Adrenaline Rush

RAINEY

I blink my eyes open, my cheek resting comfortably against Ansel’s neck, my leg draped casually over his body.

Slowly, I lift my head, careful not to disturb him. The sight before me is breathtaking.

Ansel is sprawled on his back, his chest rising and falling gently with each breath. His lips are slightly parted, a soft red, and warm air escapes from them.

The rain continues to tap against the roof as I glance at the glowing red numbers on my bedside clock.

2:05 a.m.

I try to shift away, but his arm is wrapped securely around me, holding me in place. I look down at our entwined bodies and can’t help but smile.

I take this quiet moment to study his face. His nose is perfectly shaped, his eyelashes are long, and his eyebrows arch naturally. His face is symmetrical, like a piece of art.

He’s beautiful.

I capture this peaceful image in my mind, so that if life ever pulls us apart, I’ll always have this memory.

People come and go, and it’s often not their fault. I’ve grown to understand that and accept it.

Suddenly, his eyes flutter open. I should pull away, but I’m caught off guard. I freeze as his sleepy eyes meet mine.

A silence settles between us, filled only by the sound of the rain outside.

“Are you okay?” His voice is soft and raspy.

His hair falls messily over his forehead, and under the glow of the bedside lamp, his eyes sparkle.

It must be strange to wake up to someone staring at you, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Still, I can’t help but feel embarrassed.

I break our gaze as a wave of embarrassment washes over me. My first instinct is to escape. “Y-yeah… I’m fine.”

I start to pull away and get out of bed, but he gently grabs my hand, pulling me back down.

He’s hovering over me in an instant, and I look up at him, my eyes wide with surprise.

“Ansel?”

His hair falls into his eyes, but through the dark strands, he looks at me intensely.

“Rain…”

I feel small beneath him. My feminine body is a stark contrast to his masculine one.

“Y-yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?” His gaze drops to my lips, and I swallow hard, nodding. He rests his forehead against mine, and I forget how to breathe.

“How do you feel?” he whispers.

My heart skips a beat as he lifts his head to look into my eyes. I squirm nervously beneath him.

His intense gaze sends shivers down my spine. Or maybe it’s just the cold night air rustling the beige curtains in my room?

Either way, I’m on the verge of trembling, and the goosebumps on my skin are proof.

“Like, what do you mean exactly?” My voice shakes slightly. I’m not sure what he’s asking. Is he asking about my health or something else?

“I mean…when we’re this close,” he clarifies, “how does it make you feel?”

I don’t know how to answer, so I look away. “I don’t know.”

He smiles slightly, his hands pressing into the bed to support his weight. “You don’t know, or are you scared to say?”

I glance up at him through my lashes, shrugging. “I guess I like it… I like us being this close.”

His smile widens as he studies my face. The dim glow from the moonlight, filtered through the rain clouds, illuminates his face, making his eyes look even darker.

Above the sound of a tree scraping against my window, I can hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Slowly, he leans in closer. I watch him, my heart pounding, as he closes the gap between us.

He kisses me without hesitation, a kiss so enchanting that it feels like the world has stopped spinning.

His lips are soft, like marshmallows and cotton candy. One hand supports him on the bed, while the other cups my cheek.

I’ve never kissed anyone before, and I never imagined it would feel this magical.

He slips his tongue into my mouth, catching me off guard, but I hide my surprise as he deepens the kiss.

His hand leaves my jaw and slides down to my waist, slipping under my tank top. His touch sends a thrill through me, igniting a fire I didn’t know was there.

He pulls me closer, pressing his body against mine.

We fit together ~so perfectly~.

His hand continues to explore, and my desire grows. But then he stops and pulls away from the kiss.

My eyes are still closed, and I’m breathing heavily. He strokes my jaw with his thumb, and I hear a soft chuckle.

“Open your eyes, Rain. Is this what your dreams are like? Is this how wet I make you?”

My eyes snap open, and I gasp. I blink up at the white ceiling, my heart pounding, sweat covering my skin.

I sit up quickly, looking around the room. It’s morning now, and the rain has stopped. The bright morning sun shines through the thin curtains.

The sudden movement wakes Ansel, and he blinks sleepily at me.

“Hey…you okay?”

I’m blushing furiously, so I turn my face away, trying to catch my breath.

“Uh, yeah. I just had a dream, that’s all.” I cover my face with my hand, embarrassed by my thoughts.

~Why would I dream about something so inappropriate? It must be the fever messing with my head.~

Ansel looks worried as he props himself up on his elbows, his eyebrows furrowing. “About what, Rain?”

“Nothing.” I bite my lip, wiping the sweat from my forehead. I feel the bed shift as he sits up, tucking his feet under him. He sighs.

“Are you sure? You’re sweating like you’ve run a marathon. Was it a nightmare?”

~Not even close.~

I finally turn to look at him. His chest seems more solid in the daylight, a small mole just below his collarbone catching my attention.

He’s wearing a thin silver necklace. I didn’t notice that last night. His hair is tousled but it suits him.

His half-closed eyes tell me I woke him up with my restless sleep.

I can still feel the phantom kiss on my lips, even though it was just a dream, and my eyes are drawn to his lips, which look fuller and pinker than usual. My face turns red and I quickly look away.

“Um…no. Just a dream.”

~A dream that felt so real. Too real.~

A loud knock on the door, followed by my mom’s voice, makes me groan in frustration.

“Rainey Slate, open up!”

I bury my face in my hands. “She’s going to be so mad.”

“About what?”

The doorknob starts to jiggle, and I jump off the bed, grabbing Ansel’s hand and pulling him toward the bathroom.

“Whoa. What’s going on?” He looks confused as I push him against the wall, my hands gripping his biceps.

I nod. “Yeah. I mean no. My mom took my phone the other night, and she said I can’t see you or Riley. She’ll make my life miserable if she finds you here.”

He sighs, then nods in understanding. “Oh, so that’s why I couldn’t reach you yesterday. I get it. I’ll stay in here until she’s gone.”

I give him a small smile, looking up at him. His gaze drops to my hands on his arms, and I quickly pull them back, just as my mom knocks again.

“God, can’t she wait?” I mutter under my breath.

With a sigh, I leave the bathroom and go to the door. I unlock it and open it to see her with her hand raised to knock again and a frown on her face.

“I was just about to knock again, child.”

“I was sleeping.” I shift from foot to foot, the cold tiles chilling my bare feet.

She gives me a disapproving look as she puts a hand on her hip. She glances over my shoulder and raises an eyebrow. “Jeff said he heard a boy’s voice in here.”

I glance at Jeff, who’s standing behind my mom with his arms crossed over his chest. I roll my eyes and look back at her. “There’s no boy in here.”

Jeff’s eyes drift to Ansel’s shoes by the bed, and I step into his line of sight. He’s too nosy for his own good.

I wouldn’t care if he found out that Ansel stayed the night and is now hiding in my bathroom, but my mom?

She’d make a big deal out of it, and her constant nagging is enough to drive anyone crazy.

“Did you go to school yesterday? Jeff went to pick you up, and he said you weren’t there.”

“I was sick all day.” I rub my eye impatiently. “I had a stomachache and a fever.”

She tilts her head to the side. “Mm. Okay. Get ready and go to school. Don’t waste my money.” She turns and heads for the stairs, but Jeff stays put.

I purse my lips and tilt my head. “Um, you can fuck off now.”

His jaw tightens, and his gaze goes back to Ansel’s shoes before he finally leaves. I roll my eyes at his retreating back before slamming the door.

I hurry back to the bathroom, where Ansel is leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets.

“Is everything okay?” he asks as he straightens up to meet me halfway.

The bathroom is colder than the rest of the room, and I can see goosebumps on Ansel’s chest.

I sigh apologetically. “Yeah, I think so. I’m sorry I dragged you in here. You must be freezing.”

He smiles. “It’s not a problem. How are you feeling?”

The question takes me back to that strange erotic dream last night, how he was above me, his dark hair framing his handsome face as he whispered the same words.

~How do you feel? When we’re this close…how does it make you feel?~

My cheeks heat up at the memory. I shift uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. It’s hard to look at him when that dream felt so real. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

Despite my answer, he steps closer and puts his hand on my forehead. I can’t help but lean into his touch.

“Good. Your fever’s gone.” He sighs in relief. “I’m glad.”

I smile as he pulls his hand away, and we look at each other for a moment, longer than necessary. Breaking the silence, I glance around the bathroom. “So…um…we should get ready for school.”

I freeze, realizing how awkward that sounded. I can tell Ansel thinks the same, because when I look at him, he’s trying not to smile.

I quickly clarify. “I—I meant separately…not together…or anything like that.”

~I should just stop talking.~

I close my eyes, and Ansel tries to hide a grin. “I know what you meant, Rain.”

I shift uncomfortably under his gaze, pointing behind me.

“There’s a new toothbrush in the cabinet, and you can use any shampoo or body wash you want. I have some unopened ones in there.”

“Okay, thanks.” He smiles, putting his hands back in his pockets.

“So…I’ll be outside.” I smile at him and leave the room.

I make my bed while Ansel showers. After a while, the water turns off, and he comes out of the bathroom with wet hair.

I try not to stare at his damp chest as he walks over to the bed, where I’ve laid out his dress shirt and white tank top.

“Thanks.” His grin is wide and infectious, and I can’t help but return it as he reaches for his phone on the nightstand.

“My folks were pretty worried about you yesterday. I told them I’d be staying over to keep an eye on you.”

I can’t help but smile as I fluff up the pillows and arrange them on the bed. It’s comforting to know they care. My own mom didn’t bat an eyelid this morning when I told her I was feeling under the weather.

“Shoot. My phone’s dead, and I left my charger at home yesterday,” Ansel mutters, tapping his phone against his palm.

“I’ve got an iPhone charger if you want to juice it up before we head out,” I offer.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

I pass him the charger just as the sound of my mom’s car engine catches my attention. I move to the window, parting the curtains just enough to peek out at the driveway.

I can’t help but smile as I watch her car pull away. I’ve been waiting for her to leave so Ansel and I can head to school without her finding out he stayed the night.

I head to the bathroom for my morning shower, and as the water cascades over me, my mind drifts back to the dream I had last night.

I wish with all my heart that it was real, that he’d kissed me and it wasn’t just a figment of my imagination.

Ansel is buttoning up his dress shirt as I step out of the bathroom. He turns at the sound of my footsteps.

I tousle my damp hair, catching his gaze as it travels over my outfit, from the tiny tank top that barely covers my midriff to the shorts that look like they belong on a grade-schooler.

I can feel my cheeks heating under his scrutiny as I reach for my uniform hanging on the back of the door.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He turns away, biting his lip as he finishes buttoning his shirt.

I tear my gaze away from him, feeling self-conscious as I step into my skirt. I pull it up my legs, then frown when the zipper refuses to budge.

I jiggle the zipper, cursing under my breath when it doesn’t move. Just another reason to hate this uniform. Riley doesn’t have to deal with this crap.

“Need a hand?” Ansel’s voice comes from the direction of the bed.

I nod, still frowning at the stubborn zipper. “Yeah, it’s stuck.”

I can hear his footsteps approaching, and I drop my arms to my sides as I feel him standing behind me.

“You know, at Crosshill the girls used to wear knee-length khaki shorts,” he says, his fingers closing around the zipper.

“Really? That sounds way better,” I sigh.

Ansel chuckles. “Not a fan of skirts?”

I shake my head. “Not really.”

I can feel the zipper moving as he tugs it up, his fingers brushing against my lower back. I try to ignore the strange sensation his touch stirs up as he speaks again.

“I think you’d look just as good in either,” he murmurs, so quietly I almost don’t catch it. I turn to look at him, feeling my cheeks flush as he steps back towards the bed.