Page 34 of Meet You in the Waves
Nick was silent for a while and I assumed the conversation was over until he sighed quietly.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I think he said but I couldn’t quite be sure.
CHAPTER 13
nick
Iwoke up with a crick in my neck and a gorgeous boy curled up asleep on my chest. Not a bad way to herald in the first day of the year all things considered. I hoped he couldn’t hear the deep thudding of my heart as I watched him sleep, his face impossibly even sweeter and more innocent in rest.
I had expected him to go upstairs to his room when the four of us had eventually dragged ourselves back to the house, way after midnight last night. Or should I say this morning?
Rob, Mateo and I had made it to the big sofas in the living room before crashing out. It was no different from the way we had ended a night a hundred times before but Ajay, well, Ajay had crawled right up alongside me just like the way we had been together down on the beach.
As always, I tried to will my mind not to read too much into things. Ajay had just been cold last night and I’d offered him some warmth. Nothing more to it than that.
Which explained the beach cuddle. The sofa cuddle – not so much.
But oh how my body disagreed with my head. It was absolutely primed for him, always wanting him close by, preferably within touching distance. I hadn’t been able to leavehis side last night, hovering by him all night, buying him way too many drinks, making sure he was safe and having fun. Dancing to AC/DC and Guns n Roses with him, using the cover of the dance floor to touch.
He'd looked adorable covered in all the glowstick jewellery I’d made for him. And then there was that moment when I’d lit the sparkler for him and my mind had just imploded with how much I wanted him, mesmerised by his big brown eyes as the sparks fizzed in the air between us. Like, literally sparked. Unfortunately.
I’d been half a second away from just burning everything to the ground and kissing him. I’d thought about kissing him pretty much the entire night but the moment had never really been right until then. In the end, I didn’t have the courage.
Besides, there was that ever present fear that I had no idea how he would react. I could honestly swear sometimes there was something between us but then he’d look away or say something and the moment would be gone. Maybe I was just imagining it. Wishful thinking penetrating reality.
Don’t think about penetrating.
Not with his curls tickling my neck and my fingers gently caressing his bare skin right above the waistband of his jeans where they must have wandered during the night. Not my fault. It was entirely my subconscious’s doing.
Ajay stirred, the hand on my stomach dropping perilously lower down my body and I clasped onto him before he moved any further and gave my entire game away. The movement woke him and he blinked his eyes open, shock flickering over his face at finding himself in such close proximity to me, not to mention the fact my hand was clutching his where it had landed at the top of my jeans. He quickly pulled his hand free as though he’d been burned.
“Sorry,” he muttered, sitting up and taking all his lovely warmth with him. “Didn’t mean to crush you into the sofa.” That beautiful flush had crept up his cheeks again and I had to look away as that need to kiss him pierced like an arrow through my chest.
“I’m hardly crushed,” I returned, trying for my casual smile that had decided to take a holiday.
“No, I suppose not,” Ajay mulled quietly, eyes travelling down my body before he looked away.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, noting the dark rings under his tired eyes paired with the mussed curls. It was an exercise in incredible self-restraint not to reach out and touch them, run my fingers through them. Especially now I knew what they felt like.
“Like I might have drunk too much last night,” he admitted, a sheepish smile on his face.
“Nah, it was New Year’s Eve,” I smiled. “Everyone gets a day off to bring in the new year.”
Ajay huffed a laugh. “I suppose so. You know, I’m starting to wonder if you’re a bad influence on me.”
“Damn. You’re onto me,” I rasped, a little too much truth in his words. Ajay smiled, just a soft, sweet one that was stocked full of uncertainty and a hint of shyness, and I smiled back.
“Don’t think I’ve quite got the head for a surf this morning.”
“Nah, me neither. I tell you what, you lay back down on the sofa for a bit longer,” I said, shifting away from him to pull myself up, needing space from him to cool myself down. “I’ll go make you a nice, greasy breakfast.”
“That sounds great. But only if you want to.”
“Of course I do,” I grinned. “Besides, those two will start making demands any minute now anyway,” I added, cocking my head to the sofa where Rob and Mateo lay at opposite ends, still out to the world. Quite a contrast to the cosy little cuddle Ajay and I had apparently shared all night.
“Okay, but let me help you,” Ajay offered, rising to his feet alongside me.
“You can help by keeping me company,” I returned, clasping onto his shoulders and directing him to a kitchen stool and pushing him to sit which he did without complaint. I made us both a coffee and then started up the grill, cooking up some bacon, eggs and greasy hashbrowns, all the good stuff to soak up last night’s alcohol.
