Page 26 of Our Final Encore

He lets out a quick laugh. “That sounds awful to me.”

I also laugh because I can’t imagine him working in an office either. He’s too creative, abstract. I’m more analytical, more methodical. “And eventually I want to get married. Definitely have a kid one day. I’d even be happy with just being a mom for a while, but I want a career too.”

His brows raise slightly, still staring up at the sky, but he doesn’t say anything.

“And you?” I prod.

“I don’t know. I guess I want that too, but doesn’t it scare you? Being stuck? Being responsible for another person?”

“I can’t say that it does, I’d rather be married to my best friend than go through life alone.” My heart starts pounding faster suddenly when I realize what I said.Best friend.

I guess it doesn’t matter much, we aren’t that close anymore, can I really still call him my best friend?

His eyes slide over to me then, and I meet their intense green gaze. For a moment he says nothing, and my heart just keeps booming in my chest. “I just figure I’d fuck it up. Being alone seems easier.”

I let out a whoosh of relief that he didn’t question the meaning behind my words. “You wouldn’t. I’m sure you’ll begreat no matter what you choose to do with your life, look how far you’ve already gotten.”

He rests his head in his laced hands and stares up at the clouds again, squinting now that the sun is beginning to pop out. “I think sometimes I want to start my real life now, but I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?” My brows twist together, and I roll over onto my stomach.

“Rejection,” he sighs.

I start to laugh, but then I remember what school was like for him today. A lot of the people that were his friends before have turned their backs on him, of course he feels rejected. “Then fuck those people.”

He doesn’t look at me, but he shakes his head slowly as he sighs. “There’s only one person whose opinion I really care about.”

“Who?” I whisper.

“You.”

My brow crinkles. “What do you mean?”

He lets out a long breath. “You’re perfect, Opal. You’ve shown me nothing but kindness, even when I didn’t deserve it. You’re smart and full of wisdom beyond your years, but you never make others feel bad for knowing less than you.” He pauses, and I can feel my heartbeat in my ears. “And you’re beautiful.” His eyes shift over to mine, a glint of vulnerability shining in their green depths. The long grass around us reflects off of them, turning them a peridot shade.

“I-I am?” I stutter.

He nods. “And I know that your friendship is more than I could ever deserve, in this lifetime or any other.”

I turn my head towards him. “That isn’t true,” my voice is scratchy, my throat dry and constricted. It feels like all of the airin the atmosphere has disappeared. My heart races like I just ran a marathon, but I’m frozen in place. “I’d never reject you, Alex.”

He rolls over onto his side, and now our bodies are mere inches apart, I can feel his breaths softly graze against my face. “Then you won’t mind if I do this,” it isn’t phrased like a question, more like a statement that he’s convincing himself of.

His hand caresses my face, and before I can fully comprehend the situation, his lips are on mine. Soft, paper-light, like a hummingbird’s wings. Soft like he’s afraid that he may break me if he kisses me harder. But everywhere his lips touch, a blaze of fire breaks out upon my skin. My body buzzes, every cell wishing this moment will never end.

More, more, more.

His tongue peeks out, swiping gently over my bottom lip, and I let out a soft, barely-audible moan. The sound spurs him on, and he pulls me closer, crushing his lips harder onto mine.

It’s…wow. It’s more than I expected. It’s everything I expected. It’s everything a first kiss should be, and so much more.

When he pulls his lips away, I’m still begging for more, but the two of us are both gasping for air. His breaths fan across my puffy lips, his eyes staring into mine.

I can’t find words, still searching for air as he softly runs his thumb across my lips. “I want to spend my life with my best friend, too,” he says. My eyes widen, my heart caught in my throat. “But I’m scared.”

I blink a few times, my mind still blurry and not quite coherent. “What scares you?” My voice sounds unfamiliar, higher and breathless.

“Losing you. Getting hurt.” He sits up, holding his knees against his chest, and I do the same. He scoots closer to me, so that our arms are touching.

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