Page 11 of Tipping the Scales

The brightly patterned romper still has the tags on it, swinging into view as I twist and pose in front of my mirror. My body is changing and in this outfit, it's pretty clear which parts. I swear I am the last girl in our class to hit puberty. The fullness of the breasts I finally grew this summer fill out the top and give me shape. My legs have stretched and thinned, glowing tan from the summer sun. And when I turn, the curve of my ass is barely covered by the flowing fabric of the shorts bottom. I probably should have bought a size bigger, but I like the way this one accentuates my newly shaped body, leaving little to the imagination of what hides beneath.

It's perfect for telling Colton how I feel.

I commit to the outfit, yanking the tag and breaking the plastic. If I can commit to him, I can commit to adding this to my wardrobe. And at least if I take the tags off and throw them away, myparents can't tell me to return it when they tell me it shows too much skin. Sorry Mom and Dad, no tags anymore, it's mine now.

"Hey Dee, you ready? I wanna leave here soon, I hate being late." I am so sick of having to be driven everywhere by my older brother, Darren. Colton is a few months older than me, which means he will be able to get his license soon and then it will be easier to see each other without relying on other people for transportation. Plus, we will have a better chance of sneaking away to somewhere more private.

I don't think we will go all the way yet. We really care about each other - hopefully he feels as strongly as I do - but we don't see a reason to rush into the physical part of our relationship. Don't get me wrong, I could make out with him all freaking day and he may have run his fingers under my shirt, caressing my bare back. But it has never gone further than that. Then again, my boobs are new so he probably wouldn't have known where to put his hands. The best places to hold on to are more obvious now.

One final twirl in the mirror, locking this look into my memory. I pull my purse off the bedpost at the end of my bed and hook it over my shoulder, taking in another deep breath and exhaling slowly.

My bare legs slide against the fabric of Darren's passenger seat as I cross my ankles. The tricky part of wearing a romper is that there's only one piece, so if hands wander, they are going to get a piece of everything. The thought makes the air feel warmer than it is. I crack the window, not wanting too much wind to mess up the hair I took twenty minutes perfecting. The last thing I need is my freshly applied makeup melting off before Colton can appreciate how grown up it makes me look. The idea of him touching me has my heart racing like it's the last pony on the Kentucky Derby docket.

Today isthe day I tell Colton that I love him. With any luck, it will also be the first time he tells me he loves me back.

You can do this Delaney.

The couch in Colton's basement is soft and worn, the fabric barely holding in the stuffing after years of use and beating from three sons. How many firsts has this couch seen before today? First kisses? First 'I love you?' Virginities lost. Okay, now it's getting weird to think about. We plop into the same spots we always do, the cushions already bowed and formed to fit us perfectly.

"What movie do you wanna watch?"

He always asks me like I have a preference, but in the end we rarely watch any of it, our lips locked together and our bodies tangled away from the TV.

"How about Tangled?" Fitting for how we will be in a few minutes.

It seems a little wrong to do the things we do while an animated children's movie plays in the background, but I love the scene where the little girls braid her hair so I suggest it anyway. Colton finds it quickly, front and center under the 'Watch It Again' section on his streaming app.What can I say, I'm a creature of habit.

The movie starts and he clicks off the light his mom always leaves on when I come over. But the harsh fluorescent lights in a basement are hardly romantic. The warm glow of the television gives just enough light that we can see each other, the shadows dancing on the walls around us as the scenes change.

Colton runs his fingertips along the inside of my knee. Grazing up to my mid-thigh. Then back down again. He moves at a torturous pace, but his breathing quickens. I'm glad he is nervous, it makes me feel better about the goosebumps popping up in the wake of his touch.

He lowers his head to whisper in my ear, even though there is no one else down here to hear."Your legs are so soft." He gulps and I swear I can hear the blood rushing through his body. "I have never touched this part of them before."

This is the first time I have had the confidence to let my thighs out when we have been alone together. Either I didn't trust myself or I didn't have enough bravery to be so bold. But today is different. Today I feel ignited, like the strings tangling our hearts together are on fire. The heat from his hand on my skin burns through me and my cheeks heat in response. I hope he can't see how red they are.

His fingertips barely touch me but I can feel it everywhere.

In my toes that already pushed out of my shoes.

In my legs that can't help but shudder from his whisper-soft tickle.

In my fingers that are dying to feelhim, to send back the fire he is injecting in me.

In my heart that is pounding so loud I swear they can hear it in the next town over.

In my head that wants every part of him to be on me, not just his hand or his warm breath.

Colton's lips run along my neck. He knows better than to leave any marks on me. If he does, my dad and brother will have his head on a spike on our front lawn and that will be the end of our relationship. His tongue joins the party, trailing against the sensitive skin.

Warm.

Soft.

Hungry.

I loop my fingers in his hair. holding his mouth against my skin and urging him to keep going. My silent pleas are loud when paired with my actions. Within a moment, he has me on his lap, his mouth never leaving my neck as he drapes his hands across my body and pulls me onto him. He grasps my hips, keeping our bodies locked together.

The silky fabric of my romper makes movement easy as he repositions my body. He groans against my neck, his pants stiffening beneath me. This is the closest we have ever been. I have never straddled him. I have definitely never felt his erection before. I'm sure he has had one with me, but it was never trying to prison break from his jeans.

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