11.
"What's going on?" I ask once I'm out of the shower and dressed, and I find everybody arguing in the living room.
"We can't seem to agree on something to do." Steve explains when they go quit to my question and then they go back to arguing.
I just roll my eyes and prop myself down in the empty spot next to Holly.
"What do you wanna do?" Holly asks me when I adjust myself in the seat next to her.
"Hang out with you?" I whisper so only she can hear and I can still see a small blush make it's way through her tan skin as she purses her lips and looks away with a shy smile.
"You know town is the better option!" Bibby argues with Steve loudly now.
"But it's nice out?! Why not go by the lake?" Steve counters.
"Come on! It's still cold to swim! So why not just go to town? We can explore and eat!" I gotta agree with Bibby's reasoning there.
"Steve! Let's just go to town! The weather is supposed to be nicer in a few days, we can go to the lake then! If it's warm we might be able to swim then!" I argue on Bibby's side and when Steve sighs I know we've won.
"Okay! Everyone get ready and we'll divide ourselves between the two cars." Steve's the first to get up. The other's follow, and since I'm the only one dressed I opt to making myself some coffee while they get ready, and then I take it out to the porch while I wait.
"Got one for me?" Holly asks me when she's done and standing next to me outside.
"A coffee?" I tilt the cup to indicate to it.
"Yes."
"Nope." I lie with a smirk and bring it up to my lips.
"Liar." Holly accuses and then she surprises me when she reaches for my cup and I don't give a fight as she takes it.
She takes a big sip from my cup.
"Okay, that's enough. Give me my coffee back." I reach out for it, but she pulls the cup away and takes a couple of steps farther.
"Nu-Uh!" She then takes another sip and I come closer to get the cup away from her.
"Give it here!" I try to sound authoritative but I'm sure the playful look on my face isn't helping.
"Nope." She says and goes for one more sip but I reach out before the cup touches her lips and pull her arm down.
"If you didn't want to share, you should've made more than one cup!" She argues and then lifts the cup again.
"If you wanted coffee, you should make your own!" I add, and she gives me a challenging look when I say that, as she takes another sip.
"Holly!" I'm probably whining now.
"What's going on?" Steve asks as he shows up outside.
"I stole her coffee." Holly answers as if it's no big deal and Steve chuckles at that.
"Glad to see you two getting along." He points out. Before we can answer though he continues, "Well let's go!" He claps his hands and walks towards his car, then the remaining three exit the cabin after him.
I roll my eyes at them, but I do take advantage of Holly's momentary distraction and snatch the cup from her.
I take a sip, then go inside the cabin to put the cup away, grab my car keys and lock up.
When I exit I find that the two couples are being disgustingly sweet, while Holly stands by my car waiting for me.
"Okay!" I say in attempt to break the disgusting gooey stuff that's happening. "Who's riding with me?" I direct my gaze to Holly, hoping she would.
"Want to divide each other same as when we came?" Steve asks. And I want to agree, but that would mean Holly wouldn't ride with me and I don't like that idea.
Holly however voices my rejection.
"Uh, no. You guys are being too affectionate for my liking, you four can ride together. I'll just ride with Gail so I can avoid this love fest for a while!" She tries to give a disgusted expression but it's a total fail.
"Whatever! Still works for me!" Steve waves his keys before he unlocks the doors and they all get in his car. I do the same and make my way to my car and wait for Holly to get in.
I drive behind Steve. And even though I want to hear Holly talk the whole drive, I can't find the right words. I am however content with just being around her, so I let myself go, and enjoy the music on the radio, and the occasional hums she makes with the songs.
When we get to town we do explore a bit before it's lunch time. By lunch time everyone's arguing about what they should eat. I don't listen. I just pick the most appealing looking place and walk there knowing that they'll follow. After lunch we find places to play games, mostly bowling. Then we make it out to the market place and we get marshmallows, and some more food, so we can have a light dinner and add to the food at the cabin.
When we're done with town, we drive back to the cabin, deviding ourselves the same way. This time however, the drive back is not silent.
I get the courage to ask random questions, questions that involve things i didn't already know about Holly. And she returns the questions.
By the time we reached the cabin I'd learned that her favorite color is blue, her favorite song at the moment was I miss you by Blink 182, and that she loved watching documentaries. She wants to go into med school, however she wants to stay in Toronto, and that she really likes me.
And lucky for me we arrive to the cabin before the others do. Which means more alone time with Holly for me.
Holly helps me carry the bags that we'd brought in my car into the cabin, and we start to place things in place, in cabinets and the fridge. However midway, we bump into each other as I make my way from the cabinet towards the fridge and she makes her way from the fridge towards that same cabinet. And I can't let a moment pass. Not when I know that she likes me, not when I know that she wants to kiss me as much as I want to kiss her.
So I lean in and do just that. I kiss her. The kiss remains soft however, because I'm aware that anytime the others will be arriving.
She lifts one hand and places her palm on my cheek while I place my free hand on her waist and I keep the kiss going. Slow and soft.
It continues till I hear a car door closing from outside. That's when I pull away and I find Holly's eyes half open, a tender smile on her face, which I return.
And then I move past her to put the item in my hands in the fridge before the others come into the cabin.
That was the last kiss Holly and I shared for the next couple of days.
After our day out on the town, it was hard for me to be alone with Holly, because everyone kept making plans and by the time we get to the cabin we're too tired, we just fall asleep.
I was dying to have Holly alone, but every time I got a chance someone buts in.
It isn't until two days later, that Holly finds the solution for me. It was nice out and I had just gotten into my jogging gear when Holly shows up on the porch next to me as I stretch.
I give her a questioning look, she however gives me a smile and indicates ahead. I guess she's joining me for the jog. Finally, we can be alone.
So she stretches out with me.
"Are you two going jogging?" Stephanie asks when she catches us stretching outside. "Isn't yesterday's hike enough?" She groans out.
"No." I answer.
"I know it's natural to you Gail, but why are you going?" She directs the question to Holly who doesn't answer but only shrugs, and then she takes off ahead.
I shrug at Stephanie and Follow Holly out.
We jog till we reach a clearing that I stop at.
I find that Holly is a little out of breath.
"You okay there?" I ask her when she bends down to hold her knees.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She breathes out heavily and I can't help but smirk.
"Let's just rest for a bit and then head back." I suggest.
"I have a feeling you usually run farther." Her breath is still heavy but this time she's straightened out her pose.
"Usually, but not this time." I tell her as I find a tree log and sit on it while patting the place next to me for her sit.
"Don't shorten your run on my account. I'll be fine!" She starts to argue.
"Nah, that's not why." Half true. "I just wanted to get a few moments alone with you."
She gives me a smile then and takes a seat next to me, laying her head on my shoulder.
"You okay there?" I ask.
"Yeah. I should run more often to be able to keep up with you every time." She says and my heart flutters. She wants to take runs with me, more than a few. Every time.
"I'll be sure to take it easy on you." I then lay my head on top of hers. "The first few times." I add and she chuckles then turns to bury her face in my neck and that was probably the loudest my heart could ever get and I'm sure she can hear it.
"It's nice out here." She says into my neck and I shiver.
"Yeah, it is. I used to find excuses to go on runs every time we're here. I'd escape Elaine for a while and just come sit here." I tell her.
"Hm, you make her sound so evil sometimes." Holly comments as she lifts her head from my shoulder and I can already feel the absence, and she meets my eyes.
"She's not really, she's just not very good at interactions…" I don't know why I'm defending my mother, she might be evil. "With me."
"I see." She goes back to laying her head on my shoulder.
After a few silent minutes I ask my question.
"Are you okay?" I ask again, only this time, I mean something else. "With us?" I add to clarify.
She again meets my eyes as she lifts her head off my shoulder.
"I'm fine. I like you Gail." And to emphasis her words she reaches over and intertwines her fingers with mine, molding her palm to mine, as a way to reassure me. "Sorry it's just between us though." She adds.
"Don't worry. As long as you're honest with me, no one needs to know till you want them to." I smile at her. I already told her this, but she still seems to worry about me.
"Thank you." She goes back to laying her head on my shoulder and I can't help but to place a kiss on the top of her head before I lay my head on hers and we stay there for a few more minutes in silence.
Then we head back. We run back to the cabin, only this time slower because I know that Holly is tired and won't be able to keep up.
However when we get to the cabin we're greeted by Steve who has that apologetic look on his face.
"Spit it out weirdo." I tell him after he eyes us without saying anything for a while.
"So… Brian and Chloe can make it, and are heading here today. They just called and I told them it was okay to come today." He informs us.
"That's great." Holly is excited by the news, but Steve's not done.
"And…" I coax him to continue.
"Well, you know they're a thing, and well, there isn't any more bedrooms, and…" He doesn't continue, as he eyes me questioningly with an apologetic expression.
"I see." I keep my expression cool, I even give Steve a small glare. Can't act out of character right now. Can't show him I'm more than okay with what he's about to suggest, or I'd give myself away.
"You're asking if they can take one of our rooms?" I ask voice neutral.
"Yeah?" He sounds hopeful but his face still holds a cringe.
"I'm not giving mine up, it is after all mine." I answer him and he knew this answer was coming.
"Holly?" He turns his question to her.
Holly turns to me with a questioning look. Is she asking if I'd be okay with that? I give her a slight nod, hoping it's gone unnoticed by Steve.
"Yeah sure. I'll crash with Gail if she lets me." I can see a slight blush on her face when she says that and I bite my lip to keep myself from commenting on it.
"Sure whatever." I am playing this well. "Besides, the Cabin will be filled with more disgusting lovey couples. It's good to have someone share in my misery."
"Thank you!" Steve exclaims and then he leaves to find Stephanie.
"I guess I'll pack my bag and bring it to your room." Holly tells me and I nod at her. I however follow her into her room to help her if she needs me.
About thirty minutes later, all her stuff are in my room, and her toiletries in my bathroom.
Only when I see her stuff there does it hit me. We're going to share a room. Holly will be sleeping in my bed, next to me. I guess alone time found us this time.
"How about you take the first shower?" I offer as I clear my throat to get rid of the image of Holly in my bed.
"I can still shower in the other room while you take the shower here. I mean they're not here yet and I don't take long." She offers.
"Nah, it's okay. Besides, let's avoid them coming in when you're in there. This is your shower too now. I'll just wait." I insist and she nods, then walks to the bathroom.
"Towels are under the sink." I tell her before she closes the door.
I find the aux in my speaker and plug my iPod into it and shuffle music on low volume. I sit on my bed, slowly sipping water from the bottle I'd grabbed on our way to my room, and I continue reading this book I'd started the day before.
Time passes me, and I only realize that it's been a while, when Holly emerges from the bathroom.
I however wasn't ready for the sight in front of me.
Holly in a towel.
She seems to be nonchalant as she walks into the room. Only when she meets my gaze does she blush and i'm sure since I'm the pale one, my cheeks are redder than a tomato.
"Um…" I don't think I can say anything. Nothing that would help.
Holly didn't take clothes with her into the bathroom, so she's only in a towel.
With a gulp, I get up, and avoid her mistake as I grab in haste underwear, a t-shirt and jeans, and dash into the bathroom.
With that Holly gets her privacy to get dressed and I get a chance to cool off from the sight of Holly in a towel.
Things get a bit more awkward when it's bed time and we're all pretty tired and in need of sleep. We're both dressed in our PJs, - pants and t-shirts, thank God- , teeth brushed and standing in front of the bed deciding on a side.
We'd just sat outside for a while with a fire going, eating smores and telling stories. When Stephanie started dozing off and Holly looked too tired, everyone agreed to go to sleep. And now we're faced withe the fact that we'll have to share a bed.
We haven't even gone on our first date yet, and yet here we are about to sleep in the same bed.
"Um… What side do you sleep on?" I ask.
"Whichever one works. Which do you usually sleep on?" I guess it's up to me to decide.
"I don't mind either." I give her another chance to pick a side.
However Holly doesn't seem to hold the same nervousness I'm holding as she makes a bold comment.
"So are we both taking the middle then?" She adds with a lopsided smile and I am sure she can hear my breath hitch at that comment.
As her smirk widens, she strolls towards the bed and gets under the covers on the right side. Guess she's made her decision, so I make my way to the other side. And as I get under the covers I can immediately feel the warmth Holly's radiating.
I reach over and turn the lamp off, which happened to be on my side once Holly lies down. I do the same and lie down.
"You're not weirded out by this?" I don't know why, but I feel the need to make sure that she's okay with this.
"No, I'm okay. Are you?" She turns it around on me.
"More than okay." I give a smile to reassure her.
"Good."
"Goodnight." I tell her and she does't answer back though, she sighs audibly.
"What?" I imply t her sigh..
"Do I have to be the bold one now?" She asks and even though it's dark I give her a confused look that I'm sure she can still see.
"I just… haven't kissed you in a while." She tells me in a husky voice, and now my breath is hitching again as I feel her actually do the bold move and move closer to kiss me.
I don't let her do all the work. I meet her halfway and crash my lips to hers.
If two days without tasting her lips made me miss her this much, I wonder how I'll be able to handle longer time. We've only gotten together, in a way, a few days ago and I already need her.
When I feel the need to place my hands on her waist, I pull away. Can't risk crossing a line now. I can't make her uncomfortable in any way.
When I gently pull away, I see Holly with a content smile, eyes still closed.
"I don't know if I'll ever get used to the feeling of kissing you." She whispers softly, eyes still closed.
"Good. I don't want you to." And with that said I give her a soft short lasting kiss.
"Are you really okay with us sharing a bed? Not too soon or too fast?" I can't help but let my worry show.
"Two friends, sharing a bed. Nothing out of the ordinary here." Holly answers with her crooked smile, and I know it's her way of assuring me that it's not too fast, because we're already friends.
"Good night then." I say getting comfortable as I lay on my side facing her.
She goes into the same position as she says "Goodnight."
And with that we both fall asleep.
I wake up to a weight on my shoulder and an arm around me.
Without opening my eyes I can tell that we've drifted closer together through the night, since my arm seems to be around her and I can smell her shampoo clearly. So I just bask in the moment as I keep my eyes closed and just pull her closer to me as a content smile takes over my face.
I inhale Holly's scent as I drift back to sleep, knowing that it's probably too early to wake up anyways.
I do wake up later to stirring on my shoulder. I guess Holly's awake.
She doesn't extract her hands from me, she however hums as she tightens her hold, so I do the same and tighten mine, which seems to catch her off guard because I can feel her lifting her head upwards to look at my face.
So without opening my eyes I give her a smile with a "Morning."
"You're awake." She states sounding surprised, but thankfully she doesn't pull away.
I only hum and turn my face around in order to burry my nose in her hair.
Her hold tightens on me and I can feel her hum in content as she adjusts herself on my shoulder. When a noise is heard outside our room, I expected Holly to move away but she doesn't, she stays in place.
However the noise intensifies and I'm sure everyone is awake by now, and we're the only ones still in our room.
Holly groans and rubs her face in my shoulder, which is kind of adorable and I can't help the warm smile that takes over my face at that.
"Guess we should get up before Stephanie comes barging in and splashes us with cold water." She grumbles into my shoulder and I chuckle.
"Okay." I say waiting for her to move but she doesn't she even tightens her hold more.
"But I don't wanna." She whines and now I'm giggling at her actions.
"You're just too adorable." I can't help but voice my thoughts. "Let's go, we've got tonight all to ourselves too." I remind her and when she meets my face I give her the eyebrow wiggle, which she swats me for, then she goes back to her previous position of cuddling into me.
"No, it's too warm here to leave it." She says.
"Okay. Well I'll just go then, while you stay warm." I attempt to get up but she doesn't let me.
"Then you'll take all the warmth with you." She says and I chuckle.
"Are you always like that in the morning?" I ask.
"Only when I'm warm and don't want to leave the bed." She tells me and my smile remains plastered.
"This is actually nice." She's more awake now, since she's raised herself so her face is meeting mine.
"It is." I say as I lean in and peck her lips and she hums at the contact.
She then takes the next move and pecks me on the lips again.
"It's getting better now." She comments.
"Oh yeah?" I've got an eye brow raised.
"Yeah." She then leans in for a real soft kiss that doesn't last long but still feels good.
I can hear arguing, coming from the other side of our bedroom door. I guess it's time to get up for real.
"Guess we really do need to get up." She pouts at my words. "Come on." I squeeze her shoulder as I finally manage to get out of bed.
"I promise more kisses later if you do get up now." I add with a smirk before I make my way to the bathroom.
Five minutes later I get out of the bathroom and find that Holly is seated in bed now.
"Bathroom is all yours." I point behind me with a smirk on my face, because she looks all tousled and sleepy.
She strides towards me, pecks me on the cheek and goes in. "I'll take first shower then." She says before closing the bathroom door.
With that, I make my way outside of the room, getting ready to face the mass outside.
Thankfully there was coffee made when I make it into the kitchen so I pour myself a cup and make it to the living room where everyone's arguing.
When I sit near Stephanie she asks where Holly is and I just answer with 'Shower', then I try to focus on their argument.
"It's too cold to swim." Steve's arguing with Brian.
"Not that cold." Brian rebuttals and I'm not sure what they're talking about.
"We'll just hang by the lake, no swimming." Steve's sticking to his point.
"But it's nice out." So my guess is Brian wants to swim and Steve is warning him not to.
Steve wanted to go to the lake a few days ago, but I'm sure he didn't intend on swimming then either. It may be warmer but not that warm for a swim. I'm sure the water is still freezing.
"Steve, leave him. If he can't tell when it's too cold for a swim, it's his problem. He's the one who'll end up at the hospital then." I say as I sip my coffee.
"It's seriously not cold out." Is Brian seriously trying to turn his argument on me?
I take a deep breath before I place my coffee down on the table and then fix Brian with a glare.
"Listen, adventure boy, it may be warmer but the temperature still doesn't go higher than 10 C, which means the water would be cold. If we need jackets to handle sitting outside, then swimming is a no go. So if you would love to ruin our vacation by having us sit in a waiting room at a hospital while you suffer from hypothermia or cold shock, then be my guest." I give him a mean smile as I reach back for my cup and ignore him for the rest of the morning, considering I just ended the argument.
The rest of the day pass by well and fast. We did end up at the lake. The other couples were al cuddled up at the side of the lake, while Holly and I sat back. She had a book she was reading, while I had my earphones in a sketch I was finishing. Which happened to be a sketch of Holly reading. And when she realized what I was drawing when she caught me looking up at her a few times, she gives me a smile accompanied by a blush.
She appraises the work when it's done, and then I end up running away from Steve who follows me to see the drawing. He saw me show it Holly and when I refused to show it to him he chased me around to see it.
I ended up swapping the drawings into one of Buffy in comic style and showing it to him, otherwise he would've kept chasing me around till he saw it.
Then when night came, we all had dinner in the cabin, and retired to bed.
Once again, Holly and I kissed before bed. Nothing different from the night before. We stopped before we get carried away or feel each other up, However, we do fall asleep cuddled this time.
Sharing a bed with her when we'd just started dating was not as difficult as I'd expected, I actually liked having her close, waking up to her, and falling asleep to the smell of her shampoo.
The next night however, it got a bit harder.
I was ready for bed before Holly, so when she emerged from the bathroom, I had to look away, otherwise all the thoughts that ran through my head at that moment would be visible to her.
She just came out of the bathroom in shorts and a tank top. The way her long legs and her toned body look in just those clothes is seriously going to test my restraint.
She still strides towards the bed oblivious to the way her presence is affecting me, and she gets in, on her side.
"I don't want this vacation to be over. Going back to school will not be as fun." She sighs and I smirk at her words.
I clear my throat to get the words that got stuck at Holly's sight sorted. "You like school, so don't complain that you don't want to go back. We all know you do."
"But then we wouldn't be in this bubble we've found ourselves in. We wouldn't be sharing a bed, and stealing goodnight kisses." She complains, and I find it adorable.
I can't help the smile that takes over my face, and then the mischievousness of my tone. "We can always find ways to arrange that, so I wouldn't worry about goodnight kisses not being a thing anymore."
She goes silent at my words, and then she turns to look at me, with intense eyes.
"Won't be this easy." She points out as she gets closer and connects our lips.
It's as electric as every time we kiss, if not even more electric. She takes the lead on this kiss. I'm still hung up on the sight of her in shorts and a tank top, but she seems to be oblivious to that as she is bolder with her kisses this time. She's got one hand on my cheek and the other on the bed, used for support as she straddles me under the covers. She's now fully on top of me, her weight supported by her hand as she kisses me. My hands however, with a lot of effort, remain by my sides. It takes a few more moments of kissing before Holly using her hand as support fails and she ends up putting her full weight on top of me, and I can't hide it anymore as a moan escapes my lips through kisses. However she doesn't pull away at my sound, she just ends up matching it with a moan of her own, and her hips gyrate into mine.
That's when my mind springs back into attention. I need to stop this.
"Holly." I get to say between kisses.
"Hmm?"
"We should stop." I barely breathe out. Holly however ignores me or doesn't here me, as she continues kissing me.
"Holly." I manage to say, firmly this time, and she stops with a sigh, laying her forehead on mine.
"I'm sorry." She whispers out, eyes still closed, her breath tickling my lips.
"Don't be." I assure her, and lift my hands to cup her cheeks and give her a peck on the lips. She sighs again and then she rolls over so she's laying next to me.
When I look her way, I see that she's laying on her back, face facing up, eyes still closed.
"I don't know what gets to me when I kiss you." She confesses with another sigh.
"I know what you mean." I turn around in place, so that I'm facing her, but she's still facing up with eyes closed.
"I just… I've never felt like this when kissing anyone before. Or just been this affected by their proximity." Her hand reaches out for mine then. "When I kiss you, I feel alive, and I want to keep doing it." She confesses and I can feel the shyness in her voice.
I reach out to caress her cheek, which gets her to turn around to face me.
"Everything you're feeling, I'm feeling it too. I know we just begun, but I feel more for you then I've ever felt for anyone else. And I want to keep kissing you, for hours. But I can't promise I'd have full control of my hands then." I add with a teasing tone, and I do a sweep of her body with my eyes to point out what her choice of clothing for the night is doing to me.
"Oh."
After that, we remain silent for a while, just laying there facing each other, with her hand in mine, and my other hand caressing her face.
It isn't till minutes later when she speaks.
"I think I've just gotten farther with you, than I've gotten with anyone." She admits, and I know what she means.
I raise my eye brows in question at first, and then realization strikes.
"You think?" I whisper with amusement and soft eyes.
"I know." She reaches her hand this time to brush some loose hair behind my ear and I hum at the touch.
"I've never gotten farther than this with anyone." I share. She shared with me, so I felt I had to tell her.
We never talked about my relationships, just hers, and I wanted her to know that I've never gone far with anyone either.
"Maybe someday." She whispers onto my lips before she pecks me and then she turns around, taking my arm with her as she cuddles back into me.
Did she say someday? As in someday she and I will go far? She wants to go all the way with me?
No, too soon to think that way. We haven't even gone on our first date yet.
Which is technically not true, because we've been out on dates before we've actually started dating if we can be honest.
I however try to shut my mind and ignore the way her bare legs brush against one of mine, since my pants has rid up on one leg, and I fall asleep.
And that's how the rest of our stay at the cabin goes. Activities, food and stolen kisses, none however as intense as that night.
"Um, where are you taking me?" I ask Holly as she leads me down a hallway at the hotel her father owns. We've been back to school for a few days now and Holly has managed to convince me to go over to her place after school. Her sister was at college and her dad had meetings all day, so I won't be meeting any family members, which is something I so didn't want to do.
"Just, my room." She says as she points at the door we've just stopped at. She uses a keycard to open the door, and then she drags me in.
Once inside and the door is closed, I find myself in the living room of a hotel room. A room that didn't look to be big enough to be their room.
"Um Holly, this doesn't look like a big enough room to fit your family." I point out.
"Oh this isn't our suite. It's just mine." She points as she places her school bag by the table in the living room and then takes off her coat and hangs it on the coat hanger near where I'm standing.
"You have a room to yourself? You stay by yourself?" I question. I'm still confused.
She chuckles at my confusion. "No. I still live with my dad in the penthouse, technically. But when I turned sixteen her gave me a room where I can just study, hang out with friends, escape the craziness, I don't know, anything. Casey's room is across the hall." She explains as she stands behind me and I feel her take my bag from me and place it next to hers since i'm still standing in place admiring the place.
She then gets my attention back to her when she takes off my jacket and hangs it near hers.
"So, where's the bedroom?" I try to sound teasing and seductive but still joking as I raise my eye brows suggestively at the question. Holly however rolls her eyes at my question and pleas herself on the couch as she pets the spot next to her for me to sit.
We've been back from our cabin escape for a few days now, and this whole time we've been back has consisted of stolen kisses in cars, since I sometimes pick her up and sometimes she picks me up, brief hand holding at dinner when she joined us once since her and Steve had a project, and a stolen kiss in my room when she came to say goodnight before she left. I asked her out, I'd promised her a date and she agreed on Friday. And Friday finally came and she asked me to come over. I reminded her that we had a date to get to. She however convinced me that we can make our whole time from the moment we get to the hotel our date, and that we can go front here to whatever I had planned.
Which I had no idea what it would be at first, till I learned that they were screening old black and white movies in the theater house close by. I remembered Holly making us watch some of them when we had a movie night once. So I already bought tickets to the screening. But I knew we couldn't act all couply there since Holly is not ready yet, so some alone time would be great.
The lopsided smile on her face is reassuring as she eyes me, so I ignore the gesture of her asking me to sit next to her and instead I walk up to her with purpose in my eyes and a smirk on my face as I place myself on her lap with my legs on either sides of hers and my hands automatically goes around her neck.
Her lopsided smile turns shy, she still however rests back in her seat and incircle me with her arms.
"So, this is where you stay? Alone?" I ask with quirked eye brows.
"Yes. It makes studying easier." Her hands start making soothing circles on my back.
"Right. You're graduating top of you class." I have a bit of pride in my tone. "Which reminds me, any college replies yet?"
A smirk takes over her face at that question. "Maybe."
"Well…?" I prompt but she just shrugs and a smirk is still plastered on her face.
"Tell me!" I coax but her smirk turns to a full on mischievous smile.
"Fine." I move closer, laying my wait on her as she reclines farther into the couch. "Don't tell me." I add as I bring my face closer to hers, till our noses are touching. I can feel her breath hitch in anticipation, so I just brush my nose against hers again, and then pull away.
"That just means no more kisses for you." I point out playfully, being the one now wearing the smirk, while she looks just frustrated.
"Gail!" She whines but I don't budge.
"Fine. I got replies from three of them. I got into all three. Still waiting on two more." She tells me.
"Which colleges Holly?"
"It doesn't matter which. It just matters that I got into the University of Toronto. So I won't be going anywhere next year." She gives me her signature lopsided smile.
I give her a smile in return, a real genuine proud smile.
"Now can I have my kiss?" She sounds exasperated.
I don't answer with words however. I just lean in and kiss her. A gentle kiss.
Before things get steamy. I unstraddle Holly, and sit next to her on the couch. She picks up her phone and orders food for us.
Then she turns on the TV.
A photo on the side of the wall opposite us catches my attention though. There were more than one photo there but one stands out.
So I get up to inspect it. The other photos were of Holly with her sister, and one which I'm assuming is with her dad. One is with some of her friends, which includes Steve. But those are all of the Holly I know now. While the photo I'm inspecting is of a young Holly, with a woman that looks a lot like her.
A couple of seconds later and Holly is standing right next to me.
"That's my mother." She explains and I can feel the emotions in her voice.
I know Holly's mother died when she was young, but I don't know any details about that.
"She's beautiful. You look a lot like her." With that said I turn my attention to Holly and give her a warm smile. Which she returns.
"She died when I was nine. She was sick and they didn't catch it till it was too late." I can hear her voice shake. "Which is kind of ironic, a doctor who had no clue she was sick."
"Is that why you want to be a doctor?" I ask her. It would make sense to follow a parent's footsteps.
"Part of it. I really like the science. It fascinates me, way more than money does." She takes my hand and leads me back to the couch.
"My parents met at the hospital. My dad had gotten into a fight, and he needed stitches for a cut on his forehead, and my mother, who was an intern at the time, ended up doing his stitches, and apparently he was smitten. He'd tell you she was, but her story was different." She tells me with a warm smile on her face, as if it's her favorite story to tell. "He asked her out, but she turned him down. She said he sounded arrogant and a jerk and so not the type of person she'd want to date. However they ran into each other again at the movies. Some movie came out and he and his friends were being loud, so someone through pop corn at his head asking him to be quiet, and it turned out to be my mother. Lucky him. So after the movie, he tried to reach her and talk to her, but she turned him down again. A week later, she ended up here. This place was just a restaurant, with a few rooms above, that my grandfather owned. My dad turned it into a successful hotel later on. So mom was here with a few of her friends. And he didn't really notice her. She saw him though. Some customer was being really mean to one of the waiters, and she says dad just came up to him, right in his face, and told him that if he can't be polite to honest working people, then this was not the place for him. That's when her opinion of him changed completely. When he did finally notice she was there, he approached her in a friendly manner, and just talked. She waited for him to ask her out again, but when he didn't and she questioned him about it, he told her that it was because he can take a hint, but he thinks she's interesting and wouldn't mine being friends. Mom however didn't want that, so she asked him out. And it worked out for them."
"They were my favorite people. I always looked up to what they had. I could see my dad looking lovingly at her all the time, even when they argued. I remember thinking that I wanted that. Pure adoration. But when she died, dad shut off for a while. And the reason he's so against med school is because he's scared. It reminds him of her, and how she was too busy saving other lives to save her own." Her voice drops, and I can hear the sadness then. So I scoot closer and pull her into my arms.
"Hey. It's okay. He'll understand eventually. He's just blinded for now, but he'll come around. He loved her too much to deny you this. He'll come around." I assure her and she squeezes me tight, before she lets go of the hug, but keeps an arm around me.
She then reaches for the remote and finds a channel for us to watch something on as he lays her head on my shoulder.
We spend the rest of the day, watching TV, and eating, until it's time for us to go catch those movies.
The date went amazingly.
We had popcorn, lots of popcorn, and french fries. Well I had most.
"Do you have to have french fries with everything?" Holly had whined when I was mixing it with bites of popcorn.
"Yes?"
"Why?" She questions and in truth I don't even have an answer to that.
"I just like it." I shrug in answer. She however surprises me as she reaches over to grab a french fry with some pop corn and picks up on my bad eating habit with a smile.
After a while, she sneaks her arm in between mine, and lays her head on my shoulder. And we sped the rest of the time like that.
Afterwards I drop her off at the hotel, and I end up getting a very memorable kiss before she leaves my car and heads towards the entrance.
The next few weeks pass the same. With us sneaking off for secret dates, stealing kisses at my house and making out i her hotel room, holding hands sneakily under the lunch table, texting each other none stop, and going on morning runs together on weekends when the weather is nice.
It's been weeks, and no one has noticed anything about us yet. Which is good, because it means Holly is still in her happy bubble, and so am I.
But I knew it wouldn't last that long, someone is bound to find out.
On one saturday, when we made plans to watch the reruns of Buffy which would be airing on TV again as episode after the other, Steve decides to invite all his friends over for lunch, and hanging out in the backyard.
Which includes Holly, and that's great.
However it would involve friends I'm not familiar with. Which is why I've been grumpy all day, and made it a point that I'd stay in my room and won't be joining them.
He didn't like that of course. So he made me join them, otherwise I won't be getting any the delicious food he ordered.
That was not the real reason why I caved in and joined them though. Holly texted me and begged me to join them otherwise it would be boring and she wanted to have my face to look at. So I was convinced. And whipped. Steve however thinks the food is what won me over.
"Having fun?" Holly finds me sitting by the pool, eating. I give her a raised eye brow in answer and she chuckles understanding fully well what my answer is.
"I'm sure I can change that." She says in her teasing tone, which I've been subject to a lot lately. I give her a questioning look but she doesn't elaborate.
"Seriously Gail? Fries on the pizza?" She asks incredulously this time, and I notice she's staring at my plate.
"What?! I'm going to eat them together anyways, this saves time, and it tastes good." I shrug and take a bite to prove my point.
Holly just chuckles at my antics.
By the time I've finished the food on my plate, Stephanie has called Holly over.
"Will you be okay if I go for a sec? I'll be right back to save you from your boredom, I promise." She sounds genuine and I find myself smiling.
"Go. I'll just find the bowl of cheese puffs and enjoy them all by myself." I assure her and she laughs, probably thinking I'm joking.
"Well save some for me." She adds a wink to that sentence and then walks away.
I can't help but linger my gaze on her for a bit, but in hopes I don't get caught, I get back to attention and go find the bowl of cheese puffs.
My alone time as I watch Holly have fun is interrupted by my annoying brother.
"I should've known it was you when the cheese puffs went missing.
He points at the bowl I was now hugging for dear life so he wouldn't tale it away from me.
"So, why are you all alone?" He knows very well the answer to that question. Yet he asks it anyways.
"Because my jerk brother wouldn't let me have some peace and quiet in my room, and dragged me down here to be annoyed." I had to use that. Even though it wasn't really true. I didn't mind being here, at the same place as Holly.
"Sure." He says in that way he used to when we were younger and we'd argue about something and then he'd just agree with me so we'd stop even if he doesn't believe I was right.
I turn to give him my cold glare, however I am surprised to find him looking at me intently.
"What?"
"Just be careful." He warns.
I have no idea what he's talking about. How did we go from me telling him I was annoyed to him asking me to do that.
"With what?" I make it a point to show my confusion.
He doesn't answer me though. However his eyes do, as they drift towards Holly. And with that he gets up and leaves to find Stephanie.
Does he know? Does my brother know? What the hell was he talking about?
"So, are you leaving with the others? Or would you care to stay a bit with me?" I ask Holly when everyone starts to leave. I was sitting on the couch in the living room when Holly found me to inform me that the gathering is dispersing.
"Well, I'm Stephanie's ride, so technically I have to stay till she wants to leave." She points out.
"And is she staying?"
"I really really really hope she is." She gives me that lopsided smile and I melt.
With a smirk, she leaves to find Stephanie and ask if they'll be staying a bit longer.
Two minutes later she's sitting next to me again, with her shoulder touching mine.
"Steve and Stephanie are in Steve's room." She tells me.
"Why are we not in my room then?" I ask in a teasing tone.
I expected a slap to the arm and a scowl. However she surprises me. "I wonder the same thing." She's returning my teasing smile.
I don't waste any time. I extend my hand to her and then drag her to my room.
The second the door's closed she's already dragging me towards the bed, straddling me and attacking my lips with hers.
The kiss is needy and aggressive and I love it. I can't help the soft moans that escape my lips, but I don't mind because the same sounds are coming from her.
After a few minutes we part for air.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what spurred this on?" I ask out of breath.
"I've just been wanting to do this all day." She breathes into my lips before she connects them again. This time softer.
The second her tongue enters my mouth, I feel my self weaken and waver and I lower myself unto the bed with her on top of me. There's no way I can support my weight when she kisses me like that.
The kiss intensifies, and her body on top of mine feels amazing. Her hands are roaming my sides, and then they go under my shirt. She's touching skin and she's getting so close to my breast each time.
"Hey do you guys want to…" A voice interrupts the trance we were in. "Woah…"
Steve.
I mentally groan at that. Why didn't I lock the door?
Shit.
Steve has caught us kissing.
Holly wasn't ready for people to know, and now Steve knows.
Damn it Steve!
She parts from me, but her facials aren't panicky, to my surprise. Just annoyed. She unstraddles me and lays beside me with a groan.
"I so didn't see that one coming." Steve comments.
"Don't you knock?" I ask him irritated, still not looking at him.
"Oh I did, more than once. But you two were obviously preoccupied." He's snickering now, but the shock is still on his face. "How long has this been going on?"
"Go away!" I groan out and Holly chuckles. I'm just glad she's not freaking out.
"Can you give us a minute? We'll meet you back downstairs." Holly tells Steve and we wait for him to leave.
"I'm happy right here. I'm not going downstairs any time soon." I complain.
"Gail. We need to explain." She reasons.
"Are you okay? With this?" I point at the door even though it's now closed and Steve is gone.
"I'm okay. Don't worry." She assures me as she moves closer. She tucks a stray hair behind my ear and pecks me on the lips.
"You sure?" I'm still concerned.
"I'm okay Gail. It's just Steve. I don't mind people knowing we're together. I just don't want Casey to know." She explains.
"Right, she hates me." I need to remember that her sister hates me.
"I just don't want her to make it difficult to be with you. Not yet." She still sounds worried that I won't understand.
"It's okay. I know." I assure her.
"Come on. The sooner we have the conversation with your brother, the sooner we can come back here and continue where we left off." She has a smirk on her lips as she says that. She knows that this will make me cave.
"Fine! But I need lots and lots of kisses to make up for this." She just chuckles at my words and pulls me off the bed on her way.
"Chill Steve. It hasn't been that long." He's not happy we hid things from him. He's sitting on the couch with Stephanie, while we sit on the other one.
"You guys seriously should've told us! We would have been happy for you." Stephanie reprimands.
"It was no one else's business." Holly sense my defensive tone and places her hand on my arm in order to calm me down.
"I asked Gail to keep it a secret. This is new to me, and I just wasn't ready to deal with everything, especially not with having a chance of my sister finding out." She explains and they nod their heads in understanding.
"You still could've come to us. I was telling Gail to be careful just a few hours ago because I saw her watching you so adoringly and I didn't think you returned her feelings." Steve tells us. So that's what his warning was all about.
Holly gives me a smile with raised eye brows.
"What? There were no more cheese puffs and I was bored. You were the only good thing to look at around." I say that with a shrug as if it was no big deal.
"Aww, how sweet." Holly sees the defense behind my words and she teases me about it. She then surprises me when she pecks me on the lips right in front of Steve and Stephanie.
"This will take some getting used to." Steve comments. "My sister and my best friend. Who would've thought."
"Wait. Is that why you two were arguing a few weeks ago? Why you were avoiding each other?" Steve is catching on to things now. I see why he could do well with the police.
"Maybe." I don't give him answers, and I say it before Holly gives away any details.
"So when we were in the cabin, you two were together?" He's still concluding things.
"Kind of." I still give him vague answers.
"What does that mean?" He's irritated now.
"It means we got together there. In a way. We settled our differences and got together." Holly took away my fun of irritating Steve and answered him.
"So when you two shared a room, you were already…" He trails off at that.
"Yep." We were together, that's what he was getting at and I confirm it.
He doesn't push with more questions, he just nods his understanding of the information he's just unraveled.
"I don't know what speech I should be giving now." He shakes his head in confusion.
"What? What speech?" He's not making sense to me now.
"Should I be giving Holly the 'if you hurt my sister' speech, or should I be giving you the 'if you hurt my best friend' speech first." He explains and I just narrow my eyes at him.
"No speeches necessary." I grit out.
"But…"
"No."
Before he says anything else I stand up and extend my hand to Holly.
"Now if we're done explaining things, we will be heading back to my room, and I hope you will not be disturbing us." I pull Holly up with me as I say that.
"Right, I was gonna ask if you two wanted to watch a movie with us." He remembers why he entered my room in the first place.
"No thanks. Plans of our own." I decline his offer, and before he says anything else I drag Holly up to my bedroom.
"What was that about?" Holly asks once I drag her all the way to my bed and push her to sit on it.
I don't answer immediately. I end up being the one straddling her now, and I kiss her before anything else is said.
"I was promised kisses. Lots and lots of kisses." I explain between kisses.
Holly just smiles and pulls herself up the bed, and pulls me along with her. And we spend the time after that kissing in that position and trying not to get carried away.