Chapter 8

I wake up to the sound of a door creaking open. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I notice Sander getting ready to leave my dorm. That’s when it hits me. Yesterday was real.

“Wait. Don’t go. Please,” I reach my arms out to him in protest. I sit up briskly, my head whirling out of exhaustion. “I’m sorry about last night. I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he says, doing a 180-degree turn to sit back down with me. A part of me feels ashamed that I put him into a situation like that, but the other part feels extremely grateful that he’s here with me now. By the faint light that envelops us, I can tell it’s still early in the morning.

“I- I want you to hold me,” I mutter.

“Like this?” he wraps his gentle hands around my torso, rocking me back and forth like a baby. My heartbeat catches up to his, and I close my eyes for a second, silently inhaling and exhaling. A smile slides across his face, his stunning hazel eyes peering back at me. I press my chest against his, and our fingers intertwine. I’m lost in his embrace, enraptured by the warmth it gives me. The pieces of my heart that have been struggling to fit into this world feel like they had found peace at last. Slowly, he lets go and rests his hands on my shoulders. We maintain our physical contact, my head leaning against his.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, rubbing the side of my back.

“A lot better,” I admit. “Especially because you’re here.”

“Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” He unravels himself from me to allow the both of us to rest comfortably on the bed. All I can think about is his presence, his breath stirring against my skin.

“Do you remember what you said to me last night?” he whispers. My muscles tense as the faint memory of the rugby field wanders back into my mind.

“Yes, I remember,” I laugh, slightly embarrassed at my forwardness when I was drunk. A brief pause lingers in between us before he smiles.

“I like you too.” There is a firework in his gaze, something that sparks desire. Something that tells me he’s been waiting, longing for the day to say those three magical words. He hesitates for an agonizing second before tilting his head down and closing the gap between us. The tender skin of his lips presses against mine, and before I can register it, we’re kissing. There is a hard desperation behind the kiss. Urgent, yet passionate. This is what we both needed.

Our lips fit so perfectly together it’s almost as if we were made for each other, like our sole purpose in this world was to find each other. And having him here, next to me right now, is enough. This is the only thing that matters. This moment. It’s everything. His kisses trail down my neck while I spoon him. My eyelids fluctuate before closing, and I fall asleep nuzzled in his arms.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” I wake up to Sander’s soft voice. His fingers sweep through my tangled hair before he plants a kiss on my forehead. It’s still hard for me to believe that this is real life. It almost seems too good to be true.

“Hey,” I respond. “How are you?”

“Good, although you have terrible morning breath,” he chuckles, pulling away from me.

“Oh, really? Is that so?” I lean in closer to him and breathe heavily. Sander tries to turn around, using his hands as a barrier, but that only prompts me to tease him further.

“Stop it, ew,” he complains, nudging me playfully. When he looks to the side, I take this opportunity to pin him down, lightly blowing air into his face.

“You like this?” I grimace, diving in for a kiss. He doesn’t reply and instead pulls me into him, deepening our connection. My lips brush his, delicately, like butterfly wings, just long enough to feel the ardency of his skin. Heat rises from my cheeks as our tongues collide, electric and delicious, exploring our longing.

“Prince Nicolas? Are you awake? Breakfast is closing in twenty minutes,” A voice interrupts us. We exchange mischievous glances and I facepalm.

“Coming!” I yell back. I lay in bed for a few seconds longer, taking note of how beautiful Sander is. With the golden sunrise reflecting off his clear skin, it gives him a godly appearance. He’s truly glowing, like a fallen angel from heaven.

“Are you done staring?” he teases, fully aware of how attractive he is.

“Shut up,” I laugh. “I’m not the only one benefiting from this.”

“That’s true. You do have the most adorable face.”

“Aw, I could say the same about you. Thanks for rescuing me yesterday too.”

“No problem. You know, we could just skip class and hang out all day,” he smirks. I genuinely consider his suggestion, but then I remember the trigonometry test is today.

“I wish I could, but I can’t miss my test today. Plus, we have all the time in the world to spend together after school.”

“Alright, alright,” he smiles.

“You can wait here until I get down to the dining room, okay? Then you can follow me, but don’t look suspicious. Pretend like you came from the front.”

“Okay. Can you visit me sometime soon though? I want to show you around my house.”

“Sure, let me know when. I’ll see you later,” I reply, walking out the door.

“See you.” Breakfast goes as usual. Bacon with scrambled eggs, served with a side of fresh-cut potatoes straight from the oven. I munch on my food and wash it all down with a glass of apple juice. Afterwards, I go about my classes, consisting of English, science, art, and math. Since I ate breakfast so late, I’m one of the last people to show up to class. Juliano pats at the chair next to him, and I reluctantly join him.

“So,” he starts. “Did you make it back alright yesterday?”

“Well, I ended up in my bed, so that’s a good sign,” I shrug.

“Man, last night was wild! We were totally wasted,” Cyrus chimes in, two seats away from us.

“I know, right? Marvin even threw up this morning,” Juliano reveals. We talk a little more amongst ourselves before Mrs. Rosin walks in. She goes over attendance, and I realize that Peyton isn’t here. Is he okay? I mean, the rest of us are fine, so surely, he would have to be recovered by now. A seed of worry sprouts itself from the pit of my stomach, but I choose to ignore it. Either way, his hangover is not in my hands.

At lunch, I’m invited to join the Force’s table, which I politely accept.

“Guys, we have a bit of an issue. A crisis, if you will,” Juliano starts the conversation.

“What’s wrong?” Marvin asks in a worried tone.

“It’s about Peyton. The reason he wasn’t in class today is because he got suspended.” His words dwell in my mind, uneasiness taking over.

“Why?” I’m afraid to ask, but curiosity gets the better of me.

“I don’t know the exact details, but the gist of it is that he was caught with drugs and alcohol outside his dorm,” he explains.

“But that wouldn’t get him suspended, would it?”

“Normally, no, he’d only face several punishments. However, in his case, he’s been caught before, and they aren't as tolerant this time.”

“This is awful, I thought he’d be more alert,” Kaiden mutters under his breath.

“Trust me, we all wish this didn’t happen. This is the worst-case scenario because Miss Charlemagne is onto us now. We need to act fast before we’re all screwed,” Juliano raises his voice.

“I cannot be dragged into this,” I slam the table, suddenly furious. I already have so much on my plate that I simply will not be able to handle another scandal. With all the pressure engulfing me, this would be the push that tips me over.

“Neither can we! Just because you’re the crown prince doesn’t make you any more important than the rest of us,” Juliano shoots back.

“That’s easy for you to say. You can do whatever you want and everyone loves you.”

“Oh, come on, Nicolas. Stop acting so immature. We’re in this together, whether you like it or not. If anyone asks us anything, we better keep our mouths shut and act like we’ve done nothing.” I don’t have the energy in me to respond, so I stay silent and finish my food as rapidly as possible so that I can get out of this.

“I’ll see if I can find Peyton to talk to him,” Cyrus confirms, and leaves the table. I take this chance to dart out of there as well, heading outside for some fresh air. Not long after, I come across Sander down the hiking trail.

“Sander!” I holler, loud enough for him to hear me over the breezy winds. He turns around and his face sparkles when he sees me. I join him on his afternoon walk, which helps me unwind, soothing my tense muscles. Squirrels scatter away when we walk towards them, scurrying up, atop the trees. The sharp sound of birds chirping simultaneously infuses the atmosphere. The view that emerges as the sky brightens is stunning. Cliffs plummet sharply to the Earth in the fifty shades of summer. All of the new trails that we take, the sounds of the waterfall breaking over the icy rocks, and the crisp-smelling air, get placed into my mental scrapbook, one that I can revisit at any given moment.

Then, when I’m positive that no one is looking, I plant a kiss on his lips, my heart fluttering with adoration.

“You’re too cute,” my voice echoes.

“No, you are,” he blushes.

“If there was no one nearby, what do you think we would be doing right now?”

“This,” he says, bending his head back and kissing me with an intensity that makes me hold him closely to not loose balance against the swaying world.

“Hold on,” I stop him. “We’re in public.”

“Sorry, I just can’t help myself.” He’s making it almost an impossible task to resist his undeniable charm, but I try to ground myself back to reality, which luckily works. Our little promenade ends in time for the afternoon classes to start, but we delay our separation until the last minute. The rest of the day is fairly uneventful. Taking notes, homework, and dinner. I go to bed way too excited, knowing that tomorrow I’d finally visit Sander in his house.

The morning after, I feel bursts of energy, which causes me to jump up and down out of sheer exhilaration. I can’t wait to see him again. I get dressed in record time and hop on my bike. I don’t even need to ring the doorbell for it to fling open, with a grinning Sander inside.

“Hi,” I smile.

“Hi! Come on in,” he exclaims.

“Nicolas, it’s wonderful to see you again,” Leslie greets me from the living room.

“Of course. Thank you for having me over.”

“Anytime. Also, ignore the mess in the kitchen. I’ve been scolding Nova to clean it up, but apparently, she has other priorities in–”

“Okay, mom,” Sander cuts in. “We’re going to my room to play video games now.” Video games, huh? I guess that’s what we’re calling it now. With delinquent grins on our faces, we race up the stairs.

“So, this is it,” he states. Looking around with curiosity, I take note of the books that overflow his shelves and spill onto the floor. I’m struck by the realization that I am here, in Sander’s room. With him. He fills the empty space with his vitality. The air surrounding us seems somehow... different. He pads over the maple floor to stand by the window. I can’t help but admire him as he gazes at the divine view through the glass panes.

“I like what you’ve done with the walls,” I comment, noticing the pastel splashes of colors fabricated into autumn leaves, dangling off his drawers.

“Thanks, I designed them myself in honor of my favorite TV show.” As if he’s reading my thoughts, he shows me the rest of his prized possessions: his acrylic picture frame with Tessa and Rhys, his wide variety of mismatched converses, and his immaculate collection of comic books. For a while, we stand by his bed together, locking eyes. My soul thaws simply by looking at him, and the butterflies in my stomach are squirming around with hunger. My hands cup his jaw, making their way down his body.

He leans in ever so slowly, as if he’s teasing me on purpose. I close my eyes, breathing in the crisp air. His lips find mine. My heart somersaults. A current jolts through me. My blood rushes. I sweep my tongue into his mouth and he tastes like cherries, only sweeter. Everything in me tightens as I pour my aching need into that kiss. Our lips linger together for an eternity, neither of us wanting this moment to end. When we finally separate, our breathing is ragged. This is what I’ve been craving for. Never have I felt this passion with anyone else. Right now, I don’t care about anything else in the world. All I want is more. I want him all to me.

I take his lips in another greedy kiss, and he kisses me back, letting me in. Until he pulls back and starts typing on my computer.

“What are you doing?” I ask, obviously confused.

“You’ll see,” he responds as he starts playing video game noises on the screen.

“This way no one will hear us,” he smirks. I like the way he thinks.

His gaze drops to my mouth, intensifying. Moving steadily, he leans forward and cups my jaw with his left hand. His thumb brushes over my bottom lip and a chill seeps down my spine as I touch the tip of my tongue to his skin. I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body against his to keep from melting away. His arms close around me, and I feel his hands run down my back. I wonder how I don’t light up the room when I glow like this. He dithers for a second before pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it to the ground. I can feel his heart beating a million times a minute. I want to memorize everything about this moment, but all I can think about is his mouth. His intoxicating softness, his tenderness, it all seems to lure me deeper.

He gathers me close, warms me up with his body heat, kisses my forehead, and allows my mind to unravel.

“You’re shaking,” he whispers, and I don’t even notice my body trembling until he mentions it.

“My mind gets super crowded sometimes,” I admit.

“What were you thinking about?”

“Just some stuff,” I release a heavy sigh.

“Like what?” he says as he edges forward to kiss the tip of my nose.

“Like the first time I met you.”

“And? What did you think about me?”

“That you were the one. The one for me. I never believed the saying “love at first sight” until I saw you.”

“I thought the exact same thing. Never in a million years would I have believed that being with you was possible, yet here we are.”

“I know. This all feels surreal, in the best possible way.” Love is so powerful. It’s hard to believe that such a silent emotion becomes, in time, part of the oxygen I need to breathe. Sander is my oxygen. My night and day. My light and luminance.

“San!” Nova’s voice rumbles, intruding on our moment. “Food’s ready!”

“Ugh,” he groans in annoyance, as we’ve been disrupted. “Fine, we’re coming.”

“We can always finish what we started later,” I suggest, which gains a wide grin from him.

“Sounds good to me. Anyways, we should probably go down now before Nova yells at me for being late.” I follow his lead into the dining room, where I am encompassed by an aroma of mouth-watering flavors.

“Woah, this looks absolutely delicious,” I compliment.

“Why thank you,” Nova perks. “It looks like I’m finally putting another one of my hidden talents to good use.” I bite into the fresh crisp roll, savoring its warm, soft texture. With my empty hand, I sample the potato, which, to my great delight, has a taste of butter overpowered with a tangy gravy, melting at the tip of my mouth.

“Sis, there’s no way you made this all on your own, it’s almost too good,” Sander remarks.

“Well, okay. I did have a tiny bit of help from mom, but it was mostly me,” she reassures us.

“I’d say it was a combined effort,” Leslie speaks up. “Either way, whoever contributed the most does not matter, because this is the best food I’ve tasted in weeks!”

“Same,” I agree. We all simultaneously devour our plates, making sure every crumb is consumed. Shortly after, I receive a call from Juliano.

“Nicolas, thank you for answering. Please meet us now in the library,” he commands after I pick up.

“What? Why? I’m a little busy at the moment.”

“It’s an emergency. We need you here right now.”

“But...” I protest.

“Now,” he orders, and cuts the call.