"Goodnight Kenson," she said, pushing her hair back with one hand, her palm facing him.
"Goodnight."
She stepped forward and leaned down, kissing his cheek while her other hand lingered on his shoulder. From his position on the couch, Kenson lightly placed a hand on her hip. "See you tomorrow."
"You too, Grace." She shuffled back to the room and he watched her. Kenson wondered, not for the first time that night, about why she had come back.
Seven years had passed. Grace and Kenson had been childhood friends until she left their sophmore year to move to California. Kenson had stayed in Virgina, finished school and was accepted early decision to Yale.
So when Grace had showed up the night before, Kenson had been startled. Her honey blond hair ran in waves past the middle of her back and her blue silk dress hugged her lithe frame. She took one look at him and ran for him, throwing their bodies together.
"I missed you," Grace whispered into his dirty blond locks.
"Grace?" Kenson asked.
She tipped back. "OH my god, you don't remember me. I'm so sorry." She took a step back and seperated their bodies. "Kenson, it's me. Grace."
He nodded. "Yeah, i get that now."
She laughed and the sound made the air leak from her lungs sweeter than splenda.
Now it was the next night and Kenson still couldn't believe that the beauty next to him was the girl he had once loved. Her hair was naturally shiny and her hands moved animatedly as she laughed and explained a story. They drove silently into the dark of the woods.
"Where, exactly, are we going?"
Grace smiled, it was sly and inviting at once. "You'll see." They rounded a corner and it opened to a navy colored lake, the last of the sun setting in the west sky. "Get out," she said, parking the car and immediatly jumping out.
"What are we doing here?"
"Don't you ever just have fun, Kenson?" she asked. "Live a little. Do something just to say that you did it." He caved and grabbed the heavy black duffle from the trunk. Grace was bobbing through the trees toward the lake, her blond hair the only thing light in the dusky weather.
"Grace?" he called, after her head didn't appear anymore.
"Over here!"
"Where?"
"Here!" she called. Kenson stepped over a few branches until he saw her, sprawled across the sand dunes.
"What are you doing?" She turned around and looked at him, her eyes soft and sparkling.
"I'm making a snow angel, silly. Come here, sit with me." She patted the sand next to her and he sat down. "Do you know why I came back here?"
"Great snow angel sand?" he joked. She looked back, her eyes serious, her coral colored lips together.
"For you. I came back for you Kenson." Before he could answer, she rolled onto his lap and kissed him. Her lips were gentle and sweet on his as his hands found her back. She pulled away and stroked one side of his face, her hands smooth and pale. "I've always wanted to do that."
Kenson smiled. "Me too." She kissed him again and this time, there was more ferocity, more anger to it. He kissed her back and she pressed her fingers into his chest. Her light locks spilled waves of yellow light across his chest.
“Honey, I’m sorry,” she said. He sat up and swiped at the side of his mouth to remove her lipstick.
“Why?”
She pulled at the thin cotton of her sleeves. “I have a tendency to brake people’s hearts.”
“Grace,” Kenson murmured, his breath light against her cheek as he kissed her ear. “Don’t say that.”
“But it’s true!”
“I’m not worried.”
“What I’m trying to say,” she whispered. “Is that I love you. And I really don’t want to ever hurt you.”
He touched his fingertips to hers and their hands fit like custom shoes. They were perfect together. “Grace, I’ve been in love with you my entire life.”
“And I love you, but I can’t hurt you. I can’t hurt anyone else.” Grace felt his fingers on her chin, lifting it to eye level.
“What are you talking about, baby?”
“Do you really want to know?” she asked, her voice calm and level. Kenson stared at her, but her eyes were damp, dark and blank.