Page 40 of The Now in Forever
Ed beams in the golden light. “Thanks. I found most of this stuff in free piles.” My face must give my apprehension away, because he quickly adds, “I cleaned it all.”
I take a seat on one of the floor pillows, running my hand along the frayed seams, while Ed puts on a record. “La Vie En Rose” fills the tree house.
Ed joins me, taking the other pillow.
“I bet you bring all the girls here.”
He runs a hand over his shaved head, and I imagine the feel of it under my palm. “I don’t. You don’t have to believe me, but only a few people have been up here.”
“Really?”
He nods. “I moved out right after high school. My mom told me I could stay and go to college, or I could get my own place if I chose not to. I barely got through high school in one piece. No way was I readyfor college. And all I wanted to do was write. So, I moved out. But I still come here to write some nights when my mom isn’t around.”
A pang of jealousy hits me. I’ve always wanted to make my own writing space, somewhere other than a lap desk on my bed. And he built himself one when he was twelve. And now he’s off to a fancy writing residency. It’s amazing. I gaze at his chiseled face, staring at the walls of his own creation. He’s amazing.
“I’m more of a morning writer. I like to write before my day has started. When it feels like time outside of time.”
Ed smiles, a slow, lazy smile like he’s enjoying the sound of my voice. “Time outside of time. That’s a little what today has felt like, for me at least.”
“Me too.” The Christmas lights are highlighting the lines of his face. He is the most beautiful man I have ever seen.
He catches me looking, and we lock eyes. Edith Piaf sings low in the background, the smell of roses waft from the yard, and I take a mental snapshot of this moment. I never want to forget how lovely it is. He scoots his cushion a little closer and gently tugs my strand of green hair.
I laugh. “Hey.”
He reaches for my hair again, this time running his fingers through it and cupping the back of my head, gently moving down the sensitive skin of my neck. We lean in, and our lips meet, soft, tender, light as a feather at first. I open my mouth, and he does the same, our tongues exploring each other. Desire spreads through me like warm honey.
My hands drift down the sides of his back. He moves his hands down around my waist and lifts me up onto his lap, while we kiss like if we stop, some spell might break. I adjust myself on his lap, moving my legs over and hiking my skirt up so I’m straddling him. I’m never this bold, but something about tonight feels different.Ifeel different with him. Bolder, sexier. He lets out a moan as I feel how excited he is. He slides his hands up my back.
I break our kiss to lift my shirt up over my head. His eyes drink me in like a glass of cold water on a sultry day.
“You’re so beautiful,” he says, his voice husky.
“You are,” I whisper into his ear and nip at his soft earlobe then make my way down his neck, kissing and licking as his hands move over my bare back.
“Ed!”
The yell from below startles me.
I gasp and hop off him as if the voice came from inside the tree house.
“Ed, is that you?”
Ed clenches his hand into a fist. “Shit. She’s supposed to be at work.”
He goes to the window and leans out. “Yeah, Mom. I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought you were working.”
Putting my shirt back on, I try to stay low so she can’t see me.
“Not today. Not anymore. Come in. I’ll make us a drink.”
“Mom. What do you mean, not anymore?”
Ed pulls his head back inside. “I’ll be right back.” He moves close to my face and says in a hushed voice, “Don’t go anywhere.”
He gives me one last look before heading down the ladder.
I sit on the bed then try lying down. Arranging myself with my legs crossed just so, lying on my side so my tank top gives me some cleavage that normally I don’t have. I look sexy. Ed will stop in his tracks when he comes back up. The record player is still playing Edith Piaf softly, and I close my eyes for just a second while I wait.
