I reached up and tapped his forehead. “It’s from this strange brain of yours.”
He captured my hand and held it. “This strange brain comes up with some pretty amazing ideas.”
“Like what?” I asked, smiling.
“Hmm,” he thought. “Well, first there was the vodka soaked gummy bears I set out that led to the first night I got to sleep with you in my arms. If that doesn’t have brilliant idea written all over it, I don’t know what does.”
“And I also threw them up,” I stated.
“That was merely a minor hiccup,” he shrugged, grinning crookedly.
“What other brilliant ideas have you had?” I challenged, quirking my head to the side as my lips threatened to turn up in a smile.
He tapped his chin, thinking. “There was the time when I kissed you in the shower…you know, we should really do that again, for research purposes of course.”
“Oh yes, of course,” I agreed, but he was already talking again.
His voice grew low and gravelly in my ear. “Then there was the night you let me touch you,” he groaned, his fingers digging into my hips almost painfully. “God, you felt fucking amazing. You’re amazing.” He nuzzled my neck. My eyes closed as his arms wrapped around me. “I want you in ways I’ve never wanted anyone else,” he whispered so softly I wasn’t even sure I heard him correctly, “it scares the crap out of me, but in the best way possible. You tear me apart and build me back up. You make me better without even trying.” He looked into my eyes, smoothing his large thumbs over my cheeks.
He lowered his head and his lips formed a seal over mine in a soul-stealing kiss. His fingers tangled in my long hair and I grappled for something to hold, settling on the cotton of his shirt. He kissed me for so long that I began to feel lightheaded.
Panting with loss of breath, he ran his index finger over my bottom lip. “With others, kissing was never enough, but with you…everything is different. It’s more important. I could kiss you forever and be a happy man.”
“You sure about that?” Leave it to me to have a sarcastic reply to his deeply romantic words.
“Absolutely,” he rubbed his nose against mine.
“Jude?” I asked. “What are we?”
He started to laugh. “What do you mean?”
“What are we?” I repeated. “We go back to school tomorrow and I want to know where we stand on our…relationship.” Basically, I wanted to know if I was going to have to watch him fawn over other girls.
He nipped my chin lightly with his teeth, almost as if he was punishing me for my question. “You’re my girlfriend, Tate. Don’t question that.”
I let out a weak laugh. “I’m twenty-two years old and you’re my first official boyfriend. I don’t know what that says about me.” I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear—I couldn’t stand it being in my face.
He pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m the same age as you and you’re my first girlfriend. I never cared about official titles until you.” Until you. Those two words were the truth of our relationship. Until Jude I’d never imagined much of a future for myself. Until Jude my heart had been a frozen tundra. Until… Until… Until…
I laid my head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. I wanted him to heal all the parts of me that were still broken. I wanted him to make me better. But healing took time, and hopefully we had plenty of it.
Eventually we broke apart and lay on the ground. I curled my body against his as his fingers lazily rubbed the skin of my arm. My eyes began to grow heavy from the heat of the sun and the feel of his fingers. Before I could drift off completely he interrupted the silence.
“You know,” he started, then almost seemed unsure if he should continue, “we haven’t played our question game in a while.”
“Isn’t it kind of pointless?” I asked, sitting up to gaze down at him.
He shook his head. “I just have one last very important question.”
“Alright,” I shrugged, settling back down. “What is it?”
“Did I win the bet?”
Of course. I should’ve known that would be his question. I smiled to myself and sat up once more. I kissed him softly, letting my lips linger against his as I spoke. “You won the bet.”
He won the bet.
He won my heart.