The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(31)

“They’re beautiful, Aubrey. Just like a clear blue sky.” The side of my mouth curves upward as I meekly accept her compliment. “And they go much better with the hair.” She giggles.
Placing her hands on my shoulders, she turns my body to face her. Her eyes rake over my appearance in its entirety before she nods her head. “It suits you. Raven suited Raven, but this suits you, the person you are becoming.”
And then she blows me away by pulling me into her tiny body as she embraces me. “I’m so proud of you!” She jostles me back and forth with her monstrous hug before finally releasing me from her hold. Stepping back, her eyes drift to mine once again before she looks over my shoulder. Her smile broadens and she clears her throat. “I, um…I’m gonna go call Josh and see if we’re still on for tonight.”
Before I can say anything, she disappears from the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaving me alone with Kaeleb. Once she’s gone, an electric charge spreads throughout the air as his presence warms the back of my neck. My heart pounds, my hands get clammy, and my throat dries as I stand with my back to him, deathly afraid to turn around.
What if he sees only darkness when he looks into my eyes?
What if he sees what I fear most?
“Turn around, Sunshine. Let me see you.” My heart anxiously ricochets around in my chest. Panic sets in and my legs suddenly feel as though they weigh one-hundred pounds each. I start to shake my head, to tell him I can’t do it, when the tips of his fingers graze the base of my neck as he slides my hair onto the opposite shoulder.
Leaning forward, he breathes into my ear, “Bree. Please.”
Having his body so close to mine causes me to tremble, shaking loose the iron shackles weighing down my feet. Hesitantly, I turn until I face him as he takes a step backward, thankfully giving me room to breathe.
Not that I’m breathing.
In fact, as our eyes catch, the moment is so intense there are no breaths between us. His expression is almost pained as his hazel orbs root into mine, searching them desperately for the girl he once knew. Tears well up on my lower lashes and my throat tightens painfully as he continues in his pursuit, knowing that my ultimate fear has come true. What he’s looking for no longer exists.
Just as I’m about to break contact, he lifts his hand to cup my face gently as his lips lift into a full smile. His features soften as he strokes a falling tear from my cheek with the pad of his thumb, releasing a light exhale before he speaks. “There you are.”
He lowers his chin, his face just centimeters from mine. Heated breaths hit my mouth as he whispers, “Now that I’ve found you, I’m going to do something I’ve wanted to do since I was eight.” He quickly closes the distance between us, brushing his warm lips gently across mine, and the pure tenderness of the kiss sends my heart soaring. There is no gloom, no fear, no anguish…just the joy-filled fluttering of my heart, taking flight inside of me as it rises out of the darkness and into the light. Strength and vitality flood my being as his lips continue to deliver the breath of life into my very soul.
Just as I meld into him, his hand lowers from my face and joins the other one underneath my thighs and I’m suddenly whisked onto the countertop. Once I land, he breaks the kiss with a smile, but keeps his forehead tipped against mine. He moves between my legs, and slides his hands up my arms, curling his fingers around the nape of my neck, stroking his thumbs just beneath the line of my jaw.
“And I’ve wanted to do this since I was eight…teen…”
Tightening his hold, his tongue darts over his lips as he brings them to mine, deepening the kiss. As my lips part, his tongue slides past them ever so gently. My head tilts on its own accord, but my body goes completely limp as I sink into his hold, allowing his strength to keep me upright.
I know that I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never been kissed like this before. Sad, I know, but when you spend a lifetime fending off any type of personal connection, this is what you end up being: a nineteen year old, never been kissed virgin with deep-rooted issues.
But, luckily, Kaeleb seems to have mastered the art of the perfect kiss, so I just let him take control.
With our mouths fused, his tongue caresses mine so softly it seems like the most natural thing in the world. It’s not forced, it’s not hurried, it’s not aggressive, it’s just…perfect. His fresh scent invades my senses and I take every bit of it in, allowing the comfort of its familiarity to bind me to him in this unchartered moment. A sigh passes through my lips, the emotion bubbling within me forcing its escape. Kaeleb chuckles under his breath and pulls back, ending the kiss with a light peck on the lips as he removes his thumbs from my cheeks.
Timidly, I reach up and run my fingertips over my mouth, the remnants of his warmth fading as my eyes slowly drift to his. I can’t imagine what my face looks like, but I have a feeling it’s an impressive mixture of absolute bliss and utter bewilderment.
Kaeleb’s expression is steadfast, and the corner of his mouth jerks up as he leans the palms of his hands against the edge of the countertop. “And so the wooing begins.”
A familiar giggle from just outside the door causes me to jump, and Kaeleb to press himself off the counter. Giving me a wink, he turns and grabs the knob, whipping it open to expose the wide-eyed guilty offender. Quinn remains planted as Kaeleb leans in and kisses her on the top of the head before heading to the front door.
“Call ya later, Rainbow Brite!” he shouts before the door shuts behind him.
Quinn’s green eyes are still huge, but she manages to cover her smile when I shake my head and tighten my gaze at her eager face. I know she wants to say it. She’s probably foaming at the mouth behind that hand of hers.