The Kiss

against her thigh, though his posture wasn’t sexual. He looked innocent.
    He looked happy.
    This time she managed to turn her body toward him and press her face against his chest. She inhaled his scent, mingled with that of sex. He was there. He was still there, holding on to her like he was afraid of losing her.
    The previous night had been unlike anything she’d experienced before. After a short nap, he’d woken her and made love to her again in a way she’d been sure only existed in romance novels. He’d worshiped her body, made her feel wanted— special . Then he’d tucked her against his side and bid her goodnight, showing no sign of wanting to leave.
    She hadn’t expected him to still be there in the morning.
    She’d thought the night before had been a gift to her and a way for him to get her out of his system. The memory of it would tide her over for months, and in the end would be stored in the same file cabinet in her mind as everything else that didn’t work out in her life. Waking up in his arms had changed that, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
    Should she get out of bed, get them some breakfast, and act all girlfriend-y? She doubted she could do that. There were too many explanations still pending between them. No future could be based on a single night.
    Yet, every relationship had to begin somewhere. Was this a beginning, or a random occurrence? What did she want it to be? She’d known she was attracted to him for a while, and the side of him she saw in the last twenty four hours was one she could fall for. The problem was she had no clue whether or not she could trust him.
    Nate’s arm tightened around her almost imperceptibly, and he laid a gentle peck on her hair. “You up?”
    She nodded, looking up at him. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
    “Don’t be silly. Nothing better than waking up beside you.” He leaned in, but she averted her face.
    “Not until I’ve brushed my teeth.” She wiggled, trying to get out of the bed, but he wrapped his legs around her and held her still.
    “Kiss, then bathroom. Non-negotiable.”
    She touched her lips to his lightly. “Bathroom, then breakfast.”
    He let go with a sigh, but there was a smile hiding at the corners of his eyes.
    ***
    He was still in bed when she came out of the bathroom, but it was like something had shifted between them. Gone was the playful mood. He stood with the sheet wrapped around his waist and got dressed in a hurry.
    The two people who went to breakfast seemed like strangers.
    Eliza knew it was her fault as well as his. She’d seen his smile when she’d exited the bathroom and noticed how his face had fallen when her eyes wouldn’t meet his, but couldn’t help herself. Once she’d left the bed they’d shared, the real world—the one in which he’d been on her case forever—had swarmed in, driving them more apart by the second.
    She wished he’d say something to break the awkward silence that had settled in since they’d agreed to have breakfast outside campus.
    “Is Cup o’ Cappuccino all right with you?”
    “Yeah. Fine.” And the awkward silence was back. They walked side by side but stayed out of each other’s personal space.
    His arms swung on his sides, and she longed to lace her fingers with his.
    She didn’t.
    Luckily, patience wasn’t one of Nate’s virtues. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Despite his harsh phrasing, there was hurt in his voice.
    Eliza flinched. “Nothing. I’m fine.” She crossed her arms and began walking faster. “Just hungry.”
    A big palm curled over her upper arm, forcing her to stop and face him. “That’s how it’s gonna be? Or are you blaming the pissy act on low blood sugar?”
    Irrational anger made her raise her voice. “ Going to be? This is how it always has been, Nate. We fight. We hate each other. How can that change now?” It had already changed; she no longer hated him, and she was sure he no longer hated her. The more she urged him to agree with her, to see there could be nothing between them, the more she hoped he’d prove her wrong. If she wasn’t so busy trying to hold back tears of frustration, she’d be rolling her eyes at herself.
    He kissed her. It was becoming a trend with him, sealing her lips with his when talking might not get them anywhere. She liked that trend. She liked how he cupped her cheek; how he clutched her shoulder; how he breathed against her lips. She forced herself to pull back. “What is this,