Page 95 of Nineteen Letters

“What about the formal?”

“I didn’t want to come anyway, remember? You made me.”

My hands were still cupping your face, and yours were resting on my hips. “Next time I try to make you do something you don’t want to do, ignore me.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

You linked your arm through mine and rested your head on my shoulder as we walked towards my father’s car. I’ll admit that there was a small part of me that wasworried this was going to ruin our friendship, but I was willing to take a chance on love because you were all I had ever wanted.

“I’m not ready to go home yet,” you said as we pulled out of the car park. “Can we just drive around for a while?”

We ended up heading to the lookout. As kids, we’d ride our bikes up there, but it was the first time we’d ever been there at night.

You sat forward in your seat and gazed out the front window when I put the car into park. “Wow, the city looks so beautiful all lit up,” you said.

“It does.” But all I could think was that it didn’t look half as beautiful as you.

I reached across the centre console for your hand, lacing our fingers together. “Are you sure this is what you want, Jem?”

“A hundred per cent,” you answered. “And you?”

“A hundred and fifty per cent.”

You were smiling as your body gravitated towards mine. “Kiss me again.”

You didn’t need to ask me twice.

When we finally came up for air, I reached over, flicking through the radio stations.

“Oh, this one, leave this on,” you said. “Love song dedications.”

“What?”

“It is what this program is called. People ring up on a Friday or Saturday night and dedicate a song to the person they love. I listen to it all the time.” You slapped my arm when I laughed at you. “It’s really sweet.”

I opened my door and climbed out of the car.

“Where are you going?” you asked.

I didn’t reply.

Walking around the front of the vehicle, I moved towards your side. I opened the door and extended my hand to you. “Dance with me.” You looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “You said you wanted to be the one I danced with, so let’s dance.”

I slid my arms around your waist, and you wrapped yours around my neck. The song that was playing soon came to an end, but neither of us let go.

“I want to dedicate this next song to the love of my life,” a man’s voice said over the radio. “I have known her for most of my life … we grew up in the same street. In a few short weeks, she’ll become my wife. I know she’s listening tonight, and I just want to say, I love you, Boo-Boo.”

“This could be our song too,” you said. “Apart from the getting married part … and the pet name, they sound exactly like us.”

“I need to hear the words first,” I replied.

The song was called, ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’. And you were right, it was the perfect song for us.

I drop my arms, resting the letter in my lap. I can’t believe that was the same song we danced to last night. It touched something deep inside me when I heard it, and now I know why.

Your body moved slowly against mine as our lips connected. When I started to get a sensation down below, I clenched my eyes shut. I knew what was about to happen, but no matter how hard I tried to stop my body from reacting to you, there was no use.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole, and I prayed you wouldn’t notice. But even I knew that was impossible; our bodies were pressed tightly against each other.