late now to turn back. He helps me off with my current clothes, finally resorting to tearing the t-shirt when it won’t go past the cuffs. There’s something rough, almost exciting about that. He’s so close I can feel how warm his skin is. And his breath brushes slightly against my skin just so that it’s like a gentle touch. Thankfully, the new dress has straps that tie over the shoulders. Grayson steps behind me and ties those in place gently, his fingers barely brushing my skin. He zips the dress up slowly, but doesn’t make any move to step away from me.
Eventually, I have to turn around. I have to look at the broad expanse of his chest, and force myself to look up into his eyes. He’s so quiet as he stands there in front of me, barely touching, his eyes staring into mine. There’s so much desire there. So much need.
“Celes…”
He doesn’t say more, but just kisses me. That close, I can smell the scent of the soap he’s just used. I can taste him on my lips in the moments before his kisses drift down to my neck and I arch my back allowing him more access. His kisses down my neck becomes hungrier, and I pull him closer. I don’t even stop him this time, though I know I should. Then I came to my senses.
“Grayson, we…”
He stops that thought with another kiss, then pulls back. “You’ve said that I’m in your dreams.”
“Dreams of the future,” I say. “We’re both older, and you’re there beside me. Always there.”
“Dreams like Johnny has dreams?” Grayson asks. It’s such a deceptively simple question, but I don’t know how to answer it.
“You’re asking me if I see the future?” I ask.
Grayson shakes his head, running his hands through my hair. “I’m saying that if you do, and you see us together… well, maybe this is meant to be. You do love me, don’t you?”
He kisses me again, putting his arms around my waist and lifting me, carrying me back into the apartment’s bedroom. He tosses me lightly onto the bed, and I lay there, staring up at him. Am I really going to… are we really going to…
The door to the bedroom flies open so hard that the bang of it against the wall sounds like a thunderclap. I look around, and so does Grayson. When I do, all I can do is stare. Jack’s there. He’s there, in the doorway, dressed from head to toe in black, with a black suit, a black sweater under it… even deep black shades that reflect everything in the room without showing his eyes. Everything, including me laying there on the bed with Grayson half undressed in front of me. Jack’s expression loses its blankness for just a fraction of a second then, and what I see there hurts.
“So the video file was true.”
“No, Jack,” I say, scrambling to my feet.
“All the effort I’ve put in trying to find a way out for you without having to fade the kid, and this is what you’re doing behind my back?”
“It’s not what it looks like,” Grayson says.
I wince. No one says that, do they? Because saying that is almost like admitting that something happened. Except, what else can we say, because it’s really not what it looks like. I wouldn’t have let anything happen. At least, I don’t think I would.
The worst part is the way that Jack’s expression goes back to something blank and emotionless. He doesn’t react. No, that’s not right. He doesn’t show his reaction. Even so, I know how hurt he has to be.
“Come on, we don’t have time to talk about this. We need to get out of here, preferably before anyone gets hurt. Go past me and head down the hall.
Eventually, I have to turn around. I have to look at the broad expanse of his chest, and force myself to look up into his eyes. He’s so quiet as he stands there in front of me, barely touching, his eyes staring into mine. There’s so much desire there. So much need.
“Celes…”
He doesn’t say more, but just kisses me. That close, I can smell the scent of the soap he’s just used. I can taste him on my lips in the moments before his kisses drift down to my neck and I arch my back allowing him more access. His kisses down my neck becomes hungrier, and I pull him closer. I don’t even stop him this time, though I know I should. Then I came to my senses.
“Grayson, we…”
He stops that thought with another kiss, then pulls back. “You’ve said that I’m in your dreams.”
“Dreams of the future,” I say. “We’re both older, and you’re there beside me. Always there.”
“Dreams like Johnny has dreams?” Grayson asks. It’s such a deceptively simple question, but I don’t know how to answer it.
“You’re asking me if I see the future?” I ask.
Grayson shakes his head, running his hands through my hair. “I’m saying that if you do, and you see us together… well, maybe this is meant to be. You do love me, don’t you?”
He kisses me again, putting his arms around my waist and lifting me, carrying me back into the apartment’s bedroom. He tosses me lightly onto the bed, and I lay there, staring up at him. Am I really going to… are we really going to…
The door to the bedroom flies open so hard that the bang of it against the wall sounds like a thunderclap. I look around, and so does Grayson. When I do, all I can do is stare. Jack’s there. He’s there, in the doorway, dressed from head to toe in black, with a black suit, a black sweater under it… even deep black shades that reflect everything in the room without showing his eyes. Everything, including me laying there on the bed with Grayson half undressed in front of me. Jack’s expression loses its blankness for just a fraction of a second then, and what I see there hurts.
“So the video file was true.”
“No, Jack,” I say, scrambling to my feet.
“All the effort I’ve put in trying to find a way out for you without having to fade the kid, and this is what you’re doing behind my back?”
“It’s not what it looks like,” Grayson says.
I wince. No one says that, do they? Because saying that is almost like admitting that something happened. Except, what else can we say, because it’s really not what it looks like. I wouldn’t have let anything happen. At least, I don’t think I would.
The worst part is the way that Jack’s expression goes back to something blank and emotionless. He doesn’t react. No, that’s not right. He doesn’t show his reaction. Even so, I know how hurt he has to be.
“Come on, we don’t have time to talk about this. We need to get out of here, preferably before anyone gets hurt. Go past me and head down the hall.
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