friends who don’t kiss, that’s fine with me.”
She crossed her legs on the bed, thinking of how to tell him what she felt.
Colin grasped her hand, then tilted her chin up. “Talk to me. Please. I care about you. About how you feel.” He slid closer. “Jewel?”
Her voice came out hoarse, “What you thought about me before – it hurt my feelings. There is so much more to me that what you see at school.” Jewel stared past him. She was too uncomfortable being this open with someone, especially a guy, since most guys didn’t really listen to her anyway. “I know I asked you to tell me everything. And it was stupid, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I thought you would say something like, you didn’t know me too well. Or you thought I was a nice person who was flighty. Or, uh, I was the silly one on the cheerleading team who always messes up her steps, but her friends cover it up for her. Anything but that…”
Colin’s thumb caressed her lower lip out of her teeth, then he dropped his hand. “I wanted to lie to you about it, but I couldn’t. I warned you, hoping you wouldn’t push. But you had a right to know, so I told you. But, Jewel, get this…” He looped his fingers through hers. “I was wrong. Really wrong. And stupid to let what other people thought about you be what I automatically thought about you.”
She pulled her hand out of his, feeling needy and uncomfortable with his touch. Wanting more of it, but scared to push things further. “Did you think anything nice about me?”
Colin smiled. “Yeah, I wasn’t really ready to tell you that. But I’ve been thinking these last few days…” He took a deep breath. “When I first saw you, I thought you were beautiful. I was dating Summer. But part of me saw you and thought you were supposed to be mine. Wanting you that way, made me feel guilty, like I was cheating on my girlfriend. It was easier to find reasons not to want you, and when I realized you were dating my cousin, I was a little jealous of him, in a way.”
“Oh, I…” Jewel felt a little tickle in her stomach at his comment and had the courage to look him in the eye.
“Don’t get me wrong, I loved Summer, she was gorgeous, and I needed and wanted her as my girlfriend. You though, I had my eye on you in a way that if I wasn’t with her, I’d want to pursue you.” He cleared his throat. “What did you think about me? What do you want our relationship to be?”
Jewel watched Colin closely, realizing he was nervous. Probably as nervous as she was, “I thought. Well, when I thought you hit me with the volleyball, I made myself believe you were a good-looking creep who ruined my new bathing suit. I’d saved up all my money to buy it for my first vacation since my father left us.” She sighed, “Also, I figured that you were o-out of my league.”
Colin coughed. “Out of your league? Like, too gorgeous to want to date you? So not true.” He ducked his head, looking really embarrassed.
“But now, I want...” Jewel’s first notion was that she wanted to kiss him. But she couldn’t say it out loud. Instead, she bent slightly and softly touched her lips to his. Colin’s lips softened, but he didn’t take the lead. It was like he was giving her control of the kiss, and time to make sure Jewel wanted it.
Jewel pressed her lips more firmly against his, and nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth, snaking her arms around his neck. And Colin opened up, and devoured her lips as though he was ravenous. This time, with Colin kissing her, she wanted more, so much more.
The rain was falling pretty hard, but Colin didn’t care, he was still thinking about that kiss. The one Jewel laid on him just a week ago. He didn’t want to confuse things between them. Or push her too hard like before when he’d just grabbed her on impulse and kissed her in the thunderstorm. He wasn’t thinking at that time at all. Just feeling—everything he wanted to do, dreamed of doing with her—had
She crossed her legs on the bed, thinking of how to tell him what she felt.
Colin grasped her hand, then tilted her chin up. “Talk to me. Please. I care about you. About how you feel.” He slid closer. “Jewel?”
Her voice came out hoarse, “What you thought about me before – it hurt my feelings. There is so much more to me that what you see at school.” Jewel stared past him. She was too uncomfortable being this open with someone, especially a guy, since most guys didn’t really listen to her anyway. “I know I asked you to tell me everything. And it was stupid, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I thought you would say something like, you didn’t know me too well. Or you thought I was a nice person who was flighty. Or, uh, I was the silly one on the cheerleading team who always messes up her steps, but her friends cover it up for her. Anything but that…”
Colin’s thumb caressed her lower lip out of her teeth, then he dropped his hand. “I wanted to lie to you about it, but I couldn’t. I warned you, hoping you wouldn’t push. But you had a right to know, so I told you. But, Jewel, get this…” He looped his fingers through hers. “I was wrong. Really wrong. And stupid to let what other people thought about you be what I automatically thought about you.”
She pulled her hand out of his, feeling needy and uncomfortable with his touch. Wanting more of it, but scared to push things further. “Did you think anything nice about me?”
Colin smiled. “Yeah, I wasn’t really ready to tell you that. But I’ve been thinking these last few days…” He took a deep breath. “When I first saw you, I thought you were beautiful. I was dating Summer. But part of me saw you and thought you were supposed to be mine. Wanting you that way, made me feel guilty, like I was cheating on my girlfriend. It was easier to find reasons not to want you, and when I realized you were dating my cousin, I was a little jealous of him, in a way.”
“Oh, I…” Jewel felt a little tickle in her stomach at his comment and had the courage to look him in the eye.
“Don’t get me wrong, I loved Summer, she was gorgeous, and I needed and wanted her as my girlfriend. You though, I had my eye on you in a way that if I wasn’t with her, I’d want to pursue you.” He cleared his throat. “What did you think about me? What do you want our relationship to be?”
Jewel watched Colin closely, realizing he was nervous. Probably as nervous as she was, “I thought. Well, when I thought you hit me with the volleyball, I made myself believe you were a good-looking creep who ruined my new bathing suit. I’d saved up all my money to buy it for my first vacation since my father left us.” She sighed, “Also, I figured that you were o-out of my league.”
Colin coughed. “Out of your league? Like, too gorgeous to want to date you? So not true.” He ducked his head, looking really embarrassed.
“But now, I want...” Jewel’s first notion was that she wanted to kiss him. But she couldn’t say it out loud. Instead, she bent slightly and softly touched her lips to his. Colin’s lips softened, but he didn’t take the lead. It was like he was giving her control of the kiss, and time to make sure Jewel wanted it.
Jewel pressed her lips more firmly against his, and nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth, snaking her arms around his neck. And Colin opened up, and devoured her lips as though he was ravenous. This time, with Colin kissing her, she wanted more, so much more.
The rain was falling pretty hard, but Colin didn’t care, he was still thinking about that kiss. The one Jewel laid on him just a week ago. He didn’t want to confuse things between them. Or push her too hard like before when he’d just grabbed her on impulse and kissed her in the thunderstorm. He wasn’t thinking at that time at all. Just feeling—everything he wanted to do, dreamed of doing with her—had
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