Chapter Twenty Eight

KELECHI'S POV

   For once in my life, things were going smoothly. The Christmas get together had turned out better than I imagined. Every day  had it's own drama with mama the drama queen and Ify the broadcaster. Dad had stopped ignoring me, aunty Carol and Ben seemed to be friendly, Ben and his father had reconciled. Meso was still shy but that did not stop us from watching the latest Korean movie and talking about our favourite actors. I did not understand why. But, I always loved the Villian more.

   Think about it. Do you know how boring any movie would be without a Villian? Ughhh! I can not imagine that.

  "You are awake." I could hear his voice whisper in my ear. He pressed his lips against my shoulder and buried his face at the crook of my neck.

   It was on the last day of December. It was still morning, so we were still on the bed, cuddling.

   "What are you thinking about?" Talking against that sensitive spot on my neck tickled me.

  "Nothing." I giggled. Everything seemed so perfect I was worried it would end all of a sudden. I unconsciously waited for something bad to happen.

  " It's not nothing. Tell me." Ben raised himself up, leaning on one arm. He picked up my hand to give feather light kisses on my wrist.  "You are worried about something. I know you are." The way he touched me, like every part of me was a treasure, it made me realize that I had never been loved before by any of my ex.

  "I... Are you leaving soon?" There. I said it. I was worried that he was going to leave me soon.  After all, he had only been here for the Christmas get together.

   "Is that what you are worried about?" He smiled against the hand that he held before leaning over to leave a kiss on my forehead. "I don't want this to end too. I've been thinking of staying, transferring to your school. I'll do anything to be this close to you."

  Before he would kiss anywhere but my lips, I pulled his mouth down to mine. Our lips locked in a heated kiss, my hands caressing his hair and down to his neck. He held me firmly, slipping his tongue to meet mine. Our body flush from that frenzy moment. I wanted more of him. He always made be yearn for more than a kiss. He had kept his promise to not to penetrate me. But with every second we were this close, I would wish he break his promise.

   My fingers traced an invisible line from his neck to his chest and down to edge of his torso. Wanting to touch more of him, I slipped my hands in his shirt to feel him.

  "Kelly..." My name slipped out of his lips in a plea. That did not stop me from exploring further. If anything, it made me want to do more. The thought that I could affect him as much as he affected me made me feel powerful. Like I was in control.

   Caressing his chest, I felt those little nubs on it. Curiously, I pinched a little to receive a groan.

  "As much as I love you touching me like that, I won't be made responsible for what happens next." He pulled away a bit. A little just to see my face.

   "What if I want you to lose control?" I smiled at him, bringing his forehead to meet mine. "What if I want I want you in me?"

   "You... You shouldn't say what you don't mean. "

  "I mean it."

   "Then you don't know what you're asking for. " He pulled away from me to lie on his back.

"You're not thinking about the consequences."

   "If you care about the consequences, you wouldn't have kissed me." I retorted. I hated it when he talked like that.

   "You are right.  But as much as I love you, I can't go that far when I can't offer you security."

   "What... What did you say?"

   "I can't offer you security?"

   "Not that one. What you said before that."

   "I love you? I thought you knew that already."

   "You've never said it before. How am I supposed to know?"

Holding my gaze, he cupped my face and whispered with conviction. "I love you. With everything that I am, I love you."

"I love you too." It was when those words left my lips, I realized how true it was. I was so done for.

His eyes widened. He had said those words not expecting it to reciprocated.

He smiled. He was happy. I felt it. I was also happy I was the reason he was happy.

Maybe this was what love felt like.