Free Finding Home by Megan Nugen Isbell

focusing on his lips.  My heart started thundering in my chest as I felt myself drawing closer to him and a second later, my lips were brushing over his.  They were soft and thick and I’d never imagined his lips being so warm or feeling so good.  I felt his lips moving over mine in return briefly, but it only lasted a second though because his eyes suddenly popped open and he pulled back from me, the surprised look on his face causing me to flush from embarrassment.
    “Omigosh,” I gasped quietly, covering my mouth with my hand and quickly turning from him, never having been more mortified in my entire life. “I’m so sorry, Brandon.  I don’t know why I did that.”
    I waited for him to say something as my back was turned to him, but it was quiet for too long.  I couldn’t face him.  I’d just kissed Brandon and I didn’t even know why I’d done it.  I’d blown it.  He told me he needed me and I’d screwed it up in typical Mandy fashion. 
    It seemed like forever that I had my back to him and nothing was spoken between us, but then I felt him there, his tall frame hovering behind me.  He smelled good.  Too good.  I shouldn’t be noticing that about him, but I was and I felt him step closer.  His hand was on my hip a second later, sliding into place as if it belonged there.  His hands were big and heavy on my waist and then I felt him turning me to face him.  I moved slowly, keeping my eyes on the ground.  I couldn’t look at him.  I didn’t want to see the disgust on his face.  I’d known Brandon practically my whole life and in all that time he’d never given me any romantic inklings and yet I’d kissed him.
    I stared at his shoes.  They were a gray pair of Vans and I noticed one of the shoelaces looked lose.  It’d probably untie itself if he took a few more steps.  I don’t know why I focused on that, but it kept me from having to face Brandon. 
    “Mandy.” His voice was soft and gentle, so unlike what I was used to with him and for that reason, I slowly looked up, terrified of what I would see on his face. 
    Our eyes finally met.  His expression was tender and he had a little smile on the corners of his mouth.  I felt myself relaxing, but it didn’t stop the embarrassment that was coursing through my body.
    “I’m so sorry, Brandon.  I have no idea what came over me or why I did that.  That was so stupid.” I was babbling and his smile grew wider.  He brushed his fingertips over my cheek and his touch was warm, causing a stirring in my stomach. 
    “It’s okay,” he said, his fingers trailing down my cheek until his touch was gone.
    “I don’t know why that happened,” I continued and I heard him laugh quietly, looking down at the ground for a moment before meeting my gaze again.
    “Mandy…relax,” he said, taking both of my hands in his.
    “The way you pulled back…so quickly…” I began, but then he interrupted. 
    “I was surprised.  I wasn’t expecting that,” he said, and then paused for a second before going on. “And I wasn’t expecting it to feel like that.”  He let go of my hand and brushed a curl off of my forehead as his eyes wandered around my face.
    “Like what?” I asked, my voice low and nervous.
    “I don’t really know,” he said, a quizzical look on his face. “Just…right.”
    His eyes stopped wandering and they settled on mine.  My heart was pounding and my stomach was such a mess of nerves I thought I might throw up, but then he smiled at me so sweetly that I felt it all melting away and I felt the corners of my mouth slowly curling up too.  He inched forward until hardly any space was separating us.  He leaned towards me and I felt myself reaching for him as well.  I closed my eyes and our lips met again.  Shy and timid at first, pressing ever so slightly against each other.  My mind was racing as I thought about his lips on mine and what he’d said about the way it felt.  I hadn’t understood what he’d