Their Broken Pieces by Jessica Gomez
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jasmine
We surf the entire day, only exiting the water when the sun sets on the horizon, and throws yellow, pink, and orange fingers across the sky. My surfboard is tucked safely under my arm as we climb out of the water, Alex a couple of feet behind me. When I turn around, walking backward, words of excitement freeze on my lips as his shining wet body rises from the ocean. He shakes his head, flicking water from his hair as it drips down his face and off his eyelashes, mesmerizing me where I stand. His muscles ripple under his skin, dancing to a tune all their own, stealing the breath from my lungs with their opulence. He’s utterly breathtaking.
When he’s close enough, his presence reengages my thought process. “Thank you for today. This was amazing.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He leans over the surfboard under his arm and kisses my cheek.
We walk up to the surf shop on the boardwalk and return the boards. Our total is over a hundred dollars, but the woman at the counter takes fifty percent off because we are on our senior trip. Alex already prepaid for the lesson and extra surf time, so he received a few bucks back.
“You want to go out for dinner?” His mind is elsewhere, eyes lost and distant, but mentioning his distress—our distress—will only bring down the day. I suspect where his thoughts linger, because they layer my every action, and I want to avoid that conversation until completely necessary. We both know what our end game is, so there’s no use in rehashing the details.
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
We change back into our street clothes and head out, walking down the boardwalk to find a place to eat. We end up stopping at a nice Italian place. Pasta sounds extremely good at the moment.
Once we’re seated, I can sense the tension, knowing that we’re both dreading what’s coming—our last day together—and having a hard time processing our acceptance. We spend most of dinner, silent, lost in our own hell, until Alex reaches under the table and takes my hand. He entwines our fingers together, almost desperately holding on, as if I’ll float away this very moment. I squeeze back, trying to provide comfort and reassurance for us both.
After we pay, we walk back to our room as slowly as possible, enjoying the night air. It’s still early for us, ten-forty, but nothing else matters, except holding onto Alex. Tomorrow will be our last day together and then we’ll leave the next morning, getting back on that damn plane and heading home to Mommy Dearest is like anticipating unforetold pain. She repulses me after making threats against Dad, which should have happened after the way she’s treated me over the years, before and after the accident. Without Alex, the dread is heavy, threatening to drag me down. It’s times like these I miss Jace the most. He’d know what to do. However, the plan I have for Alex tonight, I wouldn’t want Jace to be a part of, and he’d be grossed out to know I’m planning to seduce his friend.
A laugh escapes, drawing Alex’s attention as he tilts his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He’s enjoying the moment, not asking questions, so I don’t offer an explanation. He’ll find out soon enough.
When we’re close enough to the hotel, we split. I practically run back to the room and I think Alex might have done the same, because when he shows up a minute later, he’s breathless. When he walks into the room, his skin is flushed, chest pumping. I want to drag him to the floor and have my way with him… Follow the plan, Jasmine, I tell myself. The plan that formed in the two minutes it took me to reach the bedroom. I have every intention of seducing Alex, and losing my virginity… Tonight. There’s no going back. He can tell me no and give me all the excuses he wants, but deep down, this is right. I don’t want anyone but Alex to be my first. I understand I’ll lose him once we leave this place, but I’ll always have this perfect memory, and no one, not even Margret, can take that away from me.
He kisses me quickly, a peek of tongue slipping past my lips as I pass him on the way to the restroom, my plan starting now. Quietly, I slink out of my clothes and into the hotel’s lush robes, and nothing but my birthday suit underneath. Will he be able to resist me now? A seductive grin lifts my lips when I check the reflection in the mirror. I take my hair down, fluffing it with my fingers, and pinching my cheeks to pinken them. A deep breath in, and I’m ready, walking out to greet Alex.
The lights are already off, the TV the only illumination left in the room. He’s stripping down to his briefs, about to get into bed when he notices me. He smiles, unaware that I have nothing on under this robe. How should I approach this? How do you seduce someone who’s trying so hard not to be seduced? Come on to him directly, or play it slow?
Oh, who am I kidding? I have no idea what I’m doing. Alex knows this, and he likes me for who I am, lack of experience, and all.
Alex has tucked himself safely into bed, watching TV, the sheet only halfway over his thigh. The only thing he has left to remove is his briefs. I’m hesitant to amble towards him and it only takes a few seconds for him to figure out I haven’t moved.
“Jaz, what are you doing?” He leans up on an elbow, facing me, flexing his abs and bulging biceps, flustering my words.
“Nothing,” I mutter passively, but my heart is fluttering within my chest like wings.
My feet finally shuffle toward the bed as he leans back, expecting me to disrobe and climb into bed with pajamas on. The robe falls from my shoulders, softly landing on the floor, but I wait to climb into bed until he notices me next to the bed, completely naked.
Alex glances over, then does a double-take at seeing my bare skin, hungrily devouring every inch.
A giggle slips through. The way his eyes heat with desire has my legs turning to jello. “You see something you like?”
His nostrils flare and pupils are blown, darkening the chocolate but brightening the gold flecks, forming a halo around the ebon centers. His jaw is slack; lips set in a silent O. He blinks hard and shakes his head, clearing some of the daze from his eyes.
“Jaz.” He pauses, clearing his throat, and pulling the sheet tighter to his chest, hiding his body. My heart sinks. Am I reading him wrong, does he not want me?
His eyes bounce back and forth between mine, reading the hurt. “Jaz, we don’t have to. I’m okay with just being here with you.”
“I know you are, but I want more. I want to be with you, Alex.” My shyness is showing through in my stance. The sense of rejection crawling up my spine.
He must see what it’s taking for me to stand like this in front of him, trying to give myself away, because his eyes soften. “We can’t…” But his protests are weakening, unable to finish the sentence.
Taking advantage of his uncertainty, I pull the covers back, revealing cool white sheets. “Please.”
He lowers his gaze for only a second before reaching out to take my hand and wrapping our fingers together, pulling me close. “Come here, querida.”
He lays me flat on the bed, not hiding his intentions any longer, while the hunger in his stare mixes with worry. “I want this, Alex. Let me have this one perfect memory of us before we go our separate ways. I want you to be my first. Only you. Please understand.”
He smiles. “Sí Now kiss me.”