“Surprise me.” I could hear the smile in his voice, the tease almost as I held him in some evening hour. My ears flamed, it was quite an unpredictable demand. Tensing up, he let go of me, the air finally nipping at the fresh, warm skin. But still, I couldn’t help but feel the shake in my bones with a chill no sweater or tea could cure. It wasn’t a sad chill, but a lonely chill. I looked up at the stars, dimmed from streetlights chaining around the driveway. They were so bright, but no comparison the great moon, still waning.
My breath clouded my vision.
“Text me it okay?” Like that, goose bumps rose but I had eyes that were quick to snap at him and I was able to catch a glimpse of a wink. I had mixed feelings of what he wanted from me. Or maybe he just wanted anything?
My mind was quick to decide what to tell him.
“Wait!” I barely heard myself. Was I even ready to tell him? Better question would be was it even appropriate to tell him? I suddenly felt young and small, but his eyes were on me, watching me with curiosity. What does he see? I couldn’t help but wonder.
But I didn’t know and I never would know. I don’t know what he wants from me but I know what I want from him.
I walked closer to him and held him. I stopped the shakes in my breath and hid the butterflies in my stomach. Licking my lips, I whispered simple words:
“I love you.”
Simple words with so much meaning. I don’t even think my voice was convincing enough. It felt impossible to put all my emotion for him into my sentence. I couldn’t help but feel that I should’ve had more passion.
If I was to ever use the term “the world sat still” it would’ve been now. Nothing moved and nothing breathed. The only sound was my heart, threatening to break my ribs as it pounded.
I had to see his face, I was scared of the reaction but I had to know, so I pushed him up off my shoulder.
It looked like he was crying. If you asked him he would’ve said different. The simple glaze over his amazing brown eyes, thick water caught in his long eyelashes. At my surprised expression he smiled and his tears suddenly had so much joy in them.
Pulling me back into his arms, he wrapped his arms around me and grabbed handfuls of my shirt. I laughed a bit and I felt the tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I felt so safe and wanted, snuggled up in the perfect serenity of his arms and I suddenly felt like his.
Tightening his grip he whispered the simple words back:
“I love you too.”