Page 72 of Your Side of the Offense

Hey.

I stare at the phone, and nothing happens. He reads my message after about five minutes, but doesn't respond or show he's typing.

So, you are really ignoring me?

Still no answer, just a 'read.'

Well, that is that, I guess. I reached out. I'll have to wait him out, I guess. I take Arch's tablet and scroll through to see what new things he has.

When he comes back, he has a towel wrapped around his waist and my lips part as everything else in the world fades. Fuck. I haven't seen that body in a minute. I knew he was still fine under all that, but still.

He just goes on like he doesn't see anything wrong in what he's doing. He goes to his closet and his muscles flex as he opens the closet and bends to pick up clothes. Curling my toes, I try to get rid of my wayward thoughts and come back to sanity because something is definitely getting excited down south. But I can't do that.

Just friends.

He is just my friend. We are just friends. Totally platonic. Yes.

I choose to lie down and get under the covers to cover my face. Not today, Satan.

The bed dips, he removes the cover on my face, and smiles down at me.

"Are you alright?"

I roll my eyes. He knows exactly what he was doing, this harlot.

"Just lay down so I can sleep, man."

He chuckles.

"Lights." I remind him.

"Oh, fuck."

"Get your head in the game, Deltona."

His eyes flash with desire, but he moves quickly. He switches off the lights, jumps back in the bed, and lays on his back. I scoot close and lay on his chest. We don't say more and his breath evens after a few minutes. It’s getting easier and easier for him to fall asleep again and I am glad I can make a difference. But I stay up a little longer contemplating my life.

What am I even doing? This thing with Logan, where is it going?

Can I be honest with myself and say I have gotten over them?

I fall asleep with those thoughts ruling my brain.

But when sleep slips from me I find Arch looking at me, our bodies touching everywhere. Our legs are intertwined, and our faces are so close. Holding me like he used to, and I am holding on to him like I used to.

It feels like it’s been forever now, but the memories are still fresh. How he'd make me feel. How I'd make him feel. The piggyback rides on his family's estate when we'd venture to the cliff overlooking the vast sea. Sometimes we'd go out there for picnics at night and look at the stars.

I was always shit with constellations, but he'd tell me all about them. I was in love with all of them, but Arch was my emotional safety, he always got my emotional side and honored everything I felt.

As I stare at him, and he stares at me I can't help but lock my brain and decide to abandon the whole world and live in this moment.

Everything flies out the window when I lean in and kiss him.

The kiss is slow, I just want to feel him again, maybe I want to know if he still feels the same, taste the same. If we are any different. He reciprocates my kiss, and my body responds to him like he last touched me yesterday.

All my need for him comes to me and I don't fight it this time. The darkness of the night gives the illusion that no one sees, and no one will know. What happens in the night stays buried in the darkness.

That is my logic as his hand travels to my neck, and all too soon, he pulls away.

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