Will Stronghold ran his fingers through his messy brown hair, he felt a rush of blood to his head as he stood up suddenly. September 5th, the date immediately ticked in his head. Layla… She was going to visit today. He wondered about her, had she changed? But what he was most worried about- had her feelings changed? Fiery red hair, the fierce defiance in her voice when they argued, the sweet smell of peonies that always lingered in her hair; these were the things that made her so special to him. He loved her, he was sure of it. But the problem was she left as soon as she told him how he felt for her and before she left he took her virginity. Will was notorious for his famous one nightstands, but to him it felt nothing like that. It was something he hadn't experienced before- only read about. He felt guilty; she deserved something more meaningful and unique. As soon as he left he took extra measures of trying to get her out of his head. He hooked up with plenty of girls, the ones who threw themselves at him for his good looks and reputation.
Breathe. He took a shaky breath. School was starting today. His sophomore year at Sky High was starting and he already had a reputation as a player. He grabbed a fitted white v-neck and pulled it over his rock hard chest and pulled on a pair of dark wash jeans. He grabbed his messenger bag and slung it over his broad shoulders and reached over for his hoodie when he heard the sound of laughter. He registered the first sound, it was his mother; but the second sound was…Layla. He jolted out of his rooms and down the stairs, he had to see for himself. He was right.
She stood in the middle of the kitchen; he noticed she had as least grown an inch or two. Her long, fiery red hair waved to the small of her back; her skin was no longer pale. She was tan, and it seemed like she glowed from within her skin. She hadn't noticed him yet, his eyes roamed down her newly formed curves and small waist. She was wearing a simple, floaty strapless summer dress that stopped above her knee. The wilting flowers in the vase sprang to life when she gently touched them. That was when she noticed him. Mrs. Stronghold spoke enthusiastically,
"Will! Good you're up, did you hear? Layla's going to shadow you at school today!" Layla switched her gaze to him, it was intense and reproachful; he stared right back. She smiled timidly at him but his stoic face did not smile back. He felt his eyes glaze over as he calculated the confusion in her eyes. He turned around before he could give anything away.
"That's great Mom. Bus is here." His voice was smooth and calm. He heard her follow him out the door and across the green lawn. The doors opened and he climbed in, nobody was there yet. He moved all the way to the back and sat. She plopped down next to him, he breathed in her floral scent and he felt his resentment toward her loosen. She rested her head on his shoulder, he tensed; he heard her sigh softly.
"Will?" He looked down at her and was slightly surprised at the closeness of their faces. He felt self-conscious when he noticed she was gazing intently at his lips. He murmured softly,
"Is this what you want?" as he leaned closer and pressed his experienced lips against hers. An unexpected wave of nostalgia hit him in the gut. She sighed into the soft kiss, she placed a hand on his face. He was used to having intense, lust filled make out sessions and the sudden tenderness surprised him. She parted her lips ever so slightly. Her breath grew ragged and erratic as he slowly traced the bottom of her lip with the tip of his tongue. His hand held her delicate chin as he gently detached himself from her lips. He spoke softly without breaking her gaze.
"That's what I thought."