Twenty | Cole
Twenty
Cole
I had avoided Lyric for as long as I could, but as the night wore on, it became more and more impossible.
Ben and Kara had gone to bed an hour ago, while I stayed in Chloe’s room, reading a story to her, even though she had fallen asleep in the first few minutes.
I was stalling having to see Lyric, and I knew it, but that didn’t make it any easier to face her.
I went to the kitchen and filled a glass with ice water, hoping it would be enough to literally chill me out.
My heart raced at the thought that Lyric was in the bedroom, waiting for me.
I knew she wouldn’t go to bed until we had a chance to talk because I had recognized the look on her face during dinner—the one that said she knew something was wrong with me and she wasn’t going to let it go until we talked it out.
The ice water burned as I chugged it, setting the glass down hard enough on the counter that I had to check to make sure I didn’t break it. My eyes drifted over to the small brown paper bag that was still sitting on the counter with Lyric’s surprise in it.
I loaded the glass into the dishwasher, then started it before grabbing the bag and heading to the bedroom.
Each step felt heavier as I approached the bedroom, noticing that the door was open instead of closed like Lyric usually left it when getting ready for bed.
That meant she was watching to make sure I came into the room and didn’t try to sneak off to sleep on the couch to avoid her.
I swallowed hard, forcing down the rising anxiety as I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.
She sat on the bed, rubbing lotion onto her leg as she looked up at me and stopped.
My eyebrows rose on their own as my eyes unashamedly traveled the length of her body, taking in the sight before me.
Lyric had always been beautiful, but tonight she looked like an angel ready to lead me into temptation. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head, allowing me to see the color as it flushed her cheeks while her eyes stayed locked on mine.
Her hands slowly continued rubbing the lotion in, moving from her ankle up to her thigh, where her shorts had ridden up. Her skin looked soft and smooth, making me desperate to touch her.
“Hey,” she said softly, finally breaking the silence between us.
“Hey.” Blood rushed past my ears as I watched her lean back on her hands and cross her ankles with her legs extended in front of her. She was like a siren, calling me to the depths of the ocean where I would willingly drown if it meant I got to be with her again.
“Everything okay?”
I nodded, forgetting that I was still clutching the paper bag in my fingers as if it were my only lifeline.
“Yeah. I um, I got you something,” I said as I awkwardly walked over to her side of the bed and held it out.
A playful smile stretched her lips as she looked from me to the bag, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. She took the bag and opened it slowly, peering inside before pulling her head back and laughing.
“Oh my gosh!” she squealed as she pulled the contents out and held each item up. “I cannot believe you remembered!”
I allowed myself to grin as I stared at her, admiring the smile on her face as she studied the bag of gummy worms and the bottle of Sprite I had gotten her.
I had wanted to surprise Lyric on our first date, so I went to the store and tried to pick something special to give her. My dad had recommended that I get her flowers, but I thought the idea was lame and wanted to do something cooler.
I’d spent so long staring at the candy that I hadn’t noticed that she was standing beside me until she plucked a bag of gummy worms from the rack and opened them. I was still unaware of her presence until she dangled a worm in front of my face, making it dance like a worm on a fishing hook.
When I finally paid attention and spotted it, I jumped back in surprise, making her giggle as she popped one in her mouth and ate it. I could still remember the gleam in her eyes as she watched me, amusement flickering across her face as I tried to hide the flush covering my face.
“Good thing I’m not a snake,” she said, looking up at me as she recited the same line she had said to me that day. “I would have bitten you.”
“Oh, but what a way to go,” I replied, saying the same thing I had said to her all those years ago, back when I was as hopelessly in love with her as I still was today.