Gasping For You

Heat

Sparks instantly ignite my lips. His lips are so soft and delicate against mine. My hands grasp his shirt, pulling him closer to me. I hear him grunt in approval as I turn my head to give him more access to my lips. God, did he taste good. A mix of mint and peach, a combination I would never think would be so addictive. 

Our tongues connect like we've done this so many times before. Yearning for each other endlessly. My body is heating up. I've never felt this. I didn't want it to end and if it did, I wanted it to be me riding him on that bed. 

His one hand held my face firmly while the other grabbed my throat, keeping me in place. My hands feel his chest, every hard muscle writhing underneath my fingertips. My hands begin to move further down his abdomen when a loud bang erupted from my door followed by laughs and then silence. 

We immediately broke away from each other. My breathing was erratic, I turned to face Fay and Dionne with their mouths wide open. They were holding a massive box gift wrapped in a delicate floral pattern tied with pink ribbon. 

"We came to give you your gift," Fay says lightly. Her cheeks flushed, most likely reflecting mine as well. 

"We didn't mean to interrupt," Dionne says smirking. Looking back and forth between my disheveled self and Denver. 

"You didn't, we were just talking" I speak rushed. Wanting to defend myself and this awkward moment from moving any further. I feel Denver stiffen next to me and take a step back. 

"It's cool. I'll just head out." His tone reverberated through me. His expression was dark and stoic. He brushes past me lightly, walking towards the door. Dionne and Fay move towards my bed and place the gift on my pale-colored comforter. 

Gone is Denver with a click of the door. I feel their eyes on me before I take a deep breath and meet their stares. 

"What is going on?!" Dionne squeaks. "Don't think I didn't see the both of you entwined together fucking making out!" She screams excitingly, grabbing my hand. My other hand sweatily held onto my IV ball. 

"Umm yes, things kind of jumped to that. I don't know what I'm feeling or what's going on. I just feel different when I am with him. He's intoxicating in the best way possible. I forget about this," I say as I lift up my IV med. 

Dionne's grin gets bigger. "Malia! This is BIG for you. All you've ever had are momentary relationships honestly for only pleasure more than anything" she winks letting my hand go. 

"Seeing you like this and saying all of this is so different, so right. What you deserve." Dionne whispers the last part, a big smile taking over her face.

My face flushes. A grin I am trying to keep down surfaces with ease. I look over to Faye in the background. 

Faye stays silent, sitting on my bed. Her gaze only holds onto the gift she now has in her lap. Her fingers playing with the ribbon. 

Dionne looks where my eyes wander. "Faye, don't you have something to say?" Her eyes widen slightly as she tilts her head.

Faye pushes herself off of the bed, "Here's your gift!", handing it over to me. Dionne and I look at her with knowing eyes. Clearly, that was not what Dionne was talking about. 

Faye looks down, "I'm sorry. Seeing him is triggering everything with my past, with him." She speaks softly, her eyes getting teary-eyed. It's always Brandon. The stupid idiot who even now still affects my best friend. As happy as she is now with Luke, healing from trauma isn't circular. 

I place the gift down and go to hug her and Dionne follows suit. I rub her back and brush my fingers through her soft curls. 

"I'm sorry" Dionne and I both whisper to her. We hear her sniffles and attempt to control her breathing. We pull away and she wipes the tears from her face. 

"This day is about you. You deserve all the happiness, Malia. Truly and deeply. More than anyone in this world. If he can make you smile and glow -- please do not stop any possibilities with him because of me."

"I appreciate that but I also want to make sure that I'm not hurting you. I mean nothing will probably even happen with him. It's stupid." I say exasperated. 

"No, it's not. Don't deny feeling something because of me but especially because of CF. I know it's in the back of your head." Faye says. 

"Obviously there is no pressure to be with him, we just never see you like this or even speak this openly about your feelings," Dionne adds. 

I nod in understanding. Dionne takes the gift off the floor, "Now please finally open this!"

I grab it and place it on my bed, unwrapping the paper with so much excitement. "We spent a lot of time working on it and planning out all of the details," Faye's face was clear of the emotion she held previously. 

Underneath the wrapping paper is a lavender-colored box. I eagerly rip the top off to find a scrapbook. The cover held a picture of the three of us from a field trip in 6th grade. Looking completely different from how we all looked now. We had those flip-up sunglasses paired with flat-brimmed hats and side bangs. It was an era to forget, that's for sure. 

That night we swore that when we were older we would travel around the world together. We also assumed we would all be rich and that traveling was so easy to do (that was before my health rapidly declined and before we had any idea of traveling costs). 

The scrapbook had designs of a world map plastered all over it with the label "Our Traveling Story". My eyes instantly began to tear up. 

I turned to the first page to see a pocket with plane tickets sticking out of it. With the words, 'We are going to Europe!'

"WHAT?!" I gasp in shock, looking at them both. 

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Now, now, I know you guys wanted more of Denver and Malia (at least I did). This gave a little taste of what was to come. A lot of this is getting to know Malia and her friends more, again setting more of a foundation. I like spicy scenes so be prepared. Please favorite and comment! I would love to know your thoughts and how you feel about the characters. 

Also, apologize for the delay in updating a chapter. I recently started a new job and I am sick -- I have cystic fibrosis (in real life) and currently have a lung infection that I'm getting treated for. I promise to try and be more consistent once my life settles down and I have more of a routine. 

Love, 

E