Page 28 of Run to Me
Nate jumps out of the car first, using a magazine from the back seat to shield his head from the rain, and I rush after him. Droplets of water splash over my face, soaking my hair, and I almost stand still so I can surround myself in it a bit longer. I could if I wanted to. I could stay out here and play in the rain for hours. No one would stop me. I smile, slowing my steps and lifting my arms. Nate looks back at me, the magazine flopping over his head barely holding together.
“What’s taking you so long?”
I smile, looking up at the sky and slightly parting my lips. It’s so damn freeing—the smell of dew, my shoes scraping over the concrete, and the dark sky opening up above me. All of this is so far away from everything that was in my dad’s house, and even further from the cold, grungy basement. Maybe that’s why staying is more tempting.
“You’re getting wet,” he says with a touch of amusement in his voice.
“I know.” My lips tilt higher and I reach up, pretending to touch the sky.
“Get your ass inside. You’ll trail water onto the carpet,”the voice in my head says, and I shake my head to my dad’s words, spinning around.
Tossing the magazine onto the sidewalk, Nate rushes my way and grabs my hands. “I guess we’re staying outside for a little longer.”
I blink down at him, pulling his body closer. “We can go inside if you want. You’re getting soaked and starting to shiver.”
“So are you. You know, I’ve always been curious about what it’s like to kiss in the rain.” He stands on his tiptoes, his mouth so close I can taste the warmth and cinnamon from the pretzel he made us stop for before heading home.
“You don’t think it’s the same as kissing in the shower?” My breaths mingle with his, my tongue begging to be closer.
“Do you?” He tilts his head, one side of his mouth lifting.
“No. This is nothing at all like being in a tiny space, surrounded by white tile walls and a glass door.” I smash my lips to his, loving the cool night breeze wrapping around us and the sky putting on a light show to prove how much better this really is.
When our clothes hang off our bodies and we can hear the water slosh around in our shoes, we rush into the house.Neighbors turning on their porch lights around us have us ducking our heads, laughing as Nate gets the door open with his key. The first inside, he starts stripping in the entryway, kicking off his shorts and shoes once his shirt is off. With his hair dripping and plastered to his skin he smiles, slowly moving toward me in nothing but his white briefs that leave little to the imagination.
They’re as wet as the rest of his clothes, making them see-through, but still acting as a barrier between us when he presses his body to mine. He lifts up my arms, pulling off my shirt and tossing it to the ground, and shakes water from his hair. “We’re getting water everywhere.” He drops his hands from my pants and goes still when his eyes meet mine. Can he hear the raging storm inside my head? Sometimes I feel like he can. It gets so loud it shakes me from the inside, causing the outside to tilt.
Nibbling on his bottom lip, he looks down at the small puddle on the floor and back to me. My jaw tightens and I step back onto the small rug in front of the door, tugging at my pants. Quickly moving forward, he stops me and yanks me closer to the living room. “You know what? It’s okay. Water can easily be dried up.”
“I’ll get a towel,” I say quickly, but he holds on tightly to my hands, making it impossible for me to get away.
Shaking his head, he sways back and forth. My shoes leave more wet spots as he drags me around the coffee table. “Tell me what’s happening in that head of yours,” he whispers.
“A whole lot.”
“Too many thoughts spinning out of control?”
I nod curtly, gliding back and forth with him.
“Then let’s find something that’ll make you focus on the world spinning instead.”
With his hands tightening around mine, he pulls me toward a large empty space between the kitchen and living room, spinning me around with him. Putting more space between us,he leans back a little with so much trust in me, moving faster in small circles until we’re both falling on our asses and laughing hysterically.
The room still spins as I reach for him, and he reaches for me back, kissing my lips. We’re both off balance, sharing more laughs as we try to stand up. I’m the first to fully reach my feet, and once the ground finally feels like it’s stopped moving beneath me, I lift him from the floor, yanking him closer to me.
“Better?” he asks, his voice almost too quiet.
“Much,” I say, rubbing his smile with my thumb. “So much better.”
“Shall we go get dressed for bed?”
I slip my fingers into the back of his underwear. “We should go to bed but skip the being dressed part.”
“Okay. Well, let me help you with these then.” He helps me out of the rest of my clothes, taking his time and being very gentle. Once I’m in only my underwear, like him, he runs to the bathroom to grab a towel, dries the floor, and leads me to my room. We crawl into bed and he drags the covers over us before curling himself against me. Warmth radiates off him as I wrap my arm around his waist and tuck my leg under his.
He gives me hope that everything will be okay. That I can one day leave all the bad parts of me behind, along with the bad memories. Then I close my eyes and the darkness shatters all my confidence, bringing me closer to everything I hate—everything I fear.
Twelve
