I crawled into bed and drew the covers up around me. I lay my head down on the pillow and Jet did the same. We faced each other, and I smiled to lighten the butterflies that were in my stomach causing a stir.
“Can we talk about the kiss?”
He nodded. “It was a pretty great kiss.”
I laughed. “Yes, it was. I'm sorry I sent you away, it kind of scared me. I just didn't handle it well.”
“You did fine. I'm just an idiot. I should know when to take things slow. You're not like other girls.”
“You know what you handled badly? The next day.”
By the look on his face, he knew that I knew about the lie.
“Yeah, like I said, I'm an idiot. If it makes you feel better, I didn't expect it to go beyond this apartment. Believe me, Kyle got a beating when I found it went public.”
“But why did you say it to begin with? Why would you tell him something like that when it wasn't true?”
“I don't know. I thought you blew me off. I was hurt and angry, and when I got back home, Kyle was already sure we had slept together, and I just didn't want to look like a fool for not having sealed the deal.”
“Why? What's the big deal that we didn't?”
“It's just the way guys are, Natalie. We consider that shit important for some reason. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I was pretty devastated when I found out most people knew. If I could take it all back, I would.”
I stared at him for a moment or two before saying, “I forgive you. As long as you promise me you will never do anything like that again.”
“You have my word.” I smiled, feeling the anxiety of the evening drifting out of my body. “You know, I don't always have it together, ya know. I may seem cool and collected, but I'm messed up myself, and that's probably why I say and do things that I shouldn't. I used to be real scared when I was a kid. It's no excuse for my behavior, but I just want you to know I really am sorry.”
“I know.” I paused before I asked, “Why were you scared as a kid?”
He smiled softly and had a sad look on his face. “You should get some rest, beautiful. Tomorrow is another day.”
Confused, I decided to let it go for the time being. As my eyelids fluttered closed, it wasn't long before I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Jet
I rolled over in bed to see the most beautiful creature beside me. Sunlight shone through the window and caressed her face. I didn’t want to wake her; I just wanted to watch her while she slept. She was peaceful and beautiful, and when she opened her eyes, the spell was broken. Her eyes fluttered open and closed repeatedly as she fully awakened.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby. You have a nice bed.”
I laughed. “The parental units spared no expense.”
“Must be nice.”
“It's alright. Doesn't matter to me what kind of bed I sleep in.”
“Yeah, you say that until you sleep in a bad bed and wake up sore.”
I smiled. “Maybe.”
She rubbed her eyes, and brushed her hand through her hair. She wasn't self-conscious at all; there was no rush to get to the bathroom to put on makeup. Her movements were from habit, not out of insecurities. She rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling. I wondered what went through her head; l wished I knew.
“Would you like some breakfast?” I asked.