Chapter Eight

Exam week has me in the library all hours of the day and night and any free time in between. It’s a good thing that I enjoy studying or this would be a nightmare. It’s 10:00 on a Saturday night and the place is empty. Even the foreign exchange students aren’t here and they may be here more often than I am. I decide to call it a night and head home. All I can think about is getting in my cozy bed in my warm pajamas and binge-watching t.v. for a couple of hours to relax my mind. I pack up my books and check my phone; zero texts. No surprise there. It’s dark out and I consider calling Sarah but decide against it. I can’t take calling her and telling her I’m coming home from the library on a Saturday night while she’s probably out with her boyfriend. No, I will just walk home in silence. Taking the usual short-cut I use during the day, I find that it is not well-lit in the evenings. The streetlamps aren’t on for some reason and this gives me an eerie feeling. I pick up the pace and the cold wind rushes through me. I find myself wishing Kyle were here with me but I shake the thought from my head. He’s probably at a party or with some girl in his room. I roll my eyes at the thought when I hear footsteps behind me. They sound like they are getting closer. I turn around but see no one so I walk faster. The steps get faster too. My mind flashes to the thought of me being abducted or mugged and a shiver runs down my spine. Why did I take this way? I begin to lightly job when I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I scream and turn around to kick whoever this is. In the dark, I can only tell it’s a man and he’s bigger than I am. “Leave me alone!” I scream and a voice says back, “Hey, it’s me, it’s Kyle, Danielle, it’s ok!” It is Kyle. I feel relief flood over me and my nerves begin to calm. “Oh Kyle, you scared me to death!” He lets out some nervous laughter and apologies, “I’m really sorry! I had no idea you would be so scared, I promise!” “No, no it’s ok!” I say and before I can say anything else he gives me a small hug. “I’m sorry I scared you.” He says and pulls me tightly into him. “It’s ok, I’m ok.” I whisper, my face buried in his chest and his body heat warming me up. I note that I fit perfectly under his arm and that the muscles in his abs are tight and I imagine feeling his skin underneath mine. “Let me walk with you back.” He says and lets go of me. “What are you doing out here?” I ask him, gesturing to the library behind us. “Ah, yeah, well, I’ve gotten myself into a spot. I have been enjoying my freedom too much and haven’t been studying as much as I should have been. I’m behind in almost all my classes, I have so many assignments to turn in and so I’ve been at the library almost every night until this time for the last week.” “I haven’t ever seen you.” I say, surprised that we’ve been the same place all this time. “I head to the top floor, study over by the encyclopedias. I’m a little embarrassed about my need to be there so often for this shitty reason. Don’t want anyone seeing me, I guess. But I know I need to be there.” I soften, I thought Kyle felt he was too cool for everything, I’m happy he felt he could share this with me. “Why are you here so late?” he responds. “Exam week of course. Plus, I like to read ahead in the classes I’m not worried about, keeps me on track for the following assignments. I’m taking a lot of credit hours so I have to stay on top of it.” He nods, “I could learn a thing or two from you, Danielle.” He chuckled and put his arm around my shoulders. “I’m happy to help anyway I can. If you want a study buddy or anything, I’m your girl.” The words came out and I didn’t mean to sound so flirtatious but I let it go. “Oh yeah?” he said and laughed. “So what are you going to do now? I hope not more studying.” “Well, no actually all I want to do is lay in bed and watch t.v. and let my mind melt for a couple hours. I just hope Hayley doesn’t mind.” I say. We continue talking and before I know it, we’re at my door. Music is blaring from inside and I hear a few different voices coming from inside. Haley has her friends over; I remember she told me this was happening. I throw my head back in annoyance. Kyle gives me a frown in sympathy. “So much for a relaxing night.” I groan. “Hey, you know, Eric is out with a girl tonight and won’t be home. I was planning on watching some T.V. too, do you want to hang out in my room for a little bit?” I was unsure. There he was standing before me, looking gorgeous and being sweet and hadn’t I gotten butterflies when he hugged me earlier? “Ok, sure.” I agreed. “Thanks.” We made our way down the hall to his room. It was exactly how I expected it to be. Kyle laid his things on top of his desk, which was surprisingly organized, but Eric’s side of the room was not. Clothes and papers covered his bed and desk. Jackets and electronics were piled high on his chair. “Sorry about his mess.” Kyle said as he shook his head. “He’s not always this messy but this week has been another story.” And he laughed. “It’s ok, makes me appreciate Haley a lot more!” I joked. “Have a seat on my bed, don’t worry, I won’t bite!” he said and offered me a place. I looked around and agreed. We are both adults, I told myself. As I laid there next to him, I tried not to picture the array of girls that have paraded in and out of his bedroom. “What do you want to watch?” he asked me. “A movie sounds good.” I said, “Something like a thriller maybe?” “My favorite genre.” He replied with a grin. We chose one and got comfortable. Dorm beds are by no means large so we were very close together. I found the most comfortable position being me resting against his arm that was around me. As the movie went on, I cozier we got. After a while, I forgot about it, that’s how natural it felt. I realized Kyle wasn’t only a very attractive man but witty too. His commentary on the movie had me in stitches and it made me want to kiss him. I snuggled into him; testing him. He didn’t move, only to tighten his arm around me. I felt his eyes on me, and I turned to him. “Yes?” I said teasingly, drawing out the words. “I’d really like to kiss you, Danielle.” He said. “I gave a small smile and replied, “I guess I can allow it.” I joked and before I could let out a laugh his lips were on mine. They were warm and soft and the stubble on his face tickled me. I liked it. He used his arm to pull me in closer and he parted my lips with his tongue. He was gentle and it was me who moved to take more control. I pushed my tongue into his mouth and placed my hand behind him. He tasted sweet, like an energy drink and it made me grin. “You smile while you kiss?” he said, pulling back. “You taste fruity.” I giggled. “Good, hope you like it! It’s my signature taste.” He joked and leaned in to kiss me again. “You taste sweet too, like cherries.” I shrugged, “I didn’t eat any cherries.” I said, puzzled. “I think it’s probably just you.” He said sweetly and then lightly kissed the top of my head. “I really like you, Danielle.” He said, putting his hand over mine. “I like you too, Kyle.” I responded, giving his hand a squeeze. I kissed him again, feeling the heat in my body begin to build in me. I had never felt this strong of a sensation between my thighs and it scared yet excited me. I wanted to hesitate but the feeling never came. Being with him felt so natural, I realized I had never wanted anyone so badly. I let my hands glide under his shirt and I was rewarded by the hard abs I had been longing to touch. His chest was smooth and his body tan. The light of the T.V. cast shadows over us, faded to black, then shadows again. I caught glimpses of his eyes, his strong chin, his lips. I felt I was doing everything right, but apparently my nervousness was showing. “Do you want to do this, Danielle?” he asked, searching my eyes for a response. “Yes, I do.” I said, my voice cracking a bit in the middle. “Is this..?” he began, wanting to ask but not wanting to embarrass me. “I mean, yeah. It is my first time. Is that ok?” I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach again. Terrified he would laugh at me or send me away. “That’s ok, I just want to make sure you want to this. No pressure.” He said, holding his arms u, “Really.” He was sincere and that made me feel better. “ I want to Kyle, I feel safe with you. I do.” That made him smile and he pulled me in for a hug, kissing my forehead after and that little gesture sealed the deal for me. I kissed him again, my tongue entering his mouth and taking over me like I was possessed. He responded in kind and lifted me up so I was laying on top of him. I took my top off and was so thankful I had chosen to wear my best bra this morning. It was light pink and tight and gave me cleavage, my breasts milky white and perky, my freckles dotted around my neckline and collarbone revealed. “You’re beautiful.” He whispered, as he buried his head into my chest, breathing me in. His nose pressed in between my breasts and his hot breath sending chills down my spine. I felt him grow hard under me and that sent another set of waves over my body. I never felt so ready for anything in my life, talk about exam week. This was one test I was ready to pass.