She leaned over then and kissed me, softly, before pulling away. I could feel her heart beating in conjunction with mine and I knew this was a special moment for both of us.
“Thank you, Bryce, I always knew you were a wonderful guy.” She breathed at me adoringly and I felt my heart skip a beat. She liked me and I liked her. It was as simple as that. Maybe I was being granted a second chance to do something right, to get someone right in my life. I didn’t want to ruin that by making her hate me. I promised myself that, if the relationship took off and went well, I would tell her.
“I am really trying my best,” I said, honestly. And then I jumped up and pulled her up with me. “But we should both go home and get some rest.”
We walked to our cars and I held her hand. It felt so right to have her close and I wondered what I could have done in my life to have been given this wonderful opportunity. She held on to me tightly and her body felt warm against mine.
I walked her to her car and I was blown away as I stared at her even more clearly. The trees weren’t preventing all of the light from the moon and so I was able to see her even more clearly. She was even more breath taking then I remembered. And I froze. Because I remembered that I had dreamt of her face almost every night when I was away. She had slipped in and out of my dreams like a pixie. It felt surreal to have her here in my arms.
“Is everything okay?” she asked me in concern, as I stood there in front of her, immobile.
“Everything is fine. Beyond fine,” I whispered. I bent over and kissed her and closed my eyes to savor the sweetness of her lips. “Get home safe and I’ll see you tomorrow,” I looked down at my watch, “I mean tonight?”
“I’ll be there.” She grinned and got into her car. I watched her as she drove away and I felt my heart ticking like a clock, perfectly and on time. I felt a sudden lightness in my step as I walked to my car. I was happy I realized. Even if the emotion was to be fleeting, it had happened. My heart was full and I was happy. I hoped that I would never ever lose this feeling.
Chapter 11
He wanted to see me at his party tomorrow. That was the only thing that played in my mind as I drove home, slowly and carefully. It didn’t seem quite real. This night wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be possible that I had kissed Bryce Evans. And that Bryce Evans had kissed me back. Me, Lexi Lord. It just didn’t seem real. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure. I touched my fingers over my slightly roughened lips and then licked them, trying to get the last taste of Bryce in my mouth, to convince myself that that moment at Harpers Creek had just happened.
Even the drive seemed surreal and, as I pulled into the driveway of my house, and stepped out of my car, I felt like I was floating on air. I literally could not feel the ground beneath my feet. I was too excited to go straight up to bed. I didn’t want to fall asleep, because I knew falling asleep meant waking up and having to deal with my mom. I knew she would want to harp on about the past with Mayor Evans and then she would cry and I would feel guilty. I just wanted to enjoy this moment. For once, I wanted to enjoy something good that had happened to me without feeling bad about it. It didn’t happen all that often.
Instead of walking into the house, I danced across the front yard, pretending to waltz, like I had seen in some old movies on TCM. I had never actually waltzed in my life. I didn’t have a father to take me to father-daughter dances and so I had never gone. However, as I waltzed across the yard by myself, I understood just how magical a moment that must be. I collapsed onto the grass and giggled with delight as I stared at the stars and once again thought about my evening with Bryce.
“Where have you been?” Luke’s voice made me jump and I nearly screamed when he touched me on the shoulder.
“Oh my gosh, Luke, do not scare me like that,” I hissed as I looked at my friend, my heart beating fast.
“Sorry, Lexi.” He frowned. “I’ve been worried about you. I’ve been waiting up for you to get home for ages.”
“Oh.” I sat up at looked at him. “Sorry.”
“So where were you?”
“Harpers Creek.” I stood up and saw the tired look on his face and felt selfish for not letting him know where I was going. I knew he would be waiting by the window to talk. He always waited when I had had a bad evening or day.
“By yourself?” He frowned, clearly upset. “Lexi, you know that—”
“—I wasn’t by myself, okay?” I touched his shoulder and smiled weakly.
“Who did you go with?” He looked a little hurt as he asked me. He was normally the only person I ever took with me to Harpers Creek.
“I didn’t go with anyone, Luke,” I sighed. “Bryce was there.”
“Bryce Evans?” His voice rose and he looked suspicious.
“Yes,” I grinned at him, unable to keep my happiness to myself. “And he kissed me.”
“He kissed you?” Luke frowned and his eyes narrowed. “What’s going on, Lexi? You barely know this guy. Why would you let him kiss you?”
“Luke, you know how much I like him. You should be happy for me.” I leaned into him and smiled. “I think he may be the one, Luke.”
“The one for what?” He gave me a funny look and he turned his eyes away from me quickly. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
“I don’t know exactly what’s going on, Luke.” I said, hurt that he wasn’t understanding how important this was to me. “But I’ve liked Bryce for a really long time and I think he may like me as well.”
“I see.”
“We kissed and it was sweet and wonderful and I want to see where it goes,” I whispered.
“Where do you think it’s going to go, Lexi?” Luke’s voice was raw.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’ll be my boyfriend, maybe he’ll be my first.”
“You would lose your virginity to that guy?” Luke looked at me in shock. “You barely know him, Lexi.”
“I know that he’s sweet and handsome and a good kisser.” I stared at him. “I know that I’m twenty-two and I don’t want to be a virgin forever.”
“You should wait to be with someone who loves you, Lexi.”
“Like you did?” I frowned.
“Briget and I had strong feelings for each other.”
“Yeah—but you both thought you were in love when you had sex?”