Emerge into Forever

by Andrea Michelle

  Not helping. “Yes, and I remember you at that age. Damn. I’m not liking this, not at all.”

  She stands on her tippy toes and pecks my lips. “Relax,” she whispers against my mouth. “They are good girls,” she says. “Like me,” she adds with a half smile that she knows will taunt me.

  I grip her chin, “Baby, you were a good girl. You’ve been influenced by me and now…not so much.”

  “You are ridiculous,” she rolls her eyes. “Here, hold her so I can finish getting ready,” she demands.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I’m joking, but I get a slap on the chest regardless. God, I love her.

  “Oh, and baby? Maybe, I’m the bad influence,” she says, blowing me a kiss as she walks away.

  She can’t stop fidgeting with her fingers and hair. Her poor lip is going to be bruised from all the chewing on it that she’s doing. “Baby, you weren’t even this nervous last week for the news segment and people were watching your face,” I say, stilling her movements with a hug.

  She sighs deeply, “I know, but that was because only old people watch the news. This is the radio, Joshua.” Damn, she called me Joshua. Hm…kinda hot.

  I shake my head to clear my thoughts, “And…that means?”

  “The…radio,” she says, drawling each syllable out dramatically. “People are listening for the music. They are going to hear us…on the radio. That’s huge. What if I forget the words? We only wrote this song together a few weeks ago,” she whines.

  I grab her cheeks and kiss her eyelids feeling her relax immeadiately. “Pretty girl, you could sing this song in your sleep. It’s ours. It’s our love story. You will be beautiful and the people listening will fall in love with it. Don’t worry your pretty little head. Okay?”

  “Let’s get y’all hooked up with a headset,” a little short guy with lots of curly hair says to both of us before Riley can respond.

  She’s squeezing my hand so tightly I’m sure it has restricted the blood flow. I halt her before we go any further. “Can you give us just a minute?” I ask curly top.

  He checks his watch, appears annoyed and with an exasperated tone responds with, “Sixty seconds, no more,” he says tapping his wrist.

  Prick. Once he’s out of view, I turn her to me and press my mouth against hers, forcing a kiss that I know is inappropriate, but I need her to relax. I’d do more if I had more than sixty seconds. She resists at first, but then as always her hands reach to the nape of my neck where her delicate fingers tangle in my hair. Parting her mouth for our tongues to play together. Once I feel the tension melt away from her body, and I know I have her body humming, I release her lips and smile.

  “What was that for?” she asks, touching her lips. God, I love that she does that.

  A smirk creeps its way to my lips, “I don’t need a reason to kiss you. Sometimes I just need to do it. You know this.” I trace her lips with my thumb, “You ready now?”

  She grins in that mischievous way. “Ha. Nice double entendre, Josh.”

  Curly top taps his foot and clicks his tongue. I wrap my arm around her waist and tug her into me as we continue our path to destiny with the radio show. And since I’m feeling frisky I glide my hand to her ass where I gently squeeze it. She squeals and nudges me. “Stop. People are staring at us,” she scolds me with a smile.

  “You like it. Let them stare,” I mutter, kissing the side of her head.

  We’re all set up with earpieces and sitting behind two microphones. This is crazy that this is our life now. Introductions are made and we are on the live air within minutes.

  “I’ve heard a rumor that you two are pretty hot and heavy. Actually, I heard y’all were hot and heavy in the hall just now. Is this true?” Big Al asks.

  Riley blushes when I look at her, so I reply to the question. “We’re dating and it’s pretty serious.”

  “Aww…she’s blushing you guys,” Jenna says, drawing attention to Riley who almost has tears in her eyes.

  “Quit embarrassing the girl,” Kelly joins in.

  “I’m fine. I think I’m more fangirling than anything,” she says all bashful like.

  “Awww…you’re cute. So, tell me about this duet y’all will be singing for us in a bit.”

  Riley flicks her eyes to me remembering that night I’m sure. “Well, I started it by writing a poem in my journal. He added onto the poem. It became like a game I guess, until we were both hearing music in our heads,” she explains.

  “Now, we’ve been keeping up with you two and you’ve taken YouTube by storm with this little game so to speak. Josh sings a song that speaks to you and then you follow it up with a song that speaks to him. I think that is why so many young people are going fan crazy over this. It’s like you’re telling a love story with music,” Jenna says.

  I shrug, “Yeah, I guess so. We’ve always communicated to one another through song lyrics and so this was a way to share that with other people. Honestly, our best friend that has these crazy ideas and just runs with them started it. We didn’t know it would be so well received. It’s kind of mind blowing and exciting at the same time,” I explain.

  “I love it. Young love is so sweet,” Kelly grins.

  “Well, we’re going to get them set up, and when we come back they’ll sing their duet titled Erasing Regret.”

  Riley is getting the keyboard situated with a microphone and I’ve got my guitar ready to go as well. We lean in and peck one another’s lips and then proceed to play our song on the radio live. This moment, this first together is unforgettable. We sing our love story—my verse, then her verse, coming together in the chorus—just like we have in our lives for years.

  IT’S A STORY OF A GIRL WHO HELD MY HEART IN HER HANDS

  LIKE CLAY, SHE MOLDED IT, MENDED IT TIME AND AGAIN

  SHE SMILES AND THE WORLD BECOMES BRIGHTER

  SHE TOUCHES ME AND I WANT IT TO LAST FOREVER

  NEVER LET IT END, THE STORY OF MY ADDICTION

  TO MY BEST FRIEND THAT MAKES MY PULSE QUICKEN

  IT’S A BALLAD ABOUT A BOY WHO MADE ME BELIEVE

  IN LOVE, IN LIFE, IN BEAUTIFUL COLORS THAT I ONCE COULDN’T SEE

  I WAS HIDING IN THE DARK, AFRAID TO LOWER MY WALLS

  BUT HE SAW THE REAL ME, WANTED EVEN WITH MY FLAWS

  IT’S A SONG THAT WE CREATE OUT OF LOVE

  IT’S A POEM WE BLEND TO BECOME ONE

  IT’S THE WAY WE DANCE TO OUR OWN BEAT

  IT’S HOW OUR HALVES TOGETHER MAKE US COMPLETE

  IT’S A SLOW DANCE BETWEEN THAT GIRL AND BOY

  EMBRACING MANY MOMENTS FOR BOTH TO ENJOY

  HEARTBEATS, MINGLED BREATHS AND SKIN SLICK WITH SWEAT

  TOUCHING, SHARING FIRSTS, ERASING REGRETS

  IT’S A ROMANCE ABOUT HER JOURNEY

  ESCAPING DOUBT, NO LONGER FEELING LONELY

  HOW HER HEART THAT WAS OFTEN BROKEN

  BECAME WHOLE, FULFILLED AND OPEN

  EMBRACING THE MOMENTS BEFORE THEIR TIME WAS UP

  A SINGLE MOMENT WOULD NEVER BE ENOUGH

  IT’S A LYRICAL LOVE, POETICALLY SWEET ABOUT A BOY WHO LOVES ME ON REPEAT

  HOW HE SHOWED ME THE WAY WHEN I FELT BETRAYED

  HOW HE SEALED MY FATE WITH AN AMAZING KISS

  WHEN WE’RE APART, HE’S EVERYTHING I MISS

  IT’S A SLOW DANCE BETWEEN THAT GIRL AND BOY

  EMBRACING MANY MOMENTS FOR BOTH TO ENJOY

  HEARTBEATS, MINGLED BREATHS AND SKIN SLICK WITH SWEAT

  TOUCHING, SHARING FIRSTS, ERASING REGRETS

  CHAPTER 30

  Unexpected surprises have become the norm for Josh and I. What’s one more?

  We’re going jet skiing in the lake and then picnicking with our families. I’m taking every bit of fun with him I can get because he might not be so happy with me after today.

  “Excited much?” Josh asks me as I bounce in my seat. I am.

  “M’hm. It’s going to be so much fun,” I tell him. We’re on our way to meet our parents at Collin’s mom’s lake house where my
mom and the baby will be hanging out while we’re out on the boat.

  My mom already knows my surprise, as I called her when Josh was in the shower on the night I found out. She wasn’t very happy about it.

  “Oh, honey, it is just another bump in the road. I’m a little concerned, but not overly concerned. You’ll be fine,” she said. I hate the phrase ‘bump in the road’ now. I’ve heard it too many times. I also hate the word ‘fine.’ I am happy that she understands and is supportive, which I believe Josh will be, too. It doesn’t make me any less nervous, though. I’m too excited to even let myself think that far ahead, yet. First things first—playtime.

  Josh laughs at me, as my excitement isn’t contained. “Don’t laugh at me, Joshua Parker. I’ve never been jet skiing before. This is going to be—,”

  “So much fun! I know, I know,” he continues to mock me, bellowing laughter leaving his mouth. I roll my eyes. “You’re cute, and killing me in them shorts. Do you purposely taunt me with your legs?” he asks.

  I look down at my cut off hip huggers and unbutton them. I have my bikini bottoms on underneath them. “Are they bothering you? I could take them off if you like,” I say, lowering the zipper slowly. Teasing him while biting my lip innocently.

  He growls, “Since when are you so misbehaved? Keep this up and I’m going to punish you. Was I too sweet to you this morning?” We had sleepy sex and it was perfecto.

  “No, I like you sweet sometimes. Besides, my misbehavior is all your fault.” I lift the center console and scoot closer to him, zipping and re-buttoning my shorts. “But I’m very curious in how you plan on punishing me? Does it involve spanking?”

  A slew of cuss words leave his mouth. “Pretty girl, I’m pretty sure you are crossing over to the dark side.”

  I drag my fingernails up his neck and into the back of his hair, lean over and whisper, “Wanna join me?”

  I both hear and feel his intake of breath. He nudges me with his arm when we come to a stop. He kills the engine and turns to me with a heated glare. “I will join you anywhere, anytime, but not now. We’re here,” he says opening the door and climbing out, leaving me sitting there in a flirtatious heap of longing. He holds his arm out and I seductively scoot my way out of his side of the truck. He grips my cheeks almost painfully with his hand and pecks my lips. “Behave,” he whispers with a smirk. “Bad girl,” he adds with a soft swat on my ass.

  “Yes, sir,” I reply batting my lashes, stepping around him and purposefully walk away with an extra swing in my hips. He catches up to me and smacks my ass harder this time, causing me to squeal. He turns to walk backwards in front of me, placing his hands behind his head. “For now. Later, you can be as bad as you want.” He winks and then turns to walk away. I run and jump on his back and he carries me piggyback to Collin’s lake house.

  “Did you get the stuff?” I ask Em as we enter the room and Josh lowers me to my feet.

  “Get what stuff?” he asks.

  “Nunya,” I tell him.

  “Nunya? What the hell is nunya?” His eyebrow quirks up, and I don’t know why, but I find his facial expressions so adorable.

  “None of your business,” Em clarifies.

  “Is this like girl talk or something?”

  “Or something,” I say, grinning nervously.

  He bounces his eyes between Em and I like he’s onto us, but shakes his head and walks away without further inquisition. He’s used to girl talk by now. He probably assumes I asked her to bring me tampons. Ha. That’s laughable.

  Once he is out of earshot, she grabs me by the hand and pulls me up the stairs to Collin’s room. “OMG, OMG, OMFG. Riley, I’m shocked!”

  I place my hand over her mouth to hush her. “Dammit, Em! Be quiet.”

  She hugs me while jumping up and down. “This is going to be so much fun. The water. This surprise. Holy hell. How do you think he’s gonna take it?” she asks.

  I cringe, “Um…I don’t know. That’s the whole point of having everyone around.”

  A knock on the door interrupts us. “There you two are,” Collin says with his eyes flicking down on me almost instantly.

  I slap Emily on the arm. “Ouch. What was that for?” she asks, placing her palm over the red mark.

  “You told him,” I state.

  “I did not,” she whines and looks at Collin questioningly.

  “You didn’t?”

  She shakes her head slowly and I look back over to him confused. “You do know, though. Don’t you?” He nods. “How?”

  “Your mom told my mom. I just happened to overhear it.”

  “Oh, man. Please, don’t say anything,” I say. “Oh, my God. You haven’t already, have you?” I ask as an afterthought.

  He gives me a hug. “No, Riley. I haven’t. You need to, though…before he accidentally overhears it from someone else.”

  I bury my head in his chest and frown. “Gah. I am. Today. I just want to go out on the water and have fun first.”

  “Am I missing a private party?” I hear Josh ask from the doorway. My eyes lift and widen. Shit!

  “No, no party. Uh…um…Hey…So, uh…” My eyes are darting around and he’s doing that cute eyebrow lifting thing again as I step away from Collin. My face feels hot and I’m pretty sure I’m sweating. Yep, definitely sweating.

  “You okay?” he asks amused, not at all concerned and definitely unaware of the conversation we all just had.

  “Yep, yep, yep. I’m good. Ready to go have some fun. You ready? I’m ready,” I say walking over to him where I kiss his cheek. He’s looking at me like I’ve grown two heads.

  “You’re very random sometimes. You know that?”

  “M’hm. Let’s go,” I squeal and grab his hands.

  “Baby, if you don’t stop squirming against my back, we’re gonna have a problem,” Josh warns as I sit behind him on the jet ski.

  “I’m not squirming on purpose. I’m all wet, Josh.”

  He turns his head and smirks. “Pretty girl, that mouth isn’t helping.”

  What? Oh. “Seriously? Wet from the water, Josh. I’m holding on tight, but I keep slipping. You’re such a perv. Do you know that?” I joke.

  He just smirks. “Get comfortable,” he says, tugging me to him. I do as he asks and then we’re off.

  Oh my, gosh. The wind is in my hair and the after spray stinging my skin and the warmth of the air is awesome. I feel free and amazing. We’re zooming across the water without a care in the world. After a while he slows and asks me if I want to drive. I do, but I’m scared. I’ve never done it before and I tell him so. He places his hands over mine and shows me what to do and how to be careful. Threading our fingers at first. I’m going slower than he was for safety and he takes this opportunity to place his hands on my stomach. Drawing lazy circles around my navel, nibbling at my ear and licking the spot on my neck. It’s driving me insane, so I speed up and he laughs, the sound vibrating in my ear is intoxicating.

  Josh is killing me with his touch. His hand keeps drifting lower and lower, and before I know it, he’s venturing into my bikini bottom with one hand while pulling me tighter to him with his other. He’s hard and pressed against my back. I look around the water to see if anyone is watching. I’ve managed to drive us to a part of the lake that is deserted. His fingers are dancing along my sweet spot and I can’t take it. I slow to a stop and turn to look at him. His gaze is heated and his eyes are hooded.

  “Josh, what are you doing?” As if I don’t know.

  “Touching what’s mine,” he smirks at the exact time he slips his finger inside of me.

  I moan and his smile takes my breath away.

  “You said you were wet from the water. But baby? You seem pretty wet for me right now. Do you want me to stop?” he asks, knowing what my answer will be as I lift up and let him in more. I shake my head. “You want me to be bad with you?” he asks.

  “How so?” I ask as he begins a rhythm I’m enjoying.

  “No one is around and no on
e would see us. All you have to do is turn around, and we can fuck on the Jet Ski. Another first for our memory book. You wanna?”

  My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. Do I wanna?

  Again, I look around and see we are lonely and abandoned underneath the warm sun. He claims my lips and lifts me up effortlessly to guide me around to face him. Our lips remain connected with the exception of catching a breath. “Josh, I…Hmmm…” My thoughts die. He kisses me and I forget how to speak. Words. Verbs. Nouns. Sentences…what are those? My entire vocabulary becomes breathy moans of delight.

  “Hmmm…what?” he asks licking a trail across my collarbone. He has me a frenzied mess.

  My fingers begin pulling at his swim trunks and releasing the part of him that I know will cure my ache. At the same time he is untying one side of my bikini and pushing it to the side. We’re going to do this. OMG. We’re really going to fuck in broad daylight…in the middle of this lake…on this Jet Ski. The risk of getting caught or seen is almost as exciting as the feeling of him wanting me like this. With complete abandon. Recklessly.

  Our kiss becomes passionate and desperate as do our movements. I am climbing onto his lap, placing my legs on top of his and lining us up perfectly. His hands are gripping my bottom and pushing me down onto his length. We both groan at the initial feeling of him being inside me. It’s not slow or sweet what we’re doing. No, he’s guiding me up and down feverishly on him, all the while bruising my lips with kisses. One hand is at the name of neck, tugging on my hair while the other is rubbing my ass. My hands are always in his hair. I love his hair between my fingers, gripping it while I ride him.

  “Oh, God,” I say against his mouth, sucking his bottom lip between my teeth and biting down gently. He likes it.

  “I love you so much, Riley. I fucking love you, pretty girl.” He begins rambling and groaning as we fall off the edge together. Bliss. Perfect bliss.

  There, underneath the pelting warm sun, rocked by gentle waves of the lake and wrapped in the arms of the boy I love more than life—I gave him what he likes and took what I needed—our hearts were completely entwined and lost to the other.