The Secret of Ella and Micha(43)

I stir the ranch with a fry. "Micha kissed me on the front lawn. That's why we came back all wet. We were lying on the grass, getting soaked by the sprinklers and making out."

"Did you like it?"

"Like what?"

She rolls her eyes. "The kiss."

"I like it every time he kisses me," I say nonchalantly. "Yet at the same time, I don't. My feelings are conflicted."

"Because you don't know what you want?" she asks.

"No, I think I do know what I want," I mumble, stunned by my own answer. "I just won't admit it."

She says, "I think you just did."

I continue thinking out loud. "I think I might have figured it out that night on the bridge..." My mind starts to drift back to that night as I stare at the rain pattering against the windshield.

She slurps her soda. "What happened the night on the bridge?"

"I kissed Micha." I shut my eyes, drifting back to the memory, not on the bridge but somewhere else we went that night. We're in his car talking. He seems happy and so do I.

She giggles. "I knew it. I knew he wasn't just a friend. So tell me the details, like what happened after the kiss."

My eyes open to a veil of rain on the window as the images drift away from my mind. "Nothing. I left for college."

She balls up the sandwich wrapper and sets it in the bag. "You just left? God, no wonder you two visually undress each other. The sexual tension between you is probably about ready to burst."

I start to deny it, but realize she's right. I want Micha so badly it physically hurts sometimes, however if it hurts to want him this much, then how bad would it be to lose him?

"Speaking of the devil." She rolls down the window as Micha's Chevelle pulls up beside us. "What are you like stalking us or something?"

Ethan leans over from the passenger side and hollers, "How did you ever guess?"

Micha's extremely quiet, as he reads the menu on the marquee. The waitress skates over and ducks her head into the cab of the car, sticking out her butt. Rain falls on her back as she jots down their orders and then giggles at something either Micha or Ethan said. Either way, it's annoying. I pile all the garbage onto the tray, start up the car, and rev up the engine, startling the waitress and everyone else.

Lila gapes at me. "Ella, what are you doing?"

"Sorry," I apologize, feeling kind of bad, and put a tip on the tray. The waitress gives me a tight smile as she collects the tray and skates off to the order window.

Micha hops out of the car and his boots splash in the puddles. He stretches his long legs and arms, and then winds around the back of my car and to my door. He taps his fist on the window. Sighing, I roll it down.

He crouches down so we're eyelevel and rests his arms on the seal of the window. "Do you want to explain what that was about?"

"An accidental slip of the foot," I say, knowing he's going to read straight through my bull shit lie. "Sometimes it happens."

"Not with you." His eyes twinkle like sapphires as raindrops bead down his face. "If you want my attention, just say so."

"I want your attention." The truth falls from my lips, shocking us both.

He kisses me on the forehead with his wet lips. "See, that wasn't so hard."

"Yes, it was," I surrender, defeated. "But I'm tired."

"Of being someone you're not?"

"That among other things."

He lets out an unsteady breath and lowers his voice as he leans close to my ear. "Are you ready to talk about it?"

I shake my head. "Not yet, but maybe soon."

"I'm here when you're ready." He gives a soft suck on the sensitive spot right below my ear, and his tongue tastes my skin before he pulls away.

"You want to race home?" He wiggles his eyebrows, teasing me. "Loser owes the other one a favor."

I scrunch up my nose and glance over at his Chevelle. "I'm not stupid enough to think I could ever win that bet."

He laughs, sucking his lip ring into his mouth. "I promise I'll go easy on you."

A naughty feeling dances inside me. "What if I don't want you to go easy on me?"

He's speechless, which is rare. His gaze bores into me and then he strides forward and kisses me. It's quick, but it steals my breath away.


 
Micha

We end up racing home. I let her win, even though I'd love to have the favor, which would include lots of dirty things that she's not ready for. So now I owe her a favor and she tells me she has to think about it, with this little tease in her voice that makes me grin.

We part ways at our houses and she leaves me with the promise she'll try to come over later tonight. She's slowly changing back into the girl I know, although that night still haunts her eyes, but I'm not sure she'll ever really get over it completely.

It's still raining and lightning like hell, which means the party's going to have to take place inside. Ethan and I drag the wet keggers inside and stand them on the kitchen table. There's a note tacked on the wall from my mom, telling me she's going to be home late.

Ethan starts rummaging through the cupboards for some food. "What band's playing?"