Page 14 of When October Starts

I closed my eyes, and I couldn’t hold back a frown. “Aren’t you scared?”

“I’m scared shitless,” he admitted, looking back into my eyes. “If this gets out, it can cost me my job and teaching license.”

“Then why are you putting it all at risk?”

He studied my face for a while, then his hands came up to cup my cheeks. “Because of you. I know it sounds stupid, and it’s probably the dumbest thing I’ll ever do…but I can’t help it, Juno. I know you feel it, too.”

“So…what are you saying exactly?” I asked softly, looking at my hands on his chest.

“I’m saying that for now, and for as long as we can keep this a secret, I wanna keep you close to me. We can find ways to see each other outside of school. But…we have to be careful at school. No flirting. No eye-contact that lasts longer than we would usually look at someone.”

I laughed softly and nodded. “I think I can manage that.” I looked back up into his eyes while his thumbs brushed along my cheekbones.

His eyes moved to my lips. “Do you mind if I—”

“I don’t mind,” I interrupted him, knowing exactly what he wanted to ask. I was only seventeen, and he was already an adult, but who said that it wasn’t okay to catch feelings for someone who’s older or younger than you?

That’s the whole point of love. You fall for one person, no matter who they are. Hell, you can fall in love with two, or three people at once. Who the hell cares? As long as your heart’s pure, and as long as you go into it for the right reasons, who’s to say who you should and shouldn’t love?

A low chuckle made his chest vibrate, and he leaned in while his tongue came out to lick his lips. This wasn’t the first time a guy had kissed me, but I knew this time would be different.

This time, I felt something deep within me. Not sure what it was, but the tingles told me that I was already in too deep.

As his lips touched mine, I closed my eyes and immediately felt my knees give in. Thankfully, I could hold myself up by tightly grabbing on to his shoulders. His lips moved against mine, and as the tip of his tongue brushed along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth for him to let him taste more.

I’ve enjoyed kissing other boys before, but Ezra put so much passion into it that it was a whole new experience for me.

He kept me close with his hands on my cheeks, and by tilting his head slightly to the side, he dived deeper into my mouth with his tongue.

A soft moan left my throat, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, making him move his hands down to my waist again.

They didn’t stay there, instead, his left hand moved up to cup the back of my head, and placed his right hand on my lower back between the car and me.

His lips moved gentler now, and his tongue licked against mine one last time before he broke the kiss. He leaned his forehead against mine, and while I tried to catch my breath, he brushed my hair behind my ears.

“We should go back. It’s getting dark,” he whispered, and I quickly nodded.

Ezra leaned in once again, placing a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth before pulling me a few steps away from the car and opening the door for me.

I thanked him, then climbed in and put my seatbelt on. I breathed in deeply while I watched him walk around the car. He looked pleased, and I didn’t feel any different.

“All right, let’s get you home,” he said as he got into the car. I smiled at him and nodded.

“I had a great time with you today, too.”

He started the engine and turned his head to look at me. His hand reached for mine, and he pulled it up to his lips to place a kiss to the back of my hand.

Words weren’t needed, and the whole way back home, I couldn’t tear my eyes off him.

Chapter Fourteen

Juno

“You look perfect on camera, Pixie. I promise you I will make this movie just as aesthetically pleasing as you are,” I told her as we walked back to our bikes. We spent the whole Saturday on Clark Island, taking videos. She read my script on the way there, and she thought the words were beautiful and meaningful.

I didn’t put too much time into the writing part of the movie, but I wanted it to represent my feelings of when I’m on the island.

“Okay. But if I look horrible, I will steal that tape and burn it. I wanna watch it before you let anyone else see it.”

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