Chapter 23: Everything I Ever Wanted

As I settled into this new life, it begun to have a nice rhythm, one that was like the best music I had ever heard. Everyday upon waking, once my brain started working, I was exciting. I celebrated the ugly colour purple that mocked me on the stupid comforter, the drab walls, and the dinosaur of a computer. Without fail before leaving bed I thanked the ancestors and especially my grandmamma, rejoicing that it was a new day with Mike. As an added bonus, every day I figured out Bella's hair and skin care a little more. Thus, my mornings not only went faster, but I walked out the house looking better. I also had won Chief Swan over and gotten him to agree to add to the pitiful excuse of clothes in the closet. Slowly, as each day passed, my fear that the spell would reverse itself decreased. The desire to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream went away. Just in case, though, I kept my prayers of gratitude.

The only very minor, but strange thing was that every once in a while I would find a really sexy expensive brand of panties in the back of the drawer. It was a pleasant surprise, but confusing. Every time I second-guessed my ability to evaluate and remember Bella's inventory. It wasn't like she had a lot to keep track of. A few times I had played with the idea that it was some magical side effect. Although me missing something was more likely, I hoped it kept happening, because they were out of Chief Swan's price range for sure.

Unsurprisingly, Edward continued to be a jerk. He had become slightly not so God-awful, but that wasn't saying much. I was no longer failing Biology, but would never get it like Bella did. My grade in the class shouldn't be bad enough to stop the future meant for me, so I didn't worry about it. Biology aside, completing the majority of the schoolwork had shortened. It made a big difference that I wasn't always taking care of my brothers. I had time for school and myself. That definitely hadn't been the case before. It was only one of the many things I was grateful for.

Bella would never be my home girl or bestie, but she kept her promises, so that made her okay in my book. She seemed to be doing fine enough in my old classes with the schoolwork I did, so at least we were both passing. She was such a bookworm that she probably could have done both, but I intended on keeping my side of our agreement. No reason to upset her.

The next Saturday morning Mike picked me up for our date. Every Saturday since our first date he'd taken me out. It was, like, he had carved out this time every week to focus on us. It gave me hope that he was beginning to realise that we were meant to be. What was between us no longer was only flirty smiles and unfulfilled wishes. Sure, I'd done the heavy lifting to overcome the barriers that had existed between us, but he was showing up and doing his part. I was ecstatic.

I was beginning to consider, since we were so solid, of maybe offering to Mike that we double date with one of his friends and their girlfriend. That might win me some brownie points in his book, and potentially gain us support against the likes of Jessica and Lauren. But, what was currently winning out was my desire to keep him to myself. Maybe in the future, I'd be more willing to share.

The whole car ride we held hands. Sometimes his fingers would edge their way up underneath my shirt. He'd have a small proud smile and I would try to not grin too much. This Saturday he took me to a café we hadn't gone to already, and had breakfast. Mike was good about taking me to different places, and as much as possible, I picked a seat by the windows. We chatted about school, both agreeing that Forks High teachers were purposefully torturing us for no reason, played footsie, and guessed at the latest love interests between our classmates all while enjoying each other's company. Like Leah suggested, I found a moment to talk about our futures and ask about college.

"My parents expect me to go," he told me.

"Mine would like me to," I let him know.

"They have this whole dream for me. I'll graduate college top of my class, get a scholarship with football, get a degree in business, and then a MBA. After that, I'll come back to Forks and run the shop," he confided, ending with a sigh.

Uncertain of what to say I offered, "And you don't want this?"

He looked conflicted before he offered, "I do want to go to college and getting a scholarship as well as a degree in business sounds smart, but it's like I have no choice."

"I get that," I agreed with him.

As if my support empowered him, he added in a rush, "And I don't want to run the Forks store. I want to run a chain of stores. I want to be the CEO who makes decisions in an office and never has to stock shelves."

"That sounds like a big dream," I stated, trying to be supportive.

"Yeah," he said with a small smile. "Forks is a small place. I don't want to be a big fish in a small pond. I want to be swimming with the big fishes in the big pond."

With a reassuring smile I told him, "I'm sure you can do anything you put your mind to."

"Thanks," he told me with a genuine smile and his hand on mine.

The truth was that I really didn't like his idea. It sounded grandiose and unrealistic. His parents' store worked in Forks because there were no other options, but when he had to compete for customers in the likes of Tacoma, I just couldn't see it. At the same time, it wasn't about me. It was his dream. We were fated and he was making me happy, so I would support him. That's what couples did. They supported each other, even if they thought it was a bad plan.

"What do you think everyone else will do?" I asked as a way to change the conversation.

He talked for the next while filling me in on his friends and what he thought they would do after high school.

While walking to the café and in it, we tried to keep the touching low key. Even though we were in Port Angeles, and never talked about it, we both knew how many Forks people came here, and how quickly word would get back to our parents. Forks people had nothing better to do than be busy bodies, especially about other people's kids. Neither of us wanted to get into trouble. Not to mention that being grounded would really rain on our parade.

After the café, Mike took me to the movies for the first time, which I thought was a great idea. We weren't able to keep our hands off each other as soon as the lights turned out. Of course, given the location, our touching had been on top of each others' clothes. I really couldn't say what the movie had been about, since my body had been so hot. When he rubbed his hand on my thigh, it was like fire moved below his fingertips and then would travel through the centre of my body. Close to the end of the movie my nipples had gotten perky to the point that I noticed it, as they were pressing into my bra. There was this strange tension in my body, like it was waiting for something important, but I didn't know what it was. What I could say for certain was that I liked it and wanted him to do more. Yet, I didn't want to come off too forward. God forbid I act like Karen, the class slut.

The last two weeks before we would head home, between Port Angeles and Forks, he had found a spot for us to make out. He would drive down this old logging road no one used, and turn off the car, so to keep us hidden. I was pleased how this too had become a part of our habits. With everything being so crazy, these moments of him and how he repeated the same pattern calmed my nerves, and caused me to fall even more in love with him. He made everything so much better without even trying. It was so easy to imagine the great marriage with two kids and him working at the shop we would have.

Even in our spot where no one could possibly see us, we hadn't quite yet progressed to taking off clothes, although we had touched each other under our shirts and jackets. Leah has warned me that some guys can be pushy and almost act like an animal or caveman, but Mike hasn't been like that at all. Instead, he seems happy and appreciative of what we did. Each date he liked to go a little more than before, but nothing that made me uncomfortable. It was one more sign that we were meant to be.

As usual, as soon as he parked, we got out of the front and went into the back seat. We kissed passionately. As each week had gone by, our kissing had only improved. Even sometimes his kisses would leave me light headed. I'd be so wrapped up in him that I'd forget to breathe through my nose. He seemed pleased each time I teased him about it. His chest would puff out some and he'd get a really silly grin. I liked seeing him that way, and it seemed like he took it as a compliment, so made sure to point out these things at least once or twice.

Space and the temperature limited what we could do. Which had helped slow us rounding the bases. A part of me was grateful, since I was still nervous he wouldn't like what I did or how this body was shaped. Yet, the fire that he had built within me during the movies had only died down a little, to be reignited even more from our kissing. So, I focused on that, ignored my nervousness. Feeling bold and like my skin was letting off steam, I took my jacket off, which was a little tough in the small space, but Mike helped me, smiling the whole time. Then I took off my long-sleeved plush rose cardigan with a low scoop.

Mike's smile grew as he stared at my chest into one that could have been mistaken for him winning the lottery. He even drooled a little out of the side of his mouth. He looked up at me, smiling wider, and then opened his mouth as if to say something and instead reached his hand out to me.

His reaction reassured me that maybe he would like this body. It warmed me in a different way, but good, like sitting in a comfy couch or putting on my favourite jeans.

Goosebumps immediately began to cover my exposed skin, and I didn't want to have a poor reaction to his touch because I got cold. Nothing at all having to do with my nervousness, because I was a confident woman.

Before his hand reached me, I told him, "Let me put my coat back on."

He nodded like that made sense, his smile remaining.

After my jacket was on, I took his left hand on put it on my right breast. He leaned into me, kissing me, and then moved his mouth to the side, beginning to suck on my neck. No wonder vampires were considered erotic. The electricity from what he was doing travelled to my nipples and down all the way. I sighed in contentment and moaned in enjoyment. His response to my sounds was to smile, which interrupted what he was doing a little. It was good to know he still liked it when I made those sounds, as each week I had grown a little more willing to let them past my lips.

His hand, which was behind me, pulled on the back of my jacket a little. Following his directions, I laid down a bit more onto the bench, pressing into his hand. He moved his lips' passed my neck onto my collarbone. Then, slowly with little kisses and some brief sucking reverently placed his lips upon the top of my breast, since it was the part not covered by my bra. He took his hand and placed it on top of the bra. My nipples were hard, pressing into his palm.

He kept rotating between kissing and staring.

My body was a live wire.

Leah's warning kept popping up in my mind, yet he never did more.

I wanted him to more, but didn't want to be too forward.

Eventually, I told him, "You can touch under," hoping it was enough of an encouragement without giving him the idea that I was asking for it.

He smiled, removed his hand, and then pushed the bra up, as if to free my breasts. My ribs seemed to be in his way, so I used my hands to do it for him. He smiled gratefully, returning to holding my right gently and tenderly, and then kissed my left breast. Shortly after he put his mouth around the nipple and licked.

It was like my body had been electrocuted. My back arched, my pelvis pushing towards his with my breast ending up further in his mouth.

His eyes seemed to water a little, and then he looked like a man possessed as he switched sides, kissing, sucking, and licking the right, while his left hand explored my left.

The lower halves of our bodies moved against each other. It was like they had a mind of thier own and I was simply the observer. The feelings were incredible and I didn't want it to stop. But also, I didn't want to give him the wrong idea, so tried to get control over myself. The car windows were getting a little foggy and my back was beginning to hurt, so the feelings from what Mike was doing were beginning to decrease some, which helped. Then, out of the blue he grunted and stopped moving.

After a minute, my concern over what had happened increased. My brain filled with fears that I had hurt him or upset him in some way.

"You okay?" I checked concerned.

"I'm good," he said in a strange tone like he was nearly drunk or something. After a minute he spoke again asking, "You okay?"

"Yeah," I told him, still confused, and getting a little more uncomfortable and the heat within me diminishing. "I should probably get redressed," I mentioned, as the bumps on my skin were increasing.

"Of course," he said before moving back off me, retrieving the top, and handing it to me.

He helped me take my jacket off. I put my top back on, opened the back door, put on my jacket, and then got back into the front of the car.

As soon as I sat down, Mike grabbed my hand, kissed it like some old fashioned gentleman, looked at the time, and then started the car back up.

"These dates keep getting better and better," he stated sounding pleased with a cheesy grin.

"Yeah," I agreed. "The movie was a great idea."

"Thanks," he told me. "Maybe I can get more time off or I can pick you up earlier?"

"I would like that," I stated, pleased with his response.

"You really are the best," he gushed.

I looked at the time and we seemed to be heading back earlier than usual.

"Are you sure that everything's okay?" I checked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Usually we stay out later," I explained.

"I'm great. You were great. Nothing to worry about. I just needed to go home and change clothes before heading to work."

It was an odd answer, since he usually went to work right after our date, but I didn't want to say anything. I trusted in our destiny enough to know that whatever was going on with him wouldn't interfere with what was meant to be.

He walked me to my door as normal and gave me a kiss on the cheek that lingered longer than usual.

When he stepped back we were both smiling like goons at each other.

"Have a good shift," I told him, anticipating repeating the same sentiment to him throughout our years together.

We were slowly but surely rounding the bases, much to my excitement. I was like an athlete about to win the race of my lifetime. Mike's and my relationship had progressed past a high school fling into something more. We had become an item, a fixture in the school halls as consistent as the peeling paint in Corridor A. Moreover, it had become something I could count on. I still continued Leah's suggestions in order to keep his interest, but the worry of him straying had all but passed. Jessica was still jealous, but seemed to be getting over her claim on Mike, setting her sights on Edward. I had told her that the teacher refused us seat trading and promised to try and get Edward to be interested in her, which I had no intention of actually doing, but it was fun to annoy Edward.

A couple of dates later I expressed the desire to coordinate college applications, so that we could go together. He agreed, which pleased me immensely. As we talked, he opened up more about the expansions he wanted to do when he ran the store and our conversations about going to college began to morph into concrete plans, although it seemed to mostly hinge on where he might get a football scholarship and for how much. Sometime on our dates we would play the game where we made up stories about people's lives that walked by. We made jokes, talked about school, and enjoyed each other's company. We didn't do more with each other, rather choosing to get more comfortable with this new stage. The second time he ended things with his weird grunt and then having to change clothes, I asked Leah. Her answer made my day, and the next time I was pleased rather than worried.

Our futures were coming together. Everyday, slowly and steadily, my future was becoming what my grandmamma had encouraged me to work hard to gain. Nothing could look brighter.

A/N: I apologize for taking so long in getting this out. RL and all that, unfortunately.