“Let me help you clean this up.” She starts to stand.
I place my hand on her arm to stop her. “No, I’ll get it later. I’m not going to waste my time with you cleaning up.” She settles back onto the couch. “Movie?” I ask.
“Sure, what do you have in mind?”
“Honestly, as long as you’re here, I couldn’t care less what we watch. You pick.” I hand her the remote.
“I get to pick? Anything off-limits?”
“Nope, whatever you want. As long as you’re on this couch with me I’m good.” What I don’t tell her is that I doubt I’ll even be able to pay attention to the damn movie with her here. She leaves tomorrow, so I need to memorize her features, memorize every moment before she leaves again. With her living so far away, I know we won’t be able to explore this connection, but I still want tonight, and I want to remember every fucking detail of my time with her.
She’s that girl, the one you long for and cherish any sliver of time you can get with.
“So I can pick a sappy chick flick and you’d be good with it?” she challenges.
“Are you going to be on this couch beside me? Let me hold you?” What is it about her that has me spouting poetic?
“Is that what you want?”
“More than anything.”
“Yes.”
“Pick a movie, James,” I say softly as I reach over and run my fingers through her silky blonde hair.
“Romantic, yet funny.” She sets the remote down.
“What did you decide?”
“Are you not looking at the screen?” She turns to look at me.
“I don’t see anything but you.”
Clearing her throat, her cheeks pink from her blush. “Because I Said So.”
“Because you said what, darlin’?”
She giggles and I want to pull my phone out and record her just so I can have it to listen to later, when she’s gone. “The movie. I picked Because I Said So.”
I nod. Reaching over, I grab the ceiling fan remote and turn the lights off. The house is dark except for the glow of the television.
“Your lights are on a remote?” she asks.
“Bachelor pad.” I grin. “Nothing worse than falling asleep on the couch and deciding you’re too tired to go to bed, then realizing you have to get up to turn the lights off.”
She smiles and it lights up her face. “Good point.”
“You need anything?”
She shakes her head.
Standing, I offer her my hand. She places hers in mind and I guide her to stand with me.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“I want to hold you.” Without releasing her hand, I lie down on the couch. “Your turn,” I tell her. She doesn’t hesitate as she takes her place in front of me, her back to my front. “Much better,” I whisper in her ear. I feel her shoulders relax. Then all too quickly she’s sitting up. “What are you doing?” I can almost hear the panic in my voice. Is this too much for her? She let me hold her last night, so I just thought…
“This.” She holds up the remote and I instantly relax. What the hell is happening to me?