Page 94 of Nineteen Letters

“I don’t know,” you replied, shrugging a shoulder.

“Hey.” I placed my finger under your chin, lifting your face to mine. The last thing I expected was to see tears in your eyes. “Talk to me.”

My mind swam as I tried to make sense of all this. Things were changing for us, with me going away to uni, but this seemed like something more.

“I heard Samantha tell some girls at school that she was going to have sex with you after the formal.”

“What?” That was so ridiculous I almost laughed. I hadn’t even planned on kissing her.

Before you had time to say anything else, Samantha appeared at my side. “Braxton,” she said, linking her arm with mine, “are you coming back in?”

My attention was still focused on you, but yours was now on her. The look you were giving her confused me. Was it possible you were jealous?

“I shouldn’t have come,” you said as your eyes flickered back to me. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”

Samantha tugged on my arm, but I gently shrugged her away. There was no way I was going to let you get back on a bus alone at night.

“I’m sorry,” I said to Samantha. “I need to go after her.” She looked sad as she turned and walked back inside. I felt bad that I had ruined her night, but my priority was, and always will be, you.

“Jemma, wait.” I needed to know why you were so upset about this. I grabbed hold of your arm, pulling you to a stop. When you swung around to face me, I was shocked to see you were crying. “Hey.”

You recoiled from my touch. “Leave me alone.”

“No, I want to know why you’re so upset about what you heard.”

“Because …”

“Because why?”

“Because I don’t want you to have sex with her.” You reached out, pushing me in the chest.

“Enough,” I said, grabbing hold of both of your wrists. “Talk to me, Jem. Help me understand because I have no idea what is going on here.”

There was a pained look on your face when you finally confessed.

“I thought I was okay with you bringing a date tonight … turns out I’m not. I don’t want to lose you to her … to anybody.”

“You’re never going to lose me. Never. You’ll always be my best friend.”

“Don’t you get it? I don’t want to be just friends anymore, Brax,” you whispered, dipping your face. “I want to be the person you dance with, the one you kiss … the one you have sex with.”

I could only stare at you, not quite believing your words. You were everything I had ever wanted, and all I could manage was: “What?”

“I’m in love with you, Braxton. Not just friend love. Love, love. I think I have been for years, I just didn’t know it. When I heard Samantha say she was going to have sex with you, I honestly felt like I couldn’t breathe. A huge part of me wanted to scratch her eyes out. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being with anyone in that way.”

I stood there shell-shocked for the longest time. I desperately wanted it to be true but I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing.

“Say something,” you pleaded as your eyes scanned my face.

But suddenly everything clicked into place. I knew that this was no time for words, it was time for action. I was about to do something I’d wanted to do for years.

I cupped your face in my hands and tilted your head back slightly, placing my lips against yours. I can’t tell you how many times I’d stared at your mouth over the years and wondered what they would taste like.

They tasted sweet, like honey, just like I knew they would.

I finally drew back, resting my forehead against yours. “Wow,” I heard you whisper, and even though I think I was still in shock that we’d just kissed, a huge smile exploded onto my face—and I saw it reflected in yours.

“Do you want to get out of here?” I asked.