Page 21 of The Right Time

A gentle knock on the door reminded us we weren’t alone. Lucas didn’t budge an inch.

“I’m not following. What are you saying?”

He ran his hand across the top of his head. He lowered his chin, his gaze focused on his feet. “I’m going to Jamaica for a few months. Mom wants me to become a true Jamaican.” He attempted to suppress a bubbling smile that spoke to long conversations with his parents. His mom was so proud of her homeland, a place she’d always wished Lucas had been more exposed to growing up. “I’ll be staying with family all over the island. Quality time I don’t get during rushed, short visits. I only agreed after convincing my parents to join for the first two weeks. Mom hasn’t been home in five years.”

My heart sank. He wasn’t staying for me. “And then?”

He shook his head. “Europe and then Asia, maybe Africa. I’ll see how far the money will last. I’ll be staying at hostels, mostly.” He avoided my gaze, his voice lowering with every sentence. “Then back to the US for school next August.”

I held my breath, not understanding his words. He had planned out a future that didn’t include me. He was leaving just when we’d got to the good part.

“What was this? A goodbye?” My voice cracked as his face blurred in the flurry of water that rushed to my eyes.

“Wh-what? No.” He shook his head as he finally looked in my direction. The pad of his thumb wiped away the tears. “It will never be goodbye for us. I will always find my way back to you, Adrienne.”

His words didn’t match his actions. I waved an arm behind me, down to the crumpled blanket. “But we just kissed. I thought…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, not sure if I feared my words or his response.

“Guys are going to swarm to you like bees to honey when you go away to college.” He said words he’d shared before. In the past, it was always with a smirk and a laugh. Neither was present this time. “Many of them will be playing games. Not worth your time or attention.”

We both turned with another knock on the door. This one was louder than the other—a loud laugh and a singsong of female voices, saying, “Time’s up.”

Neither one of us made a move toward the door. “I kissed you because I wanted you to know what it felt like when it’s real. I wanted you to experience a kiss from someone who has your best interest at heart, who cares for you more than they care for themselves.” He bit down on his lower lip, eyes tightened. “When those boys kiss you, I want you to remember our kiss. I want you to remember how it made you feel.

“If it doesn’t take you on the journey you experienced today, move on. You’re a freaking goddess, Adrienne. The queen of England. Cleopatra in the flesh. Don’t waste time on any man who doesn’t worship the ground you walk on.”

Lucas offered advice like a best friend, parting words to help me navigate the dangers of college life ahead of me. It wasn’t that different from what we’d done dozens of other times. But it was. This time, we kissed. “I only want to kiss you.” I finally said the words I thought would clarify our future.

“That’s because you’ve only kissed me,” he said with a finality that let me know he’d made up his mind.

I shook my head like a petulant brat. “I’ve kissed other boys.” And I had. Lucas had even seen me from his bedroom window, watching more than one boy drop me home.

“No one’s ever kissed you like I have,” he said with a confidence that made me want to kiss him again. He was right. I was seventeen and had, up until tonight, not reached second base with a boy. But Lucas didn’t see the paradox he’d created.

After tonight, there wasn’t another boy I would want to kiss other than him. “And I don’t want any other boy.”

He blew out a frustrated breath. “Don’t,” he started, and I took a small step back. “Don’t be the girl waiting on a guy. Don’t you think I’ve wanted to kiss you before? A thousand different times?”

I nodded. I wasn’t completely blind. I’d willed him to kiss me a thousand times. I’d wanted to kiss him a million other times.

“But I didn’t want to take us on that road knowing we might go away to different colleges. I want you to enjoy college life. All of it.”

His implication was as clear as the harsh light he flicked back on.

“You want to date other women?” It was a ridiculous question because we weren’t dating. Yet, I knew he’d understand.

He shook his head. “This really is about you, Adrienne. You’re the most incredible woman in the world, and I don’t want you to dim your light for one second because of me. This isn’t our time. I want you to go live and enjoy.”

“When will be the right time?”

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine, our heated breaths mixing. “You’ll know. And when you’re ready, all you’ll have to say to me are the words seven-minute future. When I hear it, I’ll know it’s our time. The right time.”

We walked out of the closet that day, hand in hand, and marched right past the stares of our friends. We continued to march through Brad’s parents’ house, stride for stride along Market Street, still hand in hand, not stopping until we reached the ice cream shop. We shared a banana split in our favorite booth and shared silly jokes until the sun set.

When Lucas walked me home, we paused on my porch. For a split second, I thought he might kiss me again. Like really kiss me. Like he had in the closet. But he didn’t. He fake punched me on my arm, rubbed his hand on the top of my head, and said, “Good night, GND.” I raced up to my room and threw back the curtains in time to watch him reach his porch. He looked up at my window, which he did every time he reached the front door of his home. He spotted me staring down at him, and he blew me a kiss. A safe kiss. The type of kiss shared by best friends.

That was the first and only time Lucas Hobbs ever kissed me.

Every time I came home on a college break, and we crossed paths, I expected him to kiss me, and he didn’t. However, time and distance held no power over us. I missed him dearly, but every time we were together, it was like we had never left. We never missed a beat. Our friendship and bond was as tight as it had ever been.

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