Page 37 of The Silent Waters (Elements 3)

I stayed and waited, and died, and waited.

When he found his place, when his lips glided against mine, my brain went dizzy and I came back to life.

His lips pressed against mine, gently at first, and everything inside me became a part of him. His fingers wrapped around my back and he pulled me in closer, pushing his lips harder against mine, and for the first time in a long time, I felt it.

Happy.

Is it real?

Am I allowed this?

Am I allowed to be happy?

The last time I’d been kissed was by the same boy who wrapped his arms around me, who held me as if I were a promise of a dream he didn’t know he had.

This kiss was different than all those years ago. This time we didn’t count the seconds, but I did count the breaths he stole from me.

One…

Two…

Twenty-five…

This time the kiss felt so real, so perfect, so much like forever.

This time is forever.

“Maggie, have you seen—”

Brooks broke his hold on me and jumped backward, turning his back to the person at the door. The headphone in my ear was snatched out, making me stumble forward.

My eyes flew to Mama standing there, shocked. “Cheryl’s red lipstick,” she finished her sentence. An awkward silence rose, and Mama narrowed her eyes as Brooks straightened out his tie. “Brooks, I think Cheryl is waiting downstairs for photos.”

“Right, of course. Thanks, Mrs. Riley. Let me just get…” He walked over to me and took the corsage from my arm, then just like that, forever was over. “I’ll-uh-I’ll see you later, Maggie.” He hurried past Mama, keeping his head down from embarrassment.

Mama stayed there staring at me, and I could feel the disappointment in her stance. I hurried over to the dresser where Cheryl had left her lipstick, then handed it off to Mama.

She frowned. “She’s your sister, Maggie May, and she’s going to prom with Brooks. What do you think you’re doing?”

My head lowered.

I don’t know.

“I know Cheryl can be a handful at times, but…she’s your sister,” she repeated.

She left before I could write down any kind of response. She wouldn’t have read it, anyway. Mama was like Mrs. Boone in that way—she wanted actual words, not pieces of paper.

I headed over to my window and looked down at Brooks’ arms wrapped around Cheryl’s waist for the photos. He was giving the camera his best fake smile, and whenever he’d look up at my window, I’d step out of view.

It was a beautiful dream, he and I.

But that’s all it was.

A dream from which I was forced to wake.

“You bitch!” Cheryl screamed, barging into my bedroom as I changed into my pajama pants. My arms yanked my pants up and I stumbled backward, taken aback. Her mascara raced down her face with her tears and her red lipstick was smeared. The bottom of her dress looked as if it had been dragged through grass, and her eyes were wide. “I can’t believe you! I can’t fucking believe you told them!” she screamed.

I blinked once, confused. Told who what?