‘I don’t know! Why do you think I called you?’ I say.
‘How was the kiss?’ Devi asks.
‘Unbelievable,’ I sigh.
The moment plays on a loop in the back of my head, the mere thought of it sending a shiver through me. It felt like liquid electricity, coursing through my veins, both exhilarating and terrifying.
‘What am I doing kissingAiden Edwards? Who do I think I am?’ I say.
Kimi frowns. ‘Don’t do that, babe.Heis the one who should be so lucky.’
‘No, I mean. . . it’s Aiden.Aiden. It just doesn’t make any sense.’
I try to think back to a few months ago– to school– to the nightmares, but they’re all tarred over with a burning, irrevocable lust. None of it matters– all I can see is the Aiden here and now. The Aiden whose hands traced my skin delicately like it was made of silk.
My thoughts are jolted by the sound of three taps at my door, each one clear, precise, and intentional.
‘Is that a knock?’ Kimi asks.
‘It’s a knock,’ I say.
‘It’s a knock!’ Raina squeals. ‘It’s gotta be him, right?’
‘Oh, my God,’ Devi gasps.
‘Guys, be cool!’ I hiss.
‘Maddison? You awake?’ his voice sounds as he tentatively knocks again.
Kimi screeches in dismay. ‘What are you doing sitting there? Use your feet and go get him!’
My body is on autopilot as I rise from the bed, practically floating towards the door and reaching for the handle. He’s standing there in grey fleece shorts and a T-shirt, freshly showered and shaven. He smells like cocoa butter, the scent elevated by a slight hint of aftershave he was trying to be subtle about.
‘Can I come in?’ he asks quietly.
‘Yeah, of course.’
I’m trying my best to be cool and it’s almost believable, bar the small quiver that comes towards the end of the sentence. I glance over to my phone, girls silently freaking out in my palm, hidden from him behind the white wooden door. I jab once, twice, three times at the red button to end the call, and my phone starts vibrating as messages pour in. I know they’re cursing me in the group chat, but I can worry about that later. There are more important things at hand right now.
He strides in slowly as I carefully shut the door behind him. When he reaches the bed, he hesitates– I can see his mind whirring as he debates the best etiquette. Eventually he positions himself lightly on the edge of the bed. A suggestion, with the clear intention of leaping up if he’s read it wrong. Myheart’s back at it again, thumping hard against my chest. I worry it may burst through my ribcage.
‘Is that what you sleep in?’ he says jokingly, looking me up and down.
I needed advice so badly when I got to my room that I didn’t even think about getting ready for bed before calling the girls. I’m still in the jeans and oversized fleece I’ve been wearing since this morning, while he sits comfortably on my bed and mocks me.
‘Haven’t had time to change,’ I say, still frozen.
‘Fair, but how are you still in the fleece?’
Take it off me, I desperately want to say, but the nerves keep me quiet.
‘I thought you’d be in bed by now, getting an early night for tomorrow,’ he continues, filling the silence.
‘And yet you still knocked on my door.’
‘Yeah, of course I did. I thought you’d be in bed,’ he says slowly.
The full impact of his words hit, sending a shot of heat straight through me. His face has never looked better, even in the dim lamplight of my room. His eyes roam my body with an unbridled desire before he unflinchingly meets my gaze. He wants me, dare I say it, as much as I want him. He’s just waiting for me to make the next move.
