Disclaimer: Do I even have to tell you?
Thanks so much yet again for your support and understanding of my problems (by the way, it ended up that everything is fine. I just have a few drama queens in my family that tend to over-exaggerate when everything is just fine and dandy. Yep, it's my life). What can I say? When life gives you lemons, you can bet your ass there are gonna be seeds in them. Unfortunately, my recent seeds have multiplied into little lemon seed colonies and are currently planning to take over my mind. So...yeah. Glad you understand.
The silence was driving me insane.
You know what kind of silence I mean-the one where no one has anything to say because the moment is too awkward, and even if they do, they don't want to say it because it will just add to the all-too-uncomfortable factors of the conversation (or lack thereof)? The kind where you're wedged on a two person love seat in between two men who both happen to think that they're going to take you out that night? The kind where, of course, your mother is making heavy sighs and your father sitting right across from you, grumbling at every slight twitch the man to your right makes in attempt to become comfortable?
Yep. That kind.
"Well," my mother said, giving a smile. Well, technically a smile, but more likely to be called a weary, I'm-not-actually-doing-this-because-I-want-to-but-because-I-need-to kind of smile. "This is quite a...predicament, isn't it?"
We all just stared at her.
Taking one look at our vacuous expressions and ultimately deciding that nothing would come out of her forced politeness, she gave a final, exasperated huff and stood up. "I'm going to make tea. Would you like any, dear? Bella, darling? General? Michael?" She didn't wait for any of our responses as she scurried into the kitchen, her green linen dress flowing swiftly behind her.
My father stood up, too, awkwardly shifting his eyes around. "Yeah...uh...I'm going with her." And he quickly continued to follow her into the safety our small kitchen, his heavy shoes thumping along our creaking wooden floor.
And, of course, I was then left alone.
"Well, I suppose we should...er...solve this problem..." I started, glancing wearily between Edward, who was on my right, to Mike, who sat glaring at our ceramic vase to my left. "I mean, it's not really a problem, it's just a...I guess there was a bit of a misunderstanding that led to, well, I guess you both thinking that I'm going out with you tonight...and-"
"Come on, Bella, this is a waste of time. Just cut to the chase and tell Major Cullen," He sneered Edward's name as if it were a disease. "That you're going to be going with me to the fair." He rolled his eyes and once more sat back in his seat, as if signaling the end of the conversation. Though, for some reason, he didn't yet seem comfortable enough to look Edward in the eye.
Edward raise an eyebrow at his final comment. "Do you really believe that?"
Of course, Edward probably had a lot of experience in the glaring-into-the-eyes department, and his hard stare cause Mike to visibly break into a sweat. But, naturally, being the stubborn mule that Mike Newton is, he tried to stand his ground. "Er...y-yes. Yes, I do believe that."
"Then I suppose we should ask Miss Swan what she thinks, since apparently you don't care for any opinion but that of your own."
They looked at me expectantly, as if I had all the answers in the universe. I shifted nervously, biting my lip. "Listen, guys, I just think that this is just a big miscommunication, and we should just call it a-"
But, for the umpteenth time tonight, I was interrupted by the slamming of a door.
And there, sure enough, was Little Miss Queen of the Universe herself, Lauren Mallory, and her conniving group of evil-doers, Jessica and May, all in their pretty little carnival dresses (yes, they had specific dresses for going to carnivals) and makeup. "Come on, Mike, everyone's waiting. Can't you just get the little rat and let us get out of-" Her long, annoying string of complaints was interrupted when she noticed Edward. She stopped dead, making May and Jessica slam into her like dominoes.
"Oh, Major Cullen! What on earth are you doing here, in a place like..." She looked around at my small, simple living room and grimaced. "Well, a place like this?" She batted her eyelashes at him, smiling like the cat that had swallowed the canary, as her best friends giggled behind her.
At first, I don't think Edward recognized Lauren as the annoying girl that had bombarded him at The Ballroom, and looked slightly confused. But as realization dawned on him slowly, he smiled forcefully, as if he was just as uncomfortable as I had been a moment before. "Well, Miss..." He paused expectantly, waiting for Lauren to tell him who in God's name she was.
"Mallory. Miss Mallory. But, please, call me Lauren." She smiled, sticking out her chest a little.
He paused, as if thinking this over. "...Right, Miss Mallory, I just came here in hopes of taking Bella out..." He chose to ignore the open-mouthed, gaping stares and continued, looking at Mike. "And I can plainly see that you're in a rush to get to your destination, so if you'll just let Bella and I depart, then-"
Perfect, thinking, Edward! I smiled widely, seeing where this was going: I would actuallydo something as planned. I would go out with Edward to a fabulously perfect restaurant, have the time of my so-abnormally-unsocial life, and he would walk me back to my house, maybe even kissing me under my doorstep...
Okay, so maybe the last part wasn't so entirely likely, but a girl can dream, right?
But, of course, Lauren interjected quickly (thus abruptly killing my jovial mood), and came closer to him. "Nonsense!" She dragged out the word, probably intending to sound seductive and desirable. I, however, just thought it sounded like she had a toad shoved down her throat. "We were just going to the annual fair around here, weren't we Mike?" He gave a grumble in response, staring once again at his old friend, my vase. "And I'm sure we would all love for you and..." She had to clear her throat a few times before being able to say my name. "...Bella to come with us, wouldn't we, girls?"
Jessica and May gave another giggle.
Oh no...
"But, Lauren-" Mike whined.
Yes! Yes Mike! I silently cheered him on, not dwelling on the irony; Mike could possibly be the person to save my night.
Not.
"Was I asking you, Michael?" Lauren snapped, and turned to me. "Really, Bella, I think we should get over our past differences and learn to be friends. We'd be great together, you and I..." She smiled sweetly and I fought the urge to cry. I closed my eyes, though, in hopes of blocking out the urge to burst into hysterics like a lunatic.
And then I realized: Lauren had just invited me to go somewhere with her. Edward or no Edward, I never even dreamed that this day would come (well, that was a lie, actually, I had dreamt it; it was a nightmare). How many times had I seen other girls style themselves after the witches, in hopes of joining their own little clique? How many times had I seen the same wistful glances at the trio over and over again in the school hallways? And now I had the chance to join them. I had the chance to go out with them.
I had a chance to be one of them.
"So, you coming Bella?"
"Yeah, Bella, you coming?" I heard the sound of a slap, followed by Mike's sharp wince.
I hesitantly opened my eyes and looked over at Edward, hoping for a little backup. He, however, didn't even seem to notice me; he was, apparently, far too busy glaring daggers into the back of Mike's head.
Okay, so no help from Edward.
The barrage of questions swirled in my head like a tornado, wreaking havoc onto everything I had ever known. It was strange, that sensation of confusion; it was something I had never truly felt before in my life. It felt like nothing was certain, that there was always something hiding behind the surface of every different answer.
And it wasn't just about Lauren inviting me to come along with her and her friends. It was Mike being here, my father talking to me, Edward meeting me; it was even things about myself that had me questioning my life over the past few days. Strange new sensations were flowing freely through me, like a river's current. I had no idea what would happen next, and I was scared. What would my life turn into if things started changing? Would they even be changing? Or would the racing rivers just empty out into a large void of emptiness, as it had always seemed?
"Yes."
"What?" The chorus of seven shocked voices suddenly brought me back to reality, and I found myself staring at the surprised faces of Lauren and her friends, Edward, Mike, and my parents (who, apparently, hadn't been too occupied making tea in the kitchen to overhear the distressing situation).
"Yes," I repeated, speaking slowly as not to have to say it again. "Yes, we would love to come with you to the fair tonight."
"You would?" My father barked incredulously.
"You would!" Mike cheered.
"You would." Lauren didn't seem surprised.
"We would?" Edward was looking at me like I'd lost my mind.
"Yes," I said. "We would. You know, Lauren, I was really thinking about it, and I found that I agree with you. We need to learn to grow up and get over our previous...grudges and start new. You know, a clean slate?" I smiled at her.
Though a bit shocked, she replied, "Sure. A clean slate."
Of course, after a few moments she recomposed her facial expression into that of pure perfection. Her slight, knowing smirk was back and her pretty little eyebrow was arched, creating the effect of the beauty pageant winner that all the men wanted and all the girls hated. "You made a wise choice Bella. After all, having me on your opposing side is never a good thing." She paused, letting that sink in, and then continued. "Anyway, welcome to the group, and blah, blah, blah. Now, we need to get going. Can't keep the carnival waiting!" She turned away and snapped behind her, striding out the door with her best friends right behind her.
Yes, she snapped.
I looked towards Edward, who had the same look of disbelief on his face, and shook my head. Of course, I could see that some of that emotion was from the outcome of my decision, and that I sure had a lot of explaining to do to him. But I would say nothing now. I would save the talking for later, when we were alone and could talk privately.
If we ever got a chance to be alone.
I shook that though off immediately and followed the group out the door into the warm autumn night.
The car they brought didn't surprise me. It was new, ostentatious, and perfectly glossed; everything that described Lauren. I automatically assumed that the vehicle had been a gift from her father, Mr. Mallory, the town's attorney.
Of course, Mr. Mallory wasn't a horrible person. Some would even go as far as to say that he was a decent man, as decent as lawyers can possibly be. The only problem with him had always been his beautiful, arrogant, greedy daughter. He loved her as if the world revolved around her sole being, and would cater to her every wish. If she told him she wanted to see a film for her birthday, he'd rent out the entire theater on the opening night at the cinema. If she said she needed to borrow money, he asked how many hundreds. Yes, Princess Lauren had always had her father wrapped around her finger.
"We won't all fit, so the girls will have to sit on the boys' laps." Lauren pursed her lips for a moment, as if debating something in her head. "And, I suppose that we should even out the weight, so..." She looked over us, and then the boys. "May, you're in front with Tyler, who will drive. Jessica, you have pretty thick thighs, so you get Eric's bony bottom."
I looked at Jessica to see if she was in any way offended by this comment, but she just passed it off as if she got things like that all the time. I thought about saying something for her, but decided against it and went to climb onto Edward's lap, feeling a bit bolder than usual.
"Bella, where do you think you're going?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. "Um...didn't you say we have to sit on each others' laps?"
Her delicately arched eyebrow raised even further up her forehead. "Well, yes, but didn't I also say that we have to even out our weight?" She didn't wait for me to respond. "So, I was thinking that me, being the obviously lightest person here, would sit on Edward's lap, and that you would sit on Mike's. You do have rather wide hips, you know."
I felt my mouth go into the shape of an "O", unbelievably offended. But of course, I, being scared out of my mind of what would happen to me if I were to object, said nothing and climbed remorsefully onto Mike's lap, my face as red as the lipstick on Lauren's mouth. I continued my silence as I watched her snuggle herself onto Edward's legs, not having the courage to look at his face.
........................................................................
"Okay, everyone! We're here!"
My mind snapped to attention as everyone began filing out of the car, and I quickly did the same; the sooner I could get out of Mike's lap, the better. The entire ride I had to slap away the wandering hands that would try to rest on my thighs or snake around my waist, hands that were always oblivious to the continuous gestures I made to inform them of their unwelcome state.
But every bitter thought deteriorated once I saw my surroundings.
The night was humming with live energy, the spirit of the carnival thriving off of the everything in it. Merry tunes floated through the air, continuously being sprinkled with the chiming laughs of children, the cheering of a game winner, the adrenaline-filled shrieking as bumper cars clashed against each other. Bright, multicolored lights glowed in the darkness of the sky while the Ferris Wheel full of lovers slowly rotated in the night.
I had been here before, a few times when I was small, right before my mother gave birth to Leo and Theo. It had been just me, Beth, and Larry, and my father would take us here without my mother; she never had been a fan of carnivals, especially not during her pregnancy. "Look around, my little Bella," my father would tell me. "See those glowing lights? Hear that joyous tune? It's magic, right before your eyes."
And it was. I was dumbfounded, unable to speak. Everywhere I would look, whether it be at the huge metal structures or the colorful candy vendors or the rotating carousel, my breath would catch in my throat and I would just be more convinced that it was magic. That I was standing inside a world of fantasy, of surrealism and wonder, even if only for a little while.
Of course, I was older now. I now knew, unlike the days of my youth, that there was no such thing as magic, and that everything that lay before me was a form of man-made enjoyment used purely for a short burst of spontaneous entertainment. I had realized long ago that, after that one night of pure bliss, life would always go back to its monotonous cycle. The fact was inevitable.
And yet, even knowing this, the subconscious child in me still longed to believe the "magic" that this place once had been, long ago. That part of me wanted to be ignorant and blissful, wanted to think that there was no smoke and mirrors behind every trick. And so I would let myself go, if only for one night.
"So, what's first?"
The sudden comment made me instantly come out of my thoughts, and I grinned, forgetting about all of the little things that had gone on before. I will not let anything so trivial ruin my night, I decided.
"Bumper cars." Tyler's statement was blunt, and thankfully everyone agreed.
Yes, even the she-demon agreed with someone elses' idea.
After we bought our tickets, we made our way over to the right side of the carnival, all of us knowing exactly where we were going from years before. We were joking and laughing with each other the entire way, but something was off. Every time Edward would try to say something to me or go to touch my arm, Lauren would quickly come between us, no matter how little space there was, and interject with a comment about how Edward would just adore the cotton candy here, and did Edward ever visit a carnival before? And, oh Edward, wouldn't it be so nice to go through the Tunnel of Love, you know, try something new?
I wanted to gag.
Finally, we made it over to where "Super Bumpers" was set up. As we got in line, I looked upon the clashing of multi-colored mini automobiles with distaste. Truthfully, I had never been quite a fan of violence, and ramming each other with little cars never struck me as fun or exciting. But, hey, if that's what the group wanted to do, I sure wouldn't be the one stickler that wouldn't ride any of the rides.
"Next up." The man taking the tickets smiled at us, ushering us into the small area set up for the ride. "Please pick a partner and be seated in one of the cars; no threesomes, if you will. There are only three rules: be safe, be cautious, and be relentless. Have fun, kids!" I laughed and stepped inside, already enjoying myself more than I expected I would.
That is, until I realized that someone was right behind me.
"Hey, Bella!"
I spun around to see Mike standing (creepily and abruptly, I might add) close to me with a bright, eager smile on his face. I'll admit, I was a bit freaked out, but I didn't say anything like that to him. I just decided that it would be best to concentrate on not looking frightened, which was a lot more difficult than it should have been. "Oh...hello Mike...um, what do you want?"
"Oh, not much. Hey, do you want to be my partner?"
My eyes, involuntarily, went wide for a moment, and I had no idea what to say. "Oh! Well, I think that I'm going to..." I looked around to find Edward, knowing that he was the only one that I'd want to be paired up with. Somehow, I couldn't...
And then I saw him. Lauren was basically pushing herself onto his body, smiling like a cat ready to seduce its prey. I mean, I don't even know if cats did seduce their prey, but it was the only thing that could pinpoint exactly what Lauren looked like at this moment.
She was batting her eyelashes, her leg almost hooked around his right hip (something that earned quite a few snickers from little children and gasps from the elderly women on the sides). Her lips were pursed in what I presume to be her attempt at a cute pout, but instead looking like she ate a whole lemon. Edward, the poor man, looked like he had no idea whatsoever how to get out of the situation, and just stayed there while Lauren rubbed her body against his.
I could feel my face getting hot with anger, and didn't even notice that Mike was still waiting for me to finish my sentence.
"Well, what were you thinking?"
I swiftly turned to glare at him, earning a wince and a shudder. Immediately I softened my expression-well, as much as I could in my present state-and calmly replied, "I was saying, Mike, that I was thinking that I would love to be your partner."
He smiled widely again. "Great!" And then, a little louder, "Bella and I call blue!"
I sighed and walked after him, already knowing that my perfect night was ruined.
...........................................................................
It pretty much went the same way for the rest of the time we were at the carnival: someone would choose a ride, we would all agree, and the Lauren would find a way into getting herself paired up with Edward. It seemed like she was going out of her way to make sure that we had no contact whatsoever, whether it be touching, talking, or communicating in any way. Everywhere I went, she went, as if she were keeping an eye on me to assure herself that I wasn't with him.
And it was driving me insane.
"So, what's next everyone?"
By this point, I was ready to go home. There was no question that I wasn't enjoying myself any longer, almost to the point where I was asking myself why I even bothered to get dressed and made up if I wasn't going to get a chance to be with the one person I wanted most to be with. I was moody and quiet, and therefore Lauren was absolutely glowing.
Everyone chattered and bickered over what ride we would visit next, as it would probably be our last. We only had a few tickets left, and everyone had suggestions as to how they should be spent. I, of course, couldn't care less; I was past the point of caring what we did or didn't choose to do-all I did wonder about was when we were leaving.
And then the suggestion that immediately sparked debate: "I say we go on the Tunnel of Love."
It was-surprise, surprise-Lauren's suggestion, and her eyes immediately flickered to Edward's figure. By this point, Edward looked as tired and as given up as I probably was, and didn't even protest when Lauren would grab his arm or lean into him. Of course, most of the group agreed with Lauren's decision, mostly because it was Lauren's decision. Majority rules.
The carnival was set up next to the small, winding river that looped around the area, much to the founders' pleasure. This river offered the perfect opportunity for the slow, romantic ride that was quickly becoming popular in grounded fairs everywhere: The Tunnel of Love, a short boat ride in the moonlight for lovers to celebrate their happiness on. It, of course became a hit, and was a sudden must-see for all the couples in Arlington.
I got on with Mike-another huge surprise. Not.
It was dark out, with thousands of stars visible on the black velvet sky. I could see Lauren and Edward in the boat in front of us, and immediately felt the same twang of jealously that had been haunting me all night. I watched bitterly as Lauren took Edward's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, smiling as she looked up at him. I sighed, knowing exactly how this would turn out.
She would start to giggle and touch him playfully, teasing him about something so trivial that it wouldn't matter what they talked about. This would go on for a few minutes, and Edward's barrier that had been present the whole night would slowly break; after all, has any man ever resisted the charms of Lauren Mallory? Suddenly, she would smile, and all conversation would stop. She would tilt her head up, and he would tilt his down. Their lips would meet and...I couldn't bring myself to think any further, and shut my eyes to stop the stinging tears that were forming.
But then something unexpected happened.
I heard voices in front of me raising, as if two people were having an argument. One voice was cool and assertive, while the other was disbelieving and obnoxious. Opening my eyes in curiosity, I found Edward scooted as far as he possible could be away from Lauren, who had her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised to the top of her forehead.
I only caught one sentence, shrieked in what I assumed to be agitation. "Why in the world don't you want to kiss me?"
I strained to hear the rest of their conversation, but couldn't. Lauren, realizing how high and loud her voice had gotten, calmed her tone and looked like she was hoping no one heard her. Edward, I was beyond hearing. His voice was too low, too calm, for me to even begin to pick up a fragment of a word.
"Huh. Looks like Cullen and Lauren Mallory are fighting."
Mike's voice brought me back to reality: I was still sitting in that small cramped boat with him on the shaky little river. "Oh, are they?" I pretended not to have been eavesdropping, and tried to focus my attention on him. "I didn't even notice."
He, of course, bought the whole innocent act and smiled, running a hand through his perfectly combed blond hair. "Yeah, looks like it. Huh. Never thought someone would be dumb enough to argue with Lauren, but I guess one person is." He paused to think about this and chuckled, not even noticing my offended face-how dare he insult someone that was so much...better than him? He shook his head once more before continuing. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Right now, it's just you, me, and Cupid."
All time stopped.
"Wait. What?" I could not believe that I just heard what I thought I heard. Was he seriously suggesting...
"You heard me. Come on, Bella! I'm into you...You're into me...Don't deny the love we feel for each other." He scooted a little closer. I scooted a little farther. "You know it's true. I mean, if it wasn't, why would you be sending me all of those romantic vibes all night?" He shifted a little closer. I shifted a little farther. "Come on...let's just get to the chase. We both dig each other, so why not just...get together?" He started to lean into me, lips pursed, and I leaned as far as I could back.
Of course, little did I know how short and unstable the little safety bars were.
I shrieked as I was engulfed in the ice-cold water of the river, frantically splashing as I made my way back to the edge of the boat. Thankfully, the current was slow and the river shallow as it neared the end of the ride, so I was able to stand with the water up to my chest as I waded along. Mike sat there wide-eyed, still as a statue as I struggled to get back in.
"CAN YOU HELP ME, PLEASE?" I screamed frustratedly.
Finally Mike was able to snap out of his silent, stiff state and scrambled to help me back in. "Whoa, Bella! I had no idea that my charms would be so powerful that you would fall off the boat!"
"Sh-shut up, M-Mike..." I stuttered, shivering from the ice that was piercing my body.
Mike opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Edward's frantic velvet voice, calling over from the boat in front of us. I grinned, never havig been happier to see an enraged face in all my life. "Bella! Are you alright? NEWTON, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?" He looked like he was seething, and I'll admit that I was shocked. In the time that I'd known him, Edward had never been the type that I'd pin as the angry kind. He was always calm and collected, and rage was never an emotion that I had believed would ever cross his beautiful face.
But, seeing this, Mike looked scared out of his wits. His eyes were wide as they darting around, as if he would find the answer hidden behind a tree or under the river. "Well...I...uh..."
"I'm fine, thank you, Edward." I tried my best to give him a smile.
I was surprised to find that it wasn't that hard.
When we finally got off, the entire group was around me, wondering what on earth had happened. Mike told a complete cock-and-bull story about how we'd been enjoying ourselves so much that I lost track of where I was and just "slipped" into the river. At the words "enjoying ourselves" Edward raised an eyebrow, looking at me with a questioning look in his eyes, but I just rolled my own in return, not even bothering to tell what really happened.
"Well, now that that whole fiasco is over with, let's get some food!" Tyler shouted, and ran off excitedly to the other end of the carnival without another word. Soon enough, the rest of them followed, leaving me finally alone with Edward. Well, with the exception of Lauren.
"Hey, Edward, aren't you going to come?" She smiled sickly sweet at him.
Edward paused for a moment. "Of course, Lauren. I just need to do something briefly. I might have left a possession of mine in the boat...will you save me a seat?"
She grinned; this was all she needed to hear. "Of course, sugar! See you..." And she giddily ran off.
I looked at Edward. A mix of emotions seemed to be crossing his face: anger, amusement, fascination...but mostly, relief. He looked lest tense than he had the entire night, almost as if he had been waiting for this exact moment. I probably looked exactly the same. Well, except in a less beautiful, dripping-wet-cat kind of way. A long silence passed between the two of us before I finally asked, "Sugar?"
We exploded into laughter.
"Ugh. Long story." He said, grinning.
"I have time."
He smiled crookedly-bless his soul-and shook his head. "That may be so, Miss Swan, but this is not the time nor place to discuss such matters." He paused. "However, I think there might be a place that we can talk in private, if you'd like." He gave a swift, short motion behind him, and I was about to ask what he meant before I suddenly realized what he was talking about.
There stood the large Ferris Wheel in all its glory. Beautiful small lights twinkled around its circumference, beckoning me like a snake charmer to the serpent. I looked at Edward and smiled. "Race you there," I whispered, and took off.
About twenty minutes later, we sat at the top of the gigantic wheel, laughing and talking together. There was rarely a silence between us, but when there was it was always comfortable. When I questioned the length of the ride, secretly hoping it wouldn't be too short, Edward told me he had paid the man taking tickets to just let us stay on for however long we wanted (although how much money he had to give was a mystery).
"So you're saying that you've never had a girl before? Please. I don't believe that for a moment. Women everywhere must have been throwing themselves at you." My eyes bulged in disbelief.
Edward smiled. "No ma'am. I'd always been the boy too focused to bother with girls. My plan had just been Go to School, Turn Sixteen, and Go to War. My mother probably would have chosen the alternate path for me, but I knew what I wanted. And besides, what makes you so disbelieving that I've never," He exaggerated the word as I had, mocking me. "Had a girl, and yet here you sit expecting me to just take in the completely absurd fact that you've never had a beau?"
I pouted. "That's different. You're dazzlingly gorgeous."
I immediately blushed-had that truly just come out of my mouth. I mean, I knew I had been thinking it; Hell, it was a known fact. But to hear myself say it out loud to him made my cheeks alight with flames.
Edward just smirked. "Really? Thank you, I'm quite flattered." He stopped, thinking something over. "Dazzling? Do I dazzle you?"
I looked into his piercing green eyes and found that I had nothing to say. The depths of those irises...how was that even possible?...Right, Bella, snap out of it. "Please. As if you don't know it. Anyway, look at you, and look at...me."
"Right. Look at you-you're undeniably beautiful, Bella, inside and out. You radiate light wherever you go, not to mention that you are breathtaking. Any man in their right mind would take you as his girl." His gaze was intense, and I found it too powerful to hold. I looked down, blushing furiously, but soon felt a hand delicately lift my chin up.
"And, by the way, I think your hips are absolutely perfect."
