“What do you two have planned for today then?”
Holding up the bag, she replied, “Snacks and movies.”
“That sounds fun. Keep your bedroom door open please, Noah.”
I frowned. Supposedly, they trusted me but every time I was told to leave my door open or not to rush things, I felt like I was being judged —that my loyalty was in question. I knew the proper way to handle this. I wasn’t going to mess it up.
I liked her, yes. I could fool my family, but I couldn’t fool myself. That didn’t mean I was going to throw everything away over a teenage crush.
“I will,” I replied a little harder than I would usually talk to my parents. Trust me. With a curt nod, Mum retreated to the living room. “Come on then, show me how much fun a movie night is.”
Smiling, she walked past me, heading up the stairs to my bedroom. I couldn’t help watching her. She was petite, but her slim legs and slight frame made her look taller. Her dusty brunette hair cascaded down her back in loose, messy waves.
“Okay,” she said, turning to me once we were in my room. “Which one do you want to watch first? Batman Begins or Spider-Man?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t seen either, so it’s your choice.”
“What? You’ve never seen the Batman or Spider-Man movies?”
“No.”
“Noah, where have you been living for the last sixteen years!”
I forced out a laugh and took Batman Begins from her outstretched hand. “This one first.”
“Well, I know you’ve at least had popcorn but please tell me you’ve also had Oreos before.”
Grinning, I replied, “I was raised on a pretty remote farm on a tiny island, but I am not that sheltered.” I was. Until she held the packet up I had no idea what an Oreo was.
“I don’t know, you’ve not watched much TV, never had movie nights, you don’t eat a whole lot of junk and you’ve never had a girlfriend before.”
“Funny how I meet you soon after I’ve corrected all of that.” My heart jumped as I realised what I’d said. I knew I needed the girlfriend/boyfriend title, but that wasn’t exactly how I envisioned it happening. She had to feel special. It had to be romantic. And not just because that’s what I needed in order for her to put every ounce trust in me.
Unfortunately, Scarlett didn’t miss it either. She watched me carefully, silently. “Have you done all of them now?”
“Is that what you want?”
She frowned. “No way, I asked you first!”
Laughing, I put the DVD down on the bed, followed by the bag she was still clutching and bent my head level with hers. “Well, I think it’s a pretty good idea.”
“We’ve not known each other long,” she replied. Her voice was low, almost a whisper.
“I know, but I like what I’ve seen so far. I’m not proposing, Scarlett, you’re not forced to be with me forever. Look, this is new to me, but I like you, and I’d like to see what happens.”
She broke into a heart-stopping smile that did nothing to help me control my feelings for her. “In that case, I’m in,” she replied.
We stared at each other like morons as the air thickened. I was supposed to kiss her. I’d never kissed a girl before. She had an ex-boyfriend, so the likelihood of her having kissed someone before was high. I didn’t want to look like an inexperienced fool.
Now was the time, though. I’d let things go on for far too long with very little physical contact. She wanted to take things further, had for a while now, but I couldn’t rush anything with her and risk it burning out.
Reaching out, I gently grabbed her hips and brought her closer. Her hands fell on my chest, and she splayed her fingers, running them over my shoulders. Yes, she had definitely done this before.
I leaned in and my heart went wild as I felt her breath across my lips. This was uncharted territory but being this close to her, having my hands on her and hers on me, felt so natural it scared me. The feelings I had for her were almost so overwhelming I wanted to run and hide from them. I understood love; I felt it for a multitude of people, but this was different. This was confusing, exciting, terrifying and so, so strong already.
I closed the inch between us when I couldn’t stand it anymore. Her lips were smooth and soft and melded to mine perfectly. Scarlett was warm and felt like home. It was more than I had ever imagined.
Her hands found their way into my hair, and I pulled her tighter against my body. I grazed her bottom lip with my tongue, and she twisted her fingers through the light strands at the back of my head. My heart hammered every second I kissed her. We pulled away at the same time.
I saw, for the first time, that she was the light.
“So… Batman Returns then?” I asked, clearing my throat and holding onto her. I tried to control my breathing and my erratic heart rate so she wouldn’t know just how much she had affected me.
Nodding with a show-stopping smile, she replied, “Good film.”