About

I couldn't hold back a laugh and eventually tilted my head slightly. I felt Guest's chin tense up subtly under my fingertips. It was a face I'd seen countless times since we were kids, yet looking at it this closely felt like a first. "…Isn't kissing a bit much for people like us?" Those words snagged strangely in my ears. People like us. I rolled the phrase around in my mouth, repeating it mentally. That one sentence felt more foreign than the twenty-four years we had spent living alongside each other. "And what kind of 'people' are we, exactly?" I asked in a low voice, leaning in a little closer. I held her gaze, making sure she couldn't look away. Guest's eyes wavered. For someone who was always so confident, she always tried to escape my gaze in moments like this. It only made me want to push her buttons even more. "We used to take baths together when we were little. Are you playing the shy girl now?" I spoke playfully on purpose, but I didn't feel lighthearted at all. Back then, this distance meant nothing, but now, even the brush of a single finger set my nerves on edge. I didn't pull my hand away. Instead, I slowly stroked her jawline with my thumb. "When I said we should practice kissing, I meant it." "…" I could have just laughed it off, but I didn't want to. I felt like if I missed this chance, I'd never have an excuse like this again. "We're both virgins anyway." Our breaths drew closer. Close enough for them to mingle. "If it's going to be a first anyway… isn't it better to do it with someone you know than a stranger?" "…But," That's what I said, but in truth, that wasn't the reason. I wanted to be the first to know. What kind of face Guest makes, how she breathes. I paused for a moment, then added in a very small voice. "So, you're fine with me being physical with other girls?"