Without You

My heart hurt, knowing that my father wasn’t one hundred percent happy about Will and me. I looked down and then back up at him. He smiled and winked at me.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

He walked up to me and placed his hand on the side of my face. “Go have fun, Alex. Be safe, baby girl. Don’t be out too late.”

Oh God, the guilt. “Yes, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” I turned and looked at Katy.

She winked at me and motioned for me to go.

I walked out of the drugstore and almost went to the passenger side of Will’s truck. Instead, I opened the driver’s door and climbed up. I threw the bag into the backseat.

Will cried out, “Shit. Ouch! What in the hell is in the bag?”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now, William Gregory Hayes. Not right now.”

I started the truck and began backing out. I looked over and saw my father leaving and heading to his truck. I silently thanked God that Mr. Bell hadn’t come out to talk to him.

“It’s safe to come out now,” I said as I shook my head.

Will crawled over the seat and started laughing. “When I saw your dad’s truck, I just ducked down. Can you imagine if he had walked in while I was in there, buying condoms?”

I slammed on the brakes.

Will shouted, “Shit! Lex, what are you doing?”

“Seriously, Will? Mr. Bell stood there and gave me a rundown on the different types of condoms. If my father had walked in two minutes earlier, I would have been the one getting caught buying condoms, and then my father would have killed both of us!”

Will looked at me and then busted out laughing. I rolled my eyes and floored the gas. The more he laughed, the more I attempted to hold my laughter in.

By the time we drove up to Will’s house, he had been laughing hysterically for a while, especially after I’d told him how Mr. Bell described each condom.

Will jumped out of the truck, opened the back door, and grabbed the bag. We met in the front of his truck, and his smile faded as he searched my face.

He placed his hand on my face and whispered, “I love you, Lex. I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for.”

My heart slammed in my chest, and I realized I’d been holding my breath. I slowly let it out and smiled. “I love you, too, Will. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not scared ’cause I am, but I know in my heart that I want this more than anything.”

Will smiled again as he leaned down and gently kissed me. He took my hand in his and slowly led me to his house. The moment we walked inside, my heart began racing, and my head was spinning.

Will walked us upstairs and stopped outside his bedroom. He turned and leaned back against his door. “Tell me what you want, Lex.”

I looked into his eyes, and my heart instantly began to speed up. I knew what I wanted. I knew what I needed. “You. I want you, Will.”

I never thought I’d experience the feelings I had at this moment. The moment Lex said she wanted me, my heart ramped up into overdrive.

I need to make this special for her.

Lex looked calm, too calm.

She walked up to me and pushed her body into mine. “Please don’t make me beg, Will.”

Oh. Dear. God.

She brushed her lips against mine, and it didn’t take long before I was lost in her kiss. What started out as soft and gentle turned passionate and hungry. I reached for the doorknob and opened the door to my bedroom. Before I knew it, I had Lex on the bed, and we were kissing like we’d never kissed before.

“Jesus, Lex. I’ve never felt this way before,” I whispered when I finally broke our kiss.

She closed her eyes and then opened them again. She had the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. Her brown hair was lying against my pillow, and she looked sexy as hell.

“Will, my body is aching for you.”

I swallowed hard and sat up. She looked at me, confused, as she sat up, too.

“Lex, before we do this, I want to do something. I mean, I want to give you something.”

She smiled that sweet smile of hers, and my heart melted. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. Leaning back, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring box. I took a deep breath and looked at her. She was staring at the box. She slowly looked up into my eyes. She seemed scared. I knew she was probably thinking it was an engagement ring, but we weren’t ready for that right now.

I smiled as I opened the box, revealing the promise ring my mother had helped me design. The ring meant the world to me because not only did my mother help design it, but my grandfather had made it. He had taken up making jewelry after he retired, and he had made a successful business out of it.