “You never have to repay me, Luna. I want to give you everything I possibly can.”
“You’re the best person I’ve ever met,” I told him, stepping into his space as I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck. “Thank you for being you.”
Oliver’s hands found the small of my back as he pressed my body against his for a moment longer than he normally would before we broke apart. A crooked smile played on his lips. “Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye to me? I showed you the world and now you’re done with me for the summer?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I assured him, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. It wasn’t a lie in the moment, but neither of us could ever predict the future. And one day I would be leaving this world without him.
I forced a soft laugh to lighten the mood. “Our summer is far from over.”
“Good.” He smiled down at me before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Sweet dreams, Luna.”
“Goodnight, Oliver,” I told him as I watched him turn to leave my bedroom.
He paused in my doorway, turning back to look at me once more. “I hope you dream of me,” he said quietly before he disappeared into the hallway, leaving me alone with my thoughts as he took the oxygen from the room with him.