Free Watercolor by Leigh Talbert Moore

silently lift the glass.
    “You keep scaring me,” I whispered. “What are you doing here?”
    He was sitting in the giant live oak tree right outside. “Mom left again,” he said. “Can I come in?”
    “Hang on,” I whispered.
    I crept over and turned off my lamp, then cautiously opened my bedroom door. I could hear my dad snoring down the hall, and I closed the door again, turned the lock, and tiptoed back to the window. He was still sitting there, waiting.
    “If Mom or Dad catches you, they’ll lose it,” I said.
    He looked down. “Okay—I’ll take off.”
    “Wait,” I said, remembering falling asleep in his arms last night, how good it felt. His lips on my skin. “I mean, you can come in. But just be quiet!”
    He grinned and climbed through, dropping softly to the floor. I sat facing him. We looked at each other for a few seconds. I wasn’t sure what to do.
    “What were you thinking?” I finally said.
    “I don’t know.” He reached for my hand. “I heard Mom leave, and I was just lying in my bed all alone in that house. I thought I’d come see if you were still up.”
    “You’re lucky I had to copy Summer’s notes and do that assignment.” I let him lace our fingers. “Or I’d have been asleep.”
    His blue eyes flickered to mine, and it was all I could do to stay where I was. “Would you have got up and let me in?”
    “Yes.” I didn’t hesitate.
    We stood, and he followed me to the bed. “I thought about following her tonight,” he said. Then he let out a brief laugh. “It’s so weird. I kind of really want to know what she’s doing.”
    That idea was intriguing. What would happen if Julian caught his mom going to Bill Kyser’s house?
    “Maybe you should follow her,” I said.
    “Yeah, but then what?” he sighed as I turned back the blankets. “I guess she’ll tell me when she’s ready.”
    “She should tell you now.” I sat on the bed facing him. “Who do you think it is?”
    He slipped the long-sleeved flannel shirt he wore off his shoulders as I watched. “I don’t know. When Wade said that today about her being at the building center, I thought maybe it was some guy he works with.”
    “Somebody like Wade?” My brow lined as I admired his physique, standing there in only a white tee.
    He sat on the side of my bed, pulling off a Chuck. “That would be…” he breathed a laugh. “Unexpected.”
    “Well, it’s not,” I said, shaking my head.
    “What?” He frowned, pulling off his other shoe.
    I jumped, trying to cover. “I mean, I’m sure it’s not. Somebody like that, I mean.”
    We sat for a few seconds facing each other. I couldn’t help it—I had to cover a yawn with my hand.
    “You getting tired?” he asked, pushing one of my curls back.
    “It’s almost midnight.”
    “Get in,” he said, standing up. “I’ll sit beside you til you fall asleep.”
    I stood and stepped into my bed. Then I stopped. “You want to climb in for a few minutes?”
    He grinned and slid in behind me. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
    I turned so my back was pressed into his chest. One of his arms went around my waist, and the other was under my head. I felt him kiss the top of my shoulder, and warmth flooded my body.
    “Will you fall asleep?” I asked.
    “Probably.” His breath against my neck tingled my skin. “But I can set my phone to vibrate early.”
    He took his arms away, and I scooted around to watch him set the alarm. He slipped it in his back pocket and looked at me.
    “It’s nice being here with you,” he said, stroking my cheek with the back of his finger.
    “I like you being here with me.”
    He cupped my cheek and kissed me softly. I kissed him back, and he rolled above me kissing me deeper as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his hand slide slowly down the front of my nightshirt. My heartbeat picked up, and I slid back.
    “Wait…” I whispered. “I… I mean, are you sure?” I hadn’t told him it would be my first time, and