Strawberry Wine

Excerpt

Oh God. She’s so beautiful! That was the first thought that ripped through his chest when her green eyes meet his. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, coming just to her shoulders. He recalled running his fingers through the long mass while they made love. She wore a baby blue t-shirt stretched across breasts that used to drive him insane.

Used to.

No longer. Yet he couldn’t stop drinking her in. Her jeans were snug but looked comfortable, and he could make out tight, toned thighs. For a second, Caleb could almost still feel those smooth thighs, sliding along his, and he forced himself to push that memory aside.

“Laura.” He spat the word out like a curse and a plea all at the same time.

His voice panted her name in her ear, soft and urgent while he pushed into her. Laura...Laura...Laura...

“Caleb. Hi.” She forced out the sounds through choking breath.

Her nails dug into his back, moving upwards to press him deeper into her body. Caleb...Caleb...Caleb...

Caleb's eyes stayed on hers.

“Is it this way with other couples, do you think? Do you think they feel this too, Caleb?”

He watched her catch sight of his car, and she gasped. He knew she recognized it.

The rain was pouring on them, but they didn’t care. Laura bit into the soaked yellow fabric covering his shoulder. “Someone is gonna catch...oh my God...like that...oh God...” Her body slid desperately, pulling at Caleb's hips as he thrust, surging up into her with hard, deep movements. He leaned down to kiss her, her mouth wet and warm, her skin damp and steaming.

“Uh… Is your mom home?” she asked, jolting Caleb from his thoughts for a moment.

“So we're like...kinda official now, right?” a sixteen-year-old Caleb asked, spread out on the carpet next to her.

Laura looked up from her textbook. “I dunno. Do you want to be?”

“Yeah.”

She leaned over and kissed him softly. “Me too.”

“Uh. Yeah,” he replied, trying to settle on any one of the dozens of emotions running through him. He felt rage, desire, uncertainty, sadness, panic. He’d thought for sure that when he saw her he would unload years of rage on her, but having her mere steps away from him now, Caleb had no idea what to say or do. Instead he turned away, forgetting what he’d come outside to get, and didn’t look behind him to see if she was following.

He could feel her eyes on him while they walked into the house.

That mouth. Caleb remembered what that mouth used to do to him. How hot and soft it was.