Page 100 of Landon & Shay: Part One

I was making love to her, and she didn’t even know it…she didn’t know my feelings for her, she didn’t know how she woke up the sleeping parts of me. She hadn’t known how her existence made me better.

So, I made sure she felt it. With every thrust, kiss, and moan, I fed her my love. I filled her up inside, hoping she knew, hoping she’d feel it, hoping she’d feel my feelings for her. Based on the way she opened her eyes and looked my way? Based on the way she caressed my cheek? The way she whispered my name?

I think she felt it, too.

I think she felt the love.

When we finished, we collapsed against each other, completely raw, and exposed, and real.

So very real.

“That…was…” She breathed out.

“Amazing.” I finished.

We didn’t say anything for a while. We lay in bed with nothing but the sound of our heavy breaths and wild heartbeats.

“We should get dressed,” she finally said, shivering a little. “I’m getting a little cold, plus we still have our movie marathon to do.”

I agreed, even though a part of me wanted to lie beside her for the rest of forever.

We went back to the living room and watched more episodes ofFriendsbefore turning onHome AloneandPulp Fiction, followed byBreakfast at Tiffany’sandSabrina. Two movies for me, two movies for her.

We laughed, too, which was something I thought I’d never be able to do on my birthday, but Shay had a way about her. She was able to make me laugh even when I thought it was impossible. Somehow, she managed to return my wild heart to a calmness only she’d ever been able to provoke. She made the darkest days feel like the sun.

It was well past midnight, and I knew she should’ve been heading home. I knew she was going to be in a shit ton of trouble with her parents come morning, but I was going to be selfish. I was going to ask her for something I probably didn’t have the right to ask her for.

“Shay?”

“Yes?”

“Stay with me tonight?” I choked on the words yet still got them out of my soul. I wasn’t above begging her to stay with me. I wasn’t above falling to my knees and requesting she stay by my side. All I knew was, whenever she was near me, I felt a little bit better. I felt a little less alone.

She didn’t bat an eye at my request. She didn’t shake her head in dismissal. She simply stood, held her hands out toward me, and pulled me to stand. “Let’s go to bed.”

We didn’t say another word that night. But when we reached my bedroom, I pulled her into a kiss. I pressed my lips against hers and whispered a lie. “I hate you.”

She smiled against my lips. “I hate you, too.”

“Okay, now kiss me and take off your clothes.”

She did as I said, and I hurried and stripped down, too.

I went to shut off the lights, and she placed a hand on my hand, shaking her head. “No, Landon…please…” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my lips as she whispered, “I want to see you. I want to see all of you. Love me with the lights on.”

Our bodies rocked against each other, and I took my time with her once again. I did as she’d requested earlier, going slow. I’d never had sex like that before. I’d never had it with emotions, with feelings, with truths.

She now knew the parts of me I’d kept hidden for so long, and still…

She stayed.

That night, I fell asleep with her in my arms, and I knew there was no part of me that deserved her. But still.

She stayed.

* * *

She was gonewhen I woke up, and it made sense.

---