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Kyle scratches the back of his neck. "Guess options are pretty limited around here, aren't they?"
"Yeah," I laugh.
"If you're free, I'd like to take you somewhere." His eyes are so soft, and I can't help it when I reach my hand out, gently touch his face.
"Yes," I smile before closing my eyes and whispering, "Yes, yes, yes."
I don't realize I'm leaning forward until my lips are a few inches from his. He cups my cheek in his hand, moves his face closer until his nose slides against mine and his warm breath is on my lips. What feels like a lifetime passes before his lips collide with mine.
It starts slow, like a tiny ember sparking in a dark forest. But then his hands are sliding through my hair and my hands are fisting his dress shirt and our lips and teeth and tongues are clashing and that tiny spark fans into a full-blown wildfire.
I'm not sure how much time passes, but when Kyle finally pulls away, breathing hard, there's a lopsided grin on his face. "They're probably wondering where we are."
I shake my head, slip my hand behind his neck, "Two more minutes."
My lips find his again, but this time it's slower, more tender. No longer a blazing inferno, but the smoldering cinders left after the fiery flames and scorching heat have decimated the entire forest. And I find myself melting into him, wanting to be closer, closer, closer.
His hand slides down my throat, over my chest, massages my breast through the red, silky material of my dress. My hand finds his thigh and I slide it along his jeans, wanting to feel him.
But before my hand travels much further, there's a tapping on the window and we quickly pull apart from each other, both our eyes widening in horror.
Standing outside Kyle's window is Mom, her face furious as her hand slaps against the glass.
And, for some reason, the only two words that leave my mouth are, "Oh, shit."
Chapter 24
"What are you doing?" Mom asks in front of O'Sullivans, her arms crossed over her taupe-colored blouse. The sky is unusually clear tonight, the moon ominously full, it's bright beams bathing us in a milky glow.
I wrap my arms around myself, try not to shiver from the cool evening air blowing against my bare arms. "What do you mean?"
Mom takes a step closer to me, her hazel eyes are filled with so much pity and sadness and disappointment that a lump forms in my throat.
"I know the whole Matt thing was a lot to deal with," Mom sympathizes, "but I didn't expect you to deal with it this way."
My forehead furrows and I lick my dry lips. "What way?"
"Jenny," Mom sighs, "you were getting ready for a date with Matt a little over a month ago. The same night I listened to you cry yourself to sleep after he told you Audra was pregnant." She pauses for a moment, seems to mull over the words she says next. "I know you've been in love with Matt for years but hooking up with Kyle isn't going to make things better. It's just going to complicate everything."
I feel my chest tighten and my bottom lip quiver. "It's not like that."
Mom rubs my back as a tear slips down my cheek. "Don't cry, baby. I'm sure Kyle will understand. This was just a huge misunderstanding."
"It's not," I weakly argue as another tear escapes. "Kyle and I aren't just hooking up, Mom. It's serious."
Mom shakes her head, silky strands of honey fall across her shoulders in waves. "I love Kyle like a son, you know I do, but once he gets what he wants from you, he's going to move on. It's better this ends now before it goes too far."
I pull away from Mom, watch as her face clouds with confusion. "You're not listening to me. Kyle and I like each other. We're going out tomorrow night. He asked me to come to Boulder next weekend to see him."
"No, you're not going," Mom purses her lips.
"I am going," I clarify as I wipe the tears off my face. "I'm 18. I'm an adult now. I get to make my own decisions."
"You're young, baby," Mom eyes me wearily. "You haven't had any life experience and Kyle, he's full of experiences. You're not ready for something like that. Spending the night with a boy is a...it's a big deal."
I take a step back, lean against the white-stucco restaurant for support. She has no idea what she's talking about. No idea what I've gone through over the last few months. "Mom, I...I already slept with him. I know what I'm doing."
Frustration floods her face. Her shoulders tense as she lets out a defeated breath. "When?"
