I sit there and take her in, realizing there’s something about her that makes me feels at peace even though we hardly know each other.
Sure, she’s visited Colt, Leah, and the kids a lot since that’s her brother, best friend, and her nieces and nephews. But in terms ofmeaningfultime together, nope.
I think I’ve been missing out.
Despite the age gap and my lack of life experiences because of that, I sense a kindred spirit of sorts. Why haven’t I seen her this way before?
I’m snapped out of my realization by Sage pointing to something above us. “Hey, what’shedoin’ here?” she says.
Looking up, I spot Duck Norris–the cross-eyed, one-legged bane of our existence from Bull Mountain–perched on a beam above our heads. Given he’s known to be a bit of a Houdini with an untold ability to turn upanywhere, his appearance isn’t exactly surprising.
What’s new is what he has sticking out of his beak and currently being held over our heads.
“Is that…mistletoe?” Sage asks.
I snort. “Sure looks like it.”
She drops her gaze to mine before it slowly roams down to my mouth and back up again. “Doesn’t mean we have to…”
My pulse spikes at the mere thought of kissing Sage. Despite my body’s reaction, I shake my head. “We don’thaveto…” I say, even though I’m suddenly very curious about what it would be like to do it. My lips tingle at the thought.
She shrugs, her eyes crinkling at the sides as she leans in a little, shooting me a small smirk. I don’t miss that she can’t stop looking atmeeither. “Itistradition. It doesn’t have tomeananythin’. Right?”
Except it would.I don’t say.What if it means everything…
“Yeah,” I say, my voice strong, not betraying the way I’mtruly feeling inside.
I’m full of butterflies and without realizing I’m doing it, I’m rubbing my clammy palms on my jeans.
“Yeah…” she repeats, leaning in further as I find myself drawn to do the same. It’s like there’s an invisible string pulling us closer.
Then it happens, our mouths touch and again I feel that same jolt course through me. This time it’s not that something slides into place, it’s like a key has been turned, locked in place.
We both stay there, as if we’ve been frozen in time. Her eyes flutter closed but I don’t dare look away. I can’t. Not this time. Not with her.
I make sure to commit this moment to memory. It is my first kiss after all.
Suddenly it’s like my body is no longer my own, instinct and need taking over.
I slide the tip of my tongue out, gliding it along the seam of her lips and earning a barely-there moan before she opens for me.
The world around us disappears. It’s just the two of us and this moment… this kiss. Sage’s whimpers and my rumbling groans, her tongue stroking with mine, her taste on my lips enough to see me through from this life till the next.
A loud ‘quack’ echoes around us, breaking the moment and the isolated bubble we found ourselves in.
Jumping apart, both of us breathing hard, both of us staring with wide eyes and confusion over what the hell just happened. And yet, neither one of us can speak. All I’m left with is one big unanswered question.Did she feel it too?
Because what started as a tradition, a rite of passage, turned out to be anything but.
That kiss wasn’t something that could ever mean nothing. For me, it was the exact opposite.
It waseverything. Eye opening. Revealing. Showing me what the space in my heart is waiting for.
“We... ah… I guess we should get back,” she stammers as she gets up from the bench.
I watch as she plasters on a teasing smile that doesn’t reach her wide, surprised–maybe even still-confused eyes.Did she feel it too?I ask myself again.
“Was that… OK?” I ask because it’s not every day you experience your first kiss.