Page 19 of Thick & Thin

I closed my eyes, knowing I should stop, but feeling weaker than I ever had in my entire life. He kissed my chin before moving up and placing a small kiss to the side of my mouth. I had to stop him. He was drunk. He didn’t know what he was doing, and if I let this continue and he woke up tomorrow remembering, things would change. I couldn’t let that happen. Things were already changing between us with school ending, and I didn’t want to make it worse.

He leaned back, his eyes still closed, before he leaned in to kiss me. But just before his lips brushed mine, I pressed my palm against his chest, stopping him.

“No,” I whispered.

I wanted to say more, but my ability to speak had been sucked away from me. If I could have spoken, I would have explained that it was wrong to let him kiss me because he was drunk. I would have told him I wanted it, but only when he was sober and sure of what he was doing.

He opened his eyes; they were glazed as they moved over my face. Then he slid away from me, opened the passenger’s side door, and slid from the bench seat and out of the truck. He tripped a little, catching himself on the door.

“Is everything okay?” I asked. “I mean, are you okay?”

Gripping the door, he chuckled and shook his head. “I’m so drunk.”

“Do you want me to walk you to the door?” I asked, moving to get out of the truck and help him.

But before I could get out, he slammed the truck door and shook his head.

“No. Don’t follow me or I’ll …” He chuckled to himself and shook his head again. “Nevermind.”

Then he turned and walked away from the truck and onto the front porch. I stayed seated, watching as he fiddled with the front door, the porch light shining down on him and the insects flying around him.

He opened the front door and closed it behind him, and I waited until I saw his bedroom light turn on and then turn off before I cranked his truck and drove myself home.

6

Josh

I fucked up.

The second she pushed me away and said the wordno, I knew I screwed up my friendship with Jenny. I wasn’t sure what had come over me, but between Colton being a dick and the beer swimming through my system, I couldn’t stop myself.

One minute, I was sleeping, feeling the bumps of the road and the turns when she took them, and the next minute, she was in my arms, and her soft, sweet-smelling skin was against my lips.

When I hit the pillow, I prayed when I woke, I wouldn’t remember that moment in the truck. I prayed Jenny would forget about it, as well. But when the sun came blazing into my window, making my headache pound even harder, the first thing I thought about was the feel of her skin against my mouth and the sound she made when I kissed her neck.

Lying in bed and staring at the beadboard ceiling, I replayed the moment in my head.

Every movement.

Every gasp of her breath.

Every sound.

It wasn’t even a kiss on the lips, and already, it was the best sexual moment of my life.

How was that possible?

My phone beeped from my bedside table, and I reached for it. Jenny’s name bounced across the top before I unlocked it and read her message.

Gummy Bear: Are you awake yet?

I let the text sit for a second or two, trying to figure out how to apologize for something I wasn’t sorry for.

Me: Yeah.

Gummy Bear: Good. Your truck is safe in my driveaway.

Shit.

---