Page 32 of The Now in Forever
I brush my hair out of my face. “Of course not…”
“You two looked cozy.”
“We’re just friends.” But even as I say it, the words are bitter on my tongue. I don’t want to just be friends with Ed. I want his hands on me, his fingers tracing my ankle, going up my legs. I want him. But how many times can one heart be broken? I roll back my shoulders. Friends is fine. “Just friends.”
MELTED CHOCOLATE KISSES
TEN YEARS AGO
We make it to the beach, underneath the railroad bridge. There’s a group of people set up around a bonfire built in a circle of rocks on the sand. I lean my bike against one of the massive pillars of the bridge. Ed interlocks his fingers through mine, and the butterflies in my stomach go wild. He introduces me to some people, none of the names I remember because I’m so hyper-focused on Ed’s hand in mine, his palm rough, his fingers warm.
It’s cool that he’s leaving. We can still stay in touch, and if somehow that doesn’t work, we can still enjoy this night together. I’m going to live in the moment.
We find a spot a little ways away from the main group—out of the smoke of the fire. Ed lets my hand go, and I almost let out an audible disappointed sigh but catch myself. He unzips his backpack, pulls out a green and black–striped Mexican blanket, and spreads it out on the warm sand. Making a grand motion with his arms, gesturing to the blanket like a magician completing a trick, he’s smiling from ear to ear.
“After you,” Ed says in a terrible fake British accent.
“Why thank you, kind sir,” I say in my best Cockney, which is also terrible.
We sit crisscross on the blanket, so close the loose threads from hisripped jeans tickle my knee. Ed goes back into his backpack and pulls out two ham and cheese Lunchables, the kind with the little Hershey bar as a treat, and hands me one.
“Your dinner, madam.”
I laugh. “Wow. It’s so elegant. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
“No trouble at all. They were a dollar at the NHGO.”
“You got these at the Grocery Outlet?” I check the expiration date.
“Hey. These things will outlive us all. At the end of time, it’ll just be these and Twinkies we’re left with.” Ed’s eyes spark. He grabs his notebook and scribbles away. “I might add that to my book.”
“What’s it about again?”
Ed tells me all about his book, which sounds wild but intelligent and interesting—a lot like him, really. He trades me my ham for his cheese. The savory orange squares combined with the salty crackers are surprisingly delicious. I open my chocolate. It’s melty from the heat of the day and sticks to the wrapper. I try to put it in my mouth without touching it, and I’m mostly successful. Ed is laughing, watching me maneuver the wrapper open and into my mouth.
“What?” I ask through a mouthful of chocolate.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Very graceful.”
I’m about to wipe the melted chocolate left on my lip, when Ed raises his hand to my face. He cups my cheek gently and runs his thumb over my lip, wiping the chocolate away.
My heart literally stops, and this is how I die. From Ed touching my face.
He licks the chocolate off his thumb. I am a puddle of lust.
Ed leans in, and our lips connect. I half expected his lips to be rough, like his hands, but they are soft and light as feathers floating on a summer breeze. Needing more, I increase the pressure, losing myself in our kiss, until we both hear a wolf whistle and someone shouts, “Get a room.”
We break apart.
Ed hands me his Hershey bar with a devilish smile. “Want mine?”
After we finish our Lunchables, Ed fishes two beers out of thebackpack and hands me one. I hate beer, especially the cheap light stuff, but when in Rome… I crack it open and take a sip, the liquid light and filled with bubbles popping on my tongue. Someone brought a guitar and is softly playing “Oh You Pretty Things,” the sound of the waves from the bay lapping beneath making the song perfect. Ed sips his beer, the waning sun illuminating his green eyes and highlighting his strong jaw. He is breathtaking. I’m struck by how odd it is that I didn’t know him yesterday. He catches me looking at him and winks.
“Bet you don’t have sunsets like this out in Montana.”
“Believe it or not, we have sunsets there too.”
He laughs, giving my thigh a little push. “Smart-ass. Not many bays though.”
