Everything Has Changed

by Mia Kayla

  Tears threatened to spill over at the magnitude of emotions flooding my insides. If I spoke, I knew the waterfall would start. I’d been waiting a long time for this, for him to speak these words to me, and I wanted to say so many things. I wanted to tell him that I’d been fawning over him like a teenage girl chasing a rock star she’d never have. I wanted to reveal that I’d been in love with him since we were mere teenagers.

  I wanted to admit so many things. I wanted to pour out my heart, tell him how much I was in love with him, but all I could choke out was one word, “Finally.”

  As if that one word spoke volumes, he let out a strangled laugh and leaned down to kiss me again. His lips moved against mine, with purpose but with more urgency this time. My knees felt weak, my heartbeat stammered in my chest, and my hormones raced as he deepened the kiss. When he flicked his tongue to open my mouth, I let him.

  He moaned into my mouth again, his fingers digging into my hips.

  I fisted his shirt as he pressed me against the counter. Then, as if that wasn’t good enough, a deep rumble came from his chest as he lifted me, his arms under my knees. He carried me to my bedroom before gently laying me on the bed, never once breaking contact.

  His lips ignited a flame deep in my inner core, burning up my insides to immeasurable temperatures. Jimmy was making up for all those wasted years, and oh my, was he making up for them well, too well.

  He sucked, tasted, and explored my mouth while his hands grabbed at my body. It was like he was starving, and I was his last meal. My skin was hypersensitive to his touch. He rocked into me, and I wondered if a person could combust from too much heat.

  He pulled back, breathless. “I have to stop.” He rested his forehead against mine and tried to control his breathing.

  I nipped at his lips. “Why? I’m not telling you to stop.” My tongue darted out to lick his lips. “I love kissing you.” After all, I’d waited this long. It was torture to be told to stop so soon.

  “That’s the problem.” His eyes clenched shut as if he were in pain. “I want to do more than kiss you.”

  I smiled up at him. Everything about him—his body, his scent—was sending my hormones into overdrive. This wasn’t going to stop. No way. I grabbed him, pulling him down on me, and I passionately kissed him.

  After a beat, I felt his kisses slow again, and he painfully pulled away and broke our connection.

  “We can’t, Boo. We’re going too fast,” he groaned.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m going too fast for Jimmy Brason?”

  Lust filled his eyes. “Yes. I want you so bad that it hurts.”

  Still in his jeans, he pushed his arousal into my stomach, and I gasped.

  “See?” he said playfully.

  He laughed at the look I gave him, and then he kissed the top of my nose and moved to my side.

  “No,” I whined.

  I fisted the bottom of his shirt, not wanting to let him go, not wanting this to stop, but he stayed where he was.

  Damn him for being stronger than me.

  He reached for my hand and tenderly kissed it. “I want to, Boo. You know I do, but…” He gulped. “I’ve wanted you for so long. I want to worship every inch of your body and kiss every stretch of skin. I want us to take our time, but I leave tomorrow.”

  My face fell, and I had to fight the crushing disappointment. I would be saying good-bye to him again tomorrow. After this? How could I?

  He tugged me over, pressing my head against his chest, and brushed the hair away from my face. “It was impulsive, but I booked a red-eye to get here. I need to be back on the field tomorrow. Boo, I’m so damn thankful that I took that flight because it led me to this exact moment with you.”

  I shut my eyes, listening to his racing heart. Everything was finally how it was supposed to be, and he was leaving. I bit my tongue to stop the emotions coursing through me.

  He’s leaving me when I just got him.

  He sighed heavily, not liking this any more than me. “Listen, I’m going to make this work. I’m going to make us work. I’ll be back at the end of the week.”

  He lifted my chin, so I could meet his eyes.

  “I mean it, Boo. Can you imagine if I hadn’t raged out and came after you tonight?” His expression was humor mixed with wistfulness. “I finally have everything I ever wanted, and no amount of distance will get between us. I promise.”

  I saw the conviction and the sincerity in his eyes, and it made my stomach flutter.

  “You’re my forever girl. You’re the girl who owns my heart.” He leaned in until we were only a breath apart. “A bunch of three-hundred-pound football players won’t keep me away from you.” He grinned and then captured my lips once again.

  We continued making out like teenagers. We were definitely making up for lost time, for the years we should have been together but were too afraid to reveal our feelings.

  Just when our make-out session fired up and almost jumped to the next level, Jimmy stopped.

  He caged me in his arms, and I gazed up at him as the moonlight shining through my window danced across his face, accentuating all his features. I hated that he had stopped, but I let it happen, let him just hold me and run his hand down my back even though my lips were still aching for his.

  For the rest of the night, we reminisced about our childhood, and I finally told him about the time when he had been near blackout drunk and had almost taken me in his frat house. He laughed in disbelief, admitting to me that he’d thought he dreamt the whole thing. He delved into details on why he’d asked me to prom, how he hadn’t wanted me to slow dance with anyone else. He still remembered my first kiss and how he’d thought I tasted like strawberries, and that was why strawberries were his favorite fruit.

  When our chatter ceased, he simply held me, his fingertips lightly trailing up and down my cheek. He studied my face as if he needed to memorize every feature because he would be leaving so soon.

  When the light of dawn entered my room, I exhaled a heavy sigh.

  It was time to take him to the airport. On the way, I stole kisses at every red light and stop sign from my apartment until we reached Terminal Two.

  Idling at the drop-off, I thought his lips would never let go. When they finally did, he tightly hugged me, breathing me in. He held me by the nape of my neck and rested his forehead against mine.

  “I love you,” he said with such affection, such certainty.

  With my eyes closed, I let those words wash over me, committing them to memory until the next time I would see him.

  He left me with one last kiss before reaching for his bag in the backseat and leaving. My heart dropped when I watched him walk through the doors into the airport. Right before I shifted the gear to drive, my phone vibrated with a text.

  Jimmy: See you at the end of the week. Love you to infinity.

  I texted back.

  And beyond.

  I smiled all the way home.

  I awoke to my favorite sound in the whole wide world—the voice of Jimmy Brason, my new boyfriend. The phone rang at eight a.m. on the dot.

  When I picked up, I was greeted with a body-melting, “Hey, baby.”

  “Hey,” I said right back, his endearment putting a giddy smile on my face.

  “I miss you.”

  “Me, too.” I could hear the longing in my voice, but it couldn’t deflate the lightness in my heart.

  “You miss you, too?”

  “Shut up.” I chuckled. “You know what I mean.”

  He sighed. “You know what I miss the most?”

  “What?”

  “Your lips.” His voice sounded different, huskier. “Your unbelievably sexy, soft pink lips.”

  The butterflies in my stomach were now awake, and so was the rest of my body. I wouldn’t even need my morning coffee.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Lying in bed,” I answered.

  He moaned. “What I’d give just to be there right now, next to
you.”

  Me, too. “You’re only a hop, skip, and a flight away,” I teased. I bit my lip at the reality of our lives, the distance that would make our new relationship hard to maintain.

  Silence built over the phone. Most likely, he was thinking the same thing.

  He sighed heavily. “There’s nothing I can really do about this career of mine. I’m contracted for a while.”

  “I know.” I tried to hide the sadness in my tone but failed.

  “But, baby—by the way, it feels great to call you that.”

  I knew he just had to say it aloud, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “When I was waiting at the airport…” His voice changed, laced with enthusiasm.

  I felt the brilliant idea coming. He always got this way when he wanted me to see something his way.

  “I looked up some law schools here. There’s a Doyle Law School in New York, and I bet all your credits would transfer—”

  “Jimmy…” I interrupted. My mind flickered to my mother. I couldn’t just leave her. She only had me. It wasn’t even a possibility.

  “Baby, listen,” he said carefully. “Just hear me out.” His excitement softened as he tried to reason with me. “I want you to be with me. I know the only thing really keeping you there is your mom, and I get it, but maybe…maybe I can talk to her. We’ll have time to get you comfortable enough to know that she’ll be okay. And I have two bedrooms. She can stay over whenever she wants. Shit, tell her to move in tomorrow if that’ll get you here faster.”

  He paused when someone called his name in the background.

  “Baby, I’m already on the field, so I have to go. I know we have a lot to talk about. I love you.”

  I heard the smile in his voice.

  “It feels great to say that, too. I love you so damn much.”

  My heart fluttered at his words. I wondered if I’d ever get tired of hearing him say those words. Most likely, I wouldn’t.

  “You do?” I asked, playing for cute. I was glad to be off the topic of moving out there. I needed time to think that one through.

  He lowered his voice, making turning our conversation more intimate. “Yeah, but mostly, I love those lips. And next time I see you, the first thing I’m going to do is claim those lips that only belong to me.”

  Mmm…

  That left me with a visual. “Bye, Jimmy.” I chuckled before hanging up the phone.

  I sighed as I went to get ready for school.

  There was a bounce in my step as I headed into Clayton Hall, my laptop bag slung across my shoulder. I waved at Kelly sitting in our regular spot at the top of the lecture hall. The cheesy smile plastered on my face did not match the normal dread I felt for my ten a.m. Legal Stats class.

  “Whoa. What’s with the cheesy smile?”

  I wanted to laugh. Had she read my mind?

  “Did your date with Evan go that well?” She nudged my shoulder, her smile widening. Her finger pushed at my arm in a teasing manner. “That well, huh?”

  I sighed like a teenage girl with her first crush. “No, but my make-out session with Jimmy did.”

  The look on her face was epic. Her jaw dropped, the gap wide enough for a fly to go through. “No way!” she squealed, her eyes bulging out of her head.

  I glanced around at the faces turning toward us. Thankfully, the professor proceeded to the front of the class, and all eyes returned to him.

  The professor wrote on the whiteboard, indicating that class was in session.

  “I need the deets,” Kelly whispered. “Like, right now.”

  “Shh…later,” I promised, reaching into my bag for my laptop.

  Kelly’s lower lip protruded in a pout, but she said nothing else as class started.

  Kelly couldn’t wait. Throughout class, she asked me questions on little pieces of paper, and I wrote down my answers. We passed the papers back and forth just like we were in high school.

  At the end of class, she dragged me to the food court where she forced me to spill the beans.

  “OMG!” she exclaimed, going ballistic. “O-M to the G! How I so want to be you right now.”

  I giggled at her overenthusiastic face. “I know. I’m just so in love. Finally, right?” Finally indeed.

  My phone vibrated on the table. My finger moved over the screen.

  It was a text from Jimmy.

  Jimmy: 4 days, 7 hours, and 50 minutes until I see my baby! Not like I’m counting.

  Kelly leaned over, peeking at my text. “Oh my God, can I live your life? Can I be you? Wow.” She shook her head. “Just wow.”

  The grin on my face made my cheeks hurt as I texted back.

  Me: 4 days, 7 hours, and 48 minutes. Not like I’m counting. <3 you.

  I glanced quickly at the time on my watch, realizing I only had five minutes to get to my next class. “Gotta run. I’ll see you later?” I gave her a half hug.

  “Yeah. Dinner tonight, so I can get more details.” She winked.

  I shook my head and just laughed as I reached for my laptop and stuffed it in my bag. “I just told you everything.”

  Her smile widened. “Uh…yeah, but I want to hear all the details!” she cooed in her singsong voice. “And I want to hear it from the beginning and in slow motion.”

  As the day dragged on, I received multiple texts from Jimmy—sweet stuff, goofy GIFs of dogs with hearts, and plain cheesy texts. He was being over the top, but he was still Jimmy—my Jimmy—and I was loving every second of it.

  When classes were finally over, I hopped on the train and headed home.

  Once I stepped into my apartment, Fred, my doorman, greeted me and pointed to two-dozen red roses sitting at the reception desk. “For you, Miss Carrington.”

  My heartbeat stammered in my chest as I smiled, cheeky-style, at Fred. “Wow.”

  He tipped his head and smiled warmly. “Somebody must love you, dear.”

  “Mmhmm. I think you might be right.” I grinned, reaching for the vase, which took effort because I had my heavy bag weighing me down.

  “Need help?” Fred called out.

  “No, thanks. But could you just get the elevator? Thanks.”

  He pressed the up button, and when the elevator opened, I stepped in, inhaling the sweet smell of my roses. Like the dork I truly was, I rustled the smooth petals against my cheek. I noticed a white card stuck between the roses.

  Once inside my place, I set the roses down on my kitchen island and pulled the card out of its tiny envelope.

  I’m not used to this boyfriend thing, but I hope I’m doing a damn good job—at least for the first day. ;)

  Happy one-day anniversary, baby!

  Love you to infinity,

  Jimmy

  It was settled. I had the best boyfriend ever. And nothing, absolutely nothing, could come between us.

  Friday finally came. I’d had ants in my panties all day long. My knees had bounced all through my classes. I hadn’t even heard the professors. All my thoughts were focused on seeing Jimmy soon.

  When class ended, I dashed out, racing down the hall. I still had to get home, get in my car, and pick him up from the airport. My feet could not move fast enough.

  Near the door to exit the building, I jolted to a stop. He was standing there. His hat was tipped low, and he had one foot propped against the wall. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his jeans, and both dimples sank deep into his cheeks.

  Am I dreaming?

  “Hey, baby,” he called out.

  Nope, not dreaming.

  I didn’t waste a second as I rushed toward him and jumped into his arms. He lifted me into an embrace, my feet dangling midair. His lips connected with mine in the busy hallway. It was as though we were on the set of a movie, sharing our own private moment in the midst of a crowd. Normally, I would be embarrassed, but in this moment, I didn’t care. All that mattered was that he was here, and I was in the arms of the man of my dreams.

  I molded into him, enjoying the feel of it, until he
set me down.

  When my feet connected with the ground, I glanced up at him and smiled. “What are you doing here? I was just about to grab my car and pick you up.”

  “We got out early, and I wanted to surprise you. Surprised?” He looked at me with such boyish hope.

  I grabbed his ears and pulled his face down to kiss him again. “So surprised,” I replied between pecking his lips. “I missed you, I missed you, I missed you.” I gave him tiny kisses all over his face, like a woodpecker.

  I could feel him smiling against my lips. He pulled back and reached for my hand when I suddenly noticed the slew of spectators turned our way. A few congregated around us were blatantly staring at Jimmy. They most definitely recognized the quarterback.

  I swallowed and peered up at Jimmy.

  He took off his hat and put it on backward before waving to the crowd as the chatter intensified. He pointed to me. “I’ve got myself a girlfriend,” he said, smiling as though he’d just won the lotto.

  I flushed pink, panic rising within me, as all eyes turned toward us.

  He must have sensed my discomfort because he took my hand and squeezed it. As soon as he intertwined our fingers, I immediately loosened, my panic disappearing.

  He pulled me closer and kissed the tip of my nose, making me feel cherished. “Let’s go. I’m taking my girl out to dinner.”

  I noticed a few girls swooning behind me as Jimmy pulled me out the front door.

  AFTER DINNER, JIMMY AND I hopped in a cab and headed back to my place. One kiss in the cab turned into two and then three, and by the time we made it into the elevator, Jimmy’s tongue was down my throat as he pressed me against the elevator wall.

  With skill, he led us down the hall and into my apartment without breaking contact. His phone rang, but he didn’t stop as he rocked into me, moving his hands to the bare of my back, kneading my skin. A tingling sensation spread through my body at our contact. He lifted me, wrapping my legs around his waist, as he led us to my bedroom.