Page 60 of Fight or Flight
She’s so beautiful that my hands itch to draw her sitting here, surrounded by the mostly untouched nature. So pure.
I must’ve been staring at her too hard because suddenly, her head moves toward me. Her eyebrows pulled together.
“I just wanted to see if any of this was real, you know?” She asks, barely audible, and I lean closer to hear her better.
I wish I would’ve taken a blanket or at least a jacket because it’s getting cold, and I notice the way she shivers. Last time we were here, it was almost summer. Now, we’re nearing autumn, and the wind is already carrying cold crispness with the air.
“You mean the fireflies?”
Claire shakes her head but doesn’t give me an answer. She continues to watch the glowing insects with a soft expression before her eyes mist with tears, and I stiffen.
“Hey, what is it? Do you want to come back?” I’m ready to jump to my feet.
“No,” she whispers, and glances at me. “They’re just as beautiful as they used to be.”
“So are you,” I reply automatically.
I know we’ve been here before. It’s a peculiar feeling. Like nothing has changed, and at the same time, all is different.
The smile she gives me is sad. “I’m not like the girl you used to know anymore.”
“I’m not the man you used to know too, yet here we are.”
“Yeah,” she sighs and scoots closer to envelop my hand in hers. My mouth turns dry at the small touch, and I have to suppress a shiver of my own. “Here we are.”
“Claire... There’s been so much that I wanted to tell you, I...” I start, and she stops me by putting a finger on my lips.
“Don’t Aidan. Just let’s not talk about it here,” she says softly before turning to kneel in front of me. Then my eyes widen in surprise when she leans in to put her mouth on mine in a simple, short kiss.
“Claire, what is happening?” I mutter against her lips and glance at her eyes. They are clear and full of intent, and I have to gulp.
“You made me feel loved, Aidan. Cherished. Beautiful. Desired. Right here under the sky, surrounded by those mesmerizing creatures. I want to feel that again.”
I stare at her, completely speechless, unable to move a muscle. My body yearns for her. I’ve spent literal years dreaming about this girl. I imagined her curves, the way her body felt under me, recalling the little noises of pleasure she made whenever I touched her just the way she liked. Yet, I’m unable to make a move.
In my head, she became this ghost. A fragile spirit that will fade as soon as I blink. One wrong move, and she will be gone. And I will be left alone again to rot in despair.
She must see the indecision in my eyes because she touches her forehead to mine and whispers, “Please, Aidan. I need you.”
Slowly, I lift my hand to touch her soft cheek and watch as her eyes close when she leans into my palm. Then I cover the distance between our lips and kiss her tenderly. I switch position so she can straddle me, and the kiss turns from sweet to passionate, and ends up on the verge of desperate. We both start to tear each other’s clothes off, oblivious to the cold temperature, and before I can think it through, I lie Claire’s delicate body on the wooden boards and enter her in one swift motion.
Her body is hot and ready for me, and we both moan loudly, the sound mixing with the noisy nature around us. She clings to me as if she’s scared that I will dissolve, her eyes never leaving mine.
I feel her squeeze around me and watch her air intake increase each time I push into her. Her face is flushed, her tousled hair a mess around her arms, and I can’t believe how much my memory tricked me. Not even the hottest dreams about Claire or the most vivid memories can hold a candle to the real deal.
Claire’s body feels like heaven, and when her internal walls squeeze almost painfully around my dick with the violent way she orgasms, screaming loudly, I can’t help but let go, too, emptying myself inside her.
I twist our bodies so that I’m not crushing her into the hard surface of the pier with my body, and Claire ends up lying next to me, with her head supported by my arm. It’s far from comfortable here, but she doesn’t seem to mind as she caresses my torso with her hand and gazes at the slowly appearing stars in the sky.
“Thank you,” she whispers after some time. “I needed that validation. The thought of it all being in my head was driving me crazy.”
“What do you mean?” I squint at her in the semi-darkness.
“The things I told you about my... illness.” She tilts her head away and hesitates. “When we first met, I was very disturbed, Aidan. My mental health was deteriorating. And now, when I’m starting to see the world in a more sober way, sober also being the keyword in my case, I wondered what was really between us back then. A big part of me worried that it was all in my head. Even though my heart knew the truth.”
Well, that doesn’t sound too good. Because I know for a fact that everything was painfully real for me. So, I’m apprehensive to ask the next question, but I need to know.
“And what’s the verdict? Was it real?” I’m sure she can hear the tremor in my voice.