Dylan
Opening the door, I step back, allowing Merry to walk in first. I feel sick with nerves, but she’s looking up at me with contagious excitement.
Closing the door behind us, I nod to the tree in the far corner as I flip the lights on.
Meredith stares at the tree and the box of decorations beside it.
“You got a tree?” She whispers, her lips curling into a smile as she turns to me.
“I always had a tree,” I admit, turning to gaze at her. “You just made me remember.”
She’s beautiful in a way I can’t describe. She makes me want to take her into my arms and never let go, but I’m fucking terrified.
“I can’t believe you’ve got it out,” she murmurs, her hands moving to rest on her hips. “Why?”
“Well.” I take a deep breath and study her, taking in every feature. Her eyes are wide and curious, but they’re twinkling with excitement. “I think I’ve been living in the past for some time. You made me realise that I need to start living again.”
Her eyes flicker to the tree, then back to me. Her tongue wets her lips, and I struggle not to react, despite the way my heart is pounding in my chest.
“You deserve to live, Dylan.” She smiles up at me, her hand lifting to stroke my cheek. She stops halfway, her eyes swirling with confusion and disappointment. “Sorry.”
I catch her hand in mine, bringing it up to rest in my cheek like she’d originally intended. Her touch is soft and warm, and her breath catches in her throat when I cover her hand with mine.
“No,I’msorry,” I murmur as she steps closer, her eyes searching mine with uncertainty. “When you kissed me yesterday—”
Embarrassment flashes through her eyes as she cringes, shaking her head.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” she admits in a small voice. “I don’t know what came over me.”
I exhale slowly, fighting the urge to stop this in its tracks and run away. Instead, I allow the other feelings to rise, the ones that kept me awake last night; the ones where I can’t imagine not waking up with Meredith every single day.
“This is hard for me, Merry, but I’m trying,” I say gruffly, stepping closer to her. She looks up at me with surprise and wonder, her eyes moving to my mouth as her cheeks flush. “I wanted to kiss you back, I swear it.”
Merry smiles, the relief in her eyes evident. “You did?”
“Can I kiss you now?” I whisper, my heart in my mouth as she frowns, and I brace myself for her refusal.
Instead, she nods, and we move closer together, her arms slipping around my neck as mine wrap around her waist. She tilts her head to the right and lifts herself onto her tiptoes, allowing me to do the rest.
I sweep her hair away from her face and tilt her chin back ever so slightly so I can gaze at her. Our lips are inches apart now, but I’m not rushing this moment.
“I want you to know that it’s been a while since I’ve done this,” I confess, and she nods eagerly, almost impatiently, as I dip my head closer.
Our lips brush against one another, and it’s like a key fitting into the right lock after trying all the wrong ones. I take her into my arms as she pulls me closer to her, her lips parting to allow the kiss to deepen.
My tongue moves slowly at first, but then she moans against me, and something else happens. The kiss deepens naturally, and I swear I’ve never kissed anyone like we're kissing now. Our mouths move in sync, with exactly the right amount of teasing and claiming, as she presses herself against me.
We pull away from one another, our eyes locked. I’m about to say something, nothing of value, to be honest, because I’m still stunned when she kisses me again.
This time it’s more urgent, and the familiarity of the previous kiss helps this one take over in a way I can’t explain. I grip her waist, inhaling her as she breathes into me, her hands lost in my hair. She moulds against me perfectly, and I know right then and there that I’ll never feel this way about anyone else.
“Wow,” Merry breathes, kissing my lips again. “That was—”
“Wait,was? Let’s do it again,” I mutter, tugging her into my arms as we fall back onto the sofa.
There’s no awkwardness when she sits astride me, both of her hands cupping my face as she kisses me tenderly. Her kisses are tantalisingly slow, and I feel something else I’ve not felt in a long time.
Desire.
