Point of Retreat

hands, pulling her up. “Come on, we don’t have much time!”
     
    When we get to her house, she shuts the door behind her. I don’t even wait until we get to the bedroom. I shove her against the front door and start kissing her. “One hundred and sixty-two,” I say between kisses.
     
    “Let’s go to the bedroom,” she says. “I’ll lock the front door. That way if they come over here, they’ll have to knock first.” She turns around and latches the deadbolt.
     
    “Good idea,” I say. We continue to kiss as we make our way down the hallway. We can’t seem to make it very far without one of us ending up against a wall. By the time we get to the bedroom, my shirt’s already off.
     
    “Let’s do that thing again where the first person to call retreat is the loser,” she says. She’s kicking off her shoes so I do the same.
     
    "You’re about to lose then, ‘cause I’m not retreating,” I say. She knows I’ll lose. I always do.
     
    “Neither am I,” she says, shaking her head. She pulls her legs up and scoots back onto the bed. I stand at the edge of the bed and take in the view before I join her. Sometimes when I watch her, it seems surreal that she’s mine. That she really loves me back. She blows a strand of hair out of her face, then tucks her hair behind her ears and positions herself against the pillow, waiting for me to join her. I slowly slide on top of her and slip my hand behind her neck, gently pulling her lips to mine. I move slowly as I kiss her, trying to savor every second. We hardly ever get to make out; I don’t want to rush it.
     
    “I love you so much,” I whisper. She wraps her legs around my waist and tightens her arms on my back in an attempt to pull me in closer.
     
    “Spend the night with me, Will. Please? You can come over after the boys go to sleep. They’ll never know.”
     
    “Lake, it’s just one more week. We can make it.”
     
    “I don’t mean for that . We can wait for that until next weekend. I just want you in my bed tonight, I miss you. Please?”
     
    I continue kissing her neck without responding to her plea. I can’t say no, so I just don’t respond at all.
     
    “Don’t make me beg, Will. You’re so damn responsible sometimes, it makes me feel weak.”
     
    I laugh at the thought that she thinks she’s weak. My lips make their way down to the collar of her shirt. “If I spend the night…what are you gonna wear?” I slowly unbutton the top button of her shirt and press my lips to her skin.
     
    “Oh my god,” she breathes. “I’ll wear whatever the hell you want me to wear.”
     
    I unbutton the next button on her shirt and move my lips a little lower. “I don’t like this shirt. I definitely don’t want you to wear this shirt,” I say. “In fact, it’s a really ugly shirt. I think you should take it off and throw it away.” I unbutton the third button, waiting for her to call retreat. I know I’m about to win.
     
    When she doesn’t, I continue kissing lower and lower as I unbutton the fourth button, then the fifth button, then the last button. She still doesn’t call retreat. She’s testing me. I slowly bring my lips back to her mouth and she rolls me onto my back and straddles me, then slides her shirt off and tosses it aside.
     
    I run my hands up her arms and over the curves of her chest. Her hair has gotten a lot longer since I met her. It’s hanging loosely around her as she leans over me. I tuck it behind her ears so I can see her face better. It’s dark, but I can still make out her smile, and the amazing emerald hue of her eyes. I slide my hands back up to her shoulders and trace the outline of her bra.
     
    “Wear this tonight.” I slide my fingers under the straps. “I like this.”
     
    “So does that mean you’re staying the night?” she asks. Her tone is more serious now. Not so playful.
     
    “If you wear this,” I say, being just as serious. She presses her body against mine, our bare skin meeting for the first time in months. I’m definitely not calling retreat now. I can’t. I’m usually not so weak; I don’t know what it is about her right now that’s making me so weak.
     
    “Lake.” I break my lips apart from hers, but she continues kissing the edges of them as I speak, short of breath. “It’s just a matter of hours until next weekend. It’s coming up so fast, in fact…that this weekend can be considered part of the upcoming week. And the upcoming week is part of next