Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 95

We were really into each other and had grown so much in the last few days, but now we had to take a step back. And it was killing me.

The drive to the pool is short, much shorter than it used to feel. Once we get there, I don't want to leave.

"Honey, I'll see you in a few hours," he whispers to me as he parks the car, and I nod, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Go save some lives."

"Thanks for bringing me," I reply in a hushed tone, and he nods. We sit in silence for a moment, both wanting the same thing: a kiss, a hug, something to express how much we care. "Go have a great workout."

"I'm trying to stay in shape for our date in a few weeks," he teases, and I laugh, rolling my eyes. "I know you have high expectations for yourself."

"At the top," I playfully retort, and he chuckles. "Goodbye, see you later." I smile, placing my hand on his arm. He nods and lets me exit the car to walk into the pool. I sigh and try not to dwell on my favorite moments with him for too long. I can't afford to look too far ahead.

Tonight, my shift felt exceptionally long, so I was really looking forward to Kent picking me up.

As soon as I finished my night job, I helped close the pool and joined my coworkers in the parking lot. A smile lit up my face when I spotted Kent's car parked on the edge of the lot, and I hurried over to it.

Upon opening the door, I find Kent sitting in the driver's seat with a textbook in hand. I figure he's probably studying for his upcoming exams. I toss my bag on the floor and hop into my seat.

"Hi," he smiles and closes his book, causing my cheeks to flush.

"Hey," I respond after he puts his book in the backseat.

"How was work?"

"Hot," I shrug, and he laughs. "But those lane swims are so dull and chilly to watch."

"Good, I'm glad," he says, placing his hands on the steering wheel. I wait for him to turn the car around and drive us home. Spending too much time in the car with him would only intensify my desire to be closer. However, he doesn't move. Instead, he remains seated for a moment, lost in thought.

"I'm ready when you are," I tell him. He clears his throat, and I shrug.

"I'm not," he admits softly, immediately drying up my mouth. My stomach feels twisted in knots, and I struggle to keep my heart from racing so strangely.

"Listen, I know this is difficult," I speak softly. He places his hand on mine, and I feel it sliding over mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "But we agreed on this."

"Honey, I remember what we agreed to," he responds. "I just...." He sighs deeply, and I place my other hand on top of the one we're holding. "I can't say what I want to say."

"Try," I implore softly. He clears his throat.

"We had a very...private weekend, Juls. We did a lot of things together, and I care about you. I can't just distance myself like you can. I care so much about you."

"It's not simple," I mutter. "But it's only been one day, and we still get to see each other all the time. Kent, we can do this. We've been doing it for three months, so we can keep it up for a few more weeks. I also don't want to surprise Mark and Kyle with this, because they'll go crazy."

"You're right, I know it," he mumbles. "And what you're saying is true, of course, I just...."

"It really stinks," I finish, and he chuckles.

"Indeed," he whispers, clicking my seatbelt with his other hand, which causes me to furrow my brows.

"Kent."

"We're on our own, Juls. Come here for a brief moment?" He pleads, and I simply nod, which feels too easy. I wrap my arms around him as he pulls me into his lap. He was really scared after that argument. I contemplated many things that night, but I knew we'd navigate it together and emerge stronger for it.

"Tell the guy working in tech to speed things up," I tell him, and he softly chuckles, holding me close to his chest.

"I'll tell him to step on the gas because I can't stand waiting one more second for this," he mumbles.

"I wish you had told me how you felt a long time ago," I say, twiddling with one of the strings on his hoodie.

"I didn't know what to do with my feelings," he says very softly. "I'd never felt that way about someone before, Juls. I wanted to make everything better for you, but I was afraid of how much these feelings would consume my life. Then Carlo added his silly rules to my uncertainty, and I just... let you go."

He sighs, his hand gliding up and down my back as I nod quietly. I knew this was a big step for Kent, and he probably still wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but I was glad he was opening up more.

"I've never met anyone like you," he continues, making my cheeks flush. "Is that a good thing?" I ask, and he laughs.

"That's one of the reasons I like you," he says quietly. "That's why I want you."

I smile, but I can feel his hand brushing against my side, which has become smaller. So much about me had changed, and it made me wonder.

"What do you think?" I start to ask a question but then hesitate, so he moves away. "What do I think?" He looks into my eyes, sending shivers down my body, and his eyebrows furrow.

"Do you think you'd feel this way if I looked the way I did last year?" I mumble, fiddling with my hands in my lap. "Before you answer, you should know I was about 50 pounds heavier and had shorter hair."

"Yeah," he nods, and I purse my lips, not believing him at all. "You get it?" I shake my head when he asks. "Because the things I like most about you are still there. Like your freckles, the way you laugh, the color of your hair, your full lips, and the size of your brown eyes," he says softly, parting my lips.

At his core, Kent wasn't very expressive. He held his emotions inside and often acted wrongly because he couldn't figure out how he felt. But every so often, he got it right, and this was one of those times.

"Baby, it's not just about how you look. It's more about who you are and how you act than how you look," he continues, and I lean in and press my lips to his cheek.

"Sometimes you say the right things," I whisper, and he laughs.

"What do you want to do before we head home? Get some coffee? Grab a bite to eat?" he suggests.

"Okay," I whisper, and he smiles. Before I have time to think, he leans in and kisses me. I smile and kiss him back, happy to be kissing him. We hadn't intended for this to happen. We had been trying to keep our distance after spending so much time together.

If it's this difficult after just one day, I can only imagine how challenging it will be by the time our Christmas exams roll around.