"Hey sweet thang. Need a lift?" He winked.
"My mother always told me never ride with strangers." She joked.
"Well, I won't tell if you won't."
He leaned over and pushed her door open. She climbed in and as soon as the door closed, he sped off. The dark clouds that hung in the sky looked like they were going to drop buckets of rain at any moment. As if on cue, fat drops of rain started falling on the windshield.
Frowning, he watched as the scattered raindrops turned into a pound against the windshield. He then stole a quick glance in the rearview mirror. Five seconds in that downpour was going to render useless all the time he had spent trying to get his hair under control for the evening. He sighed and ran a hand over the curls at the top of his head, wishing that he had not been in too much of a hurry to grab an umbrella on his way out the door. His eyes narrowed and fixed on the road in front of him, both hands gripping the steering wheel as he hoped that it didn't start raining harder. It was the delighted sigh from the seat next to him that dragged his focus away from cursing nature.
He turned and his face immediately softened as he looked at the young woman next to him. Looking at her brought to mind the reason that he had been in such a hurry to get out the door. He had been late, as always, due to the excessive time it always took him to get ready when he knew she would be on his arm that given evening. It was a blessing and a curse, really. He had found the only woman that matched his disposition well enough to keep him on his toes and interested in the relationship, but she was also the one that drove him to the farthest recesses of his insecurity about relationships. Maybe if she weren't so damn beautiful...maybe if she didn't draw the gazes of every man she encountered. Maybe then he wouldn't have to try so damn hard to look perfect when he walked out the door to take her out.
But he loved her. And he loved her for who she was, not necessarily what she was. And what she was bordered on pretty damn perfect in his opinion. From the ever-present curls encasing her hair, to the smooth olive color of her skin. Flawless. He had no other way to describe her beauty...or her.
Maybe some people would say that things were moving a little too fast between the two. But then they were the same people who didn't understand the depth of emotions running between them. People that knew him knew that he wasn't the kind of guy who sat back and waited patiently for things to come to him. He went after what he wanted, after what he thought he was due. And that is exactly how he had approached this relationship. He had wanted her. He had gone after her. He hadn't expected the resistance she had thrown at him, but slowly he had gained her trust and her love. And slowly that trust and love had become two of the most important things in his young life. So important that it frightened him at times.
"Justin, where are we going?" Megan asked breaking his train of thought.
"It's a surprise." Justin smiled knowing that she hated surprises with a passion. "Don't worry. It's nothing bad."
"It's raining like crazy and you're taking me to what looks like the middle of nowhere!" She exclaimed. "How am I not supposed to worry?" His hand slid over hers and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Trust me."
"Last time I trusted you, you threw me into the pool." She said.
"Nu-uh, you fell." Justin defended.
"Whatever."
"Anyway, it's nowhere bad. We'll have fun...If the rain lets up." He finished with a mumble.
Megan smiled and went back to watching the rain. She suddenly felt more relaxed than ever before. The sound of the rain hitting the window was comforting and she felt as if the whole world was at a standstill. Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt.
"Here we are." Justin said.
"Oh...where are we?" Megan asked.
"Look out there." Justin pointed out the front window, Megan looked out and gasped.
There was the most beautiful scene right before her eyes. In front of the parking lot of an old drive- in movie theater was a perfect view of the ocean. The waves were crashing against the cliffs below and the rain only added to the splendor of it all. Megan sat up in her seat to get a better look but with the rain pounding against the windshield and the fogginess of the heater, she could see nothing. She looked sadly at Justin and pleaded with him to let her out of the car to see better. Frowning, he turned to the back seat, about to offer her an umbrella (that he luckily found under his seat) so that she wouldn't have to get wet. He wasn't fast enough.
She threw open the door and climbed out, face raised to the dark sky, allowing the drops free access to hit then slide across her exposed flesh. Not lowering her face, she slipped out of the sandals strapped to her feet, and she began sliding across the lot, loving the feel of the cold water under and between her toes.
Forgetting about his earlier concerns with his hair, he slid out of the car. Pushing his door shut, he leaned against it, transfixed by the site of her dancing through the puddles, moonlight shining off of the wetness of her face and arms. She spun one more circle then rested her gaze on him.
She looked beautiful. Like something out of a dream.
He was afraid to close his eyes...afraid that if he took them off her for even a second too long she would be gone. If he had been fully aware of his thoughts at the moment he would have laughed at himself because that was the base of all of his insecurities...that if he took his eyes off of someone he loved long enough they would vanish into thin air and leave him alone. Nevertheless, he tried not to blink.
His eyes slid from her dampened hair to her bare feet. She was standing in a puddle. She didn't seem to mind that fact that the rainwater was soaking the soft silky material of the slip dress she wore. The sheer green material turned black as it was exposed to the rain. His eyes ran over every inch of her, but inevitably they returned once again to her face. Was it her smile that sent the jolt through his system? It was a smile of pure joy, of childlike delight. When was the last time he had seen that smile on her face? Something tightened within him as he realized he did not know.
Someone had once said, "Dreams are the answers to questions we have not yet learned how to ask." She wasn't at the point yet where she knew how to ask someone to love her the way that she needed to be loved. She had finally given in, allowing that she would never be able to ask it, and no one would ever be able to read her...to know her well enough to figure it out on their own. But standing there looking at Justin at that moment...the way he was looking at her...she could almost believe that this was the man who would be able to do it.
She stopped her dancing and stared back. His hair was starting to fall flat against his head with the weight of the rainfall. The white high neck sweater he wore, a favorite of hers, was quickly becoming drenched. The tight pants he wore would make for uncomfortable walking if he didn't get out of the rain soon.
Holding his gaze carefully, she walked forward, holding her hand out to him. His eyes flickered briefly over her hand before coming to rest questioningly on her face. She nodded slowly and smiled as his hand came out to grasp her own. She pulled him to her, and reached up to weave her fingers through the curls on his head. She then pulled his lips to hers. It was her seemingly inadequate attempt to share what she was feeling with him at that moment.
He could sense it, though. He didn't know how it was happening, but he could feel the emotions running through her. Maybe it was just that her lips seemed to be a little softer, her tongue a little more playful as it slid across his own. He didn't know how to put it into words...even in the privacy of his own mind. So he chose to accept it for what it was. For once he would let his heart take center stage, and his mind would have to hover in the wings.
The kiss intensified, and he slowly began leading her toward the car. He was met with no resistance on her part. She seemed hypnotized with him at the moment. They made it inside and into the backseat with no problem. At this point his face had lowered to nuzzle her neck as she buried her own face into the front of his sweater.
"Maybe we should stop...” Justin mumbled against her lips as she pulled him down to her. She ignored his suggestion and continued to kiss him. "Megan...Baby...Stop!"
She finally pulled away. "What's wrong?" She asked, confused.
"I...I just don't want your first time to be in the backseat of a car." He said touching her cheek. "Don't you want it to be special."
"Justin...” She whispered, leaning her cheek into his hand. "As long as I'm with you, It'll be special anywhere." He smiled wide and kissed her softly.
"Let's go home." He said.
She stared up at the ceiling, trying to form a coherent thought in her empty mind. He tried to squash the growing feeling of unease that was threatening to suffocate him.
It hit her suddenly, and it hit her hard. She had just made love to the man she loved. And he had told her he loved her while he was making love to her. Never in her life had she experienced the feelings she was feelin at that very moment. The tears came suddenly, sliding down her cheeks, falling onto his neck. He reached up with one hand and brushed away each tear as it fell. He squeezed his own eyes shut trying to hold in the tears that he felt forming. Tears of fear and happiness at the same time. He prayed that she felt as strongly as he did about what had just happened, and that it would be enough to keep her with him for as long as he needed her. The problem was, he was starting to feel like he might need her for forever. He knew that at that moment he was holding the one woman that he could ever truly love.
"I love you Justin." She said the words and smiled.
His arms tightened around her and she knew. She knew that he loved her. She also knew that he was just as frightened of their relationship as she was, just for different reasons. She knew that things weren't going to be the same from now on, but she also knew that they would be better. Closing her eyes and listening to the sound of his breathing behind her, she reached up and ran her hand over his curls and lips before sighing happily and lowering it to link her fingers with his.
"I love you too babygirl...I love you so much it's killing me." He whispered into her neck. "I've never felt this way about anybody in my entire life."
"Not even Britney?" He groaned in annoyance and pulled her closer to him.
"Don't mention her right now." He pleaded.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I just...we're you thinking about her?"
"Thinking about who?" Megan just looked at him and he understood what she was thinking. He let out an exasperated laugh. "Megan, I can't believe you'd even ask me that."
"Well - "
"No I wasn't." He interrupted. "Do you want to know what I was thinking the whole time? I was thinking about how much I loved you and how much I didn't deserve to be with you at that very moment."
"That's what I was thinking too." Megan said, her voice barely over a whisper. Justin pulled her even closer to him (if that was possible) and kissed her forehead lightly.
"Go to sleep baby...You've had a long night. We both have." He said, stroking her hair.
"I love you Justin."
"I love you too." He said.
She realized right before she fell asleep, that things were going to be different. She wouldn't be able to survive him walking away from her. She also recognized that she wouldn't be able to go anywhere either. Any good-byes would be on his part alone. She didn't have the strength to walk away. She knew that she didn't have the strength to watch him walk away. So she was going to have to fight with everything that she had inside to keep him where he belonged. Right beside her.
