Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“I’ve never been good about not being seen with you,” he laughs, and I can’t help but agree.
“There’s nothing wrong with being friends now, after all, that’s what we are, right?” He interjects, and I stare at him, confused, because quite frankly, yes, we’re friends, but we also sort of aren’t.
“Right,” I agree.
It’s the final period of the day, the middle of it actually, and Brittney asks me to go to the main office to make copies. Again. I feel like it’s all she has me do.
I grab the paper off her desk, and my cell phone off of mine, still anxiously waiting for my parents to call, before heading out of the room.
Halfway down the stairs, my phone starts to vibrate, and seriously, what amazing timing! I look down, relieved to see MOM flashing across the screen.
“So?” I answer immediately, my heart racing, thumping in my chest so rapidly that my ears tingle.
“It went well!” She sounds relieved and happy.
“What do you mean?” I pause on the landing.
“It’s indolent!” She exclaims. “They still have to run a few more tests, and we have to check up on it twice a year, but it’s extremely slow-growing.”
“Mom!” I shout. “That’s wonderful, right?!”
“It’s rare, because it’s found in such a non-common place, which is what makes it so inactive,” she explains, and I nearly drop the phone out of excitement before quickly placing it back on my ear. “The doctor said he’s more likely to die of something else,” she squeals. “So we’ll have your Dad around for a very long time!”
We both share our excitement before hanging up, and I make my way to the office, practically skipping.
I have one of the secretaries call Gracie out of class, so I can tell her the news, and I make the copies while I wait.
“Luci?” Gracie walks through the door, nervous and terrified.
“Everything’s okay,” I smile.
“What do you mean?” She perks up, and I tell her exactly what Mom told me.
“What’s indolent mean?” She’s ecstatic, but confused.
“It means, like… slow-growing, idle,” I explain.
“Oh god, that’s so good!” She screeches, jumping.
“I know!” We hug.
“So,” she pauses. “Any chance now that you’re sort of a teacher here I can not go back to class?”
“Get out of here,” I laugh, giving her a light shove as we leave the office. She heads back to class; I think, while I can’t wait to tell Josh the good news, so I take a small detour before returning upstairs.
I’m virtually floating on cloud nine as I gently knock on the door.
He opens it without asking who it is, and as soon as he does, I drop the copies on the nearest counter and leap into his arms, shrieking my elation.
“It’s an indolent type of cancer!” I wrap my arms around him and he automatically does the same to me.
“Luci!” His enthusiasm matches mine as he picks me up and spins me around. “That’s tremendous!”
I’m not sure what comes over me, other than my obvious pure joy, but as I move my head back, my arms remain tightly wrapped around his hard body, and just as he puts me down, I close my eyes. The next thing I know, I lean in and kiss him.
It’s a firm kiss, directly on his soft, powerful but plush lips. My eyes go wide, but I don’t pull away. Meanwhile, I physically feel the air as it leaves him. He lets out a loud moan, and pushes his body against mine with so much force that we fall back against the counter. His hands move to the back of my head, holding me tighter, closer, as his lips force mine open and his tongue grazes me lightly.
My cheerful, lighthearted moment of weakness quickly escalates into a full-blown make out. Even if I wanted to back away from it, I couldn’t. We’re pressed so tightly together, and I realize it’s not just his doing, but mine.
I’m the one gripping onto him tightly as my hands wander, explore, and remember, because that’s what every kiss with him is - memorable. This is what every one of my kisses since him has been missing, because Josh’s kisses linger, never to be repeated or forgotten.
In this very moment, whatever happened between us in the past no longer matters - the deceit, the lies, all the time that’s passed - none of it means a thing. This very instant is transcending, and I let the weight of it crash upon me.
“Copies,” I mumble, eventually pulling back.
I rest my forehead against his as we catch our breath, looking up into his dazed expression, starting at me like I’m everything.
My breath hitches. I remember it now - that look, my feelings from before all the bad things happened. The how and why I fell in love with him. It’s a look that anyone would be lucky to see in his or her lifetime.