The sun penetrated the windows, sending a splash of multicolored light across my bare shoulder. I lazily traced figure eights on his collar bone, watching the disruption of the dappled sunlight my finger caused. He stirred, back arching, toes curling, and rolled onto his side to squint at my face.
With a wide yawn, he asked, "What time is it?"
I removed my hand from his chest in favor of tickling his five o'clock shadow. The bristles on his jaw sent gentle shock waves through my body. I unconsciously smiled, slow and easy.
"Hmm?" my response was.
He bumped his forehead against mine in an attempt to waken me from my blissful stupor. The time? he thought to me.
Sighing, I rolled over to peer at the clock by his bedside. "Nine-thirty."
"Nine-thirty?! Shit!" He jumped out of bed and scrambled to his dresser for some clothes.
I sat up abruptly. "Why? What's going on?"
"Shit. Shit. Shit," he mumbled while simultaneously hopping around, trying to get a sock on his left foot.
"Jesse?" I questioned again.
He barely heard me and continued whirling around the room like some kind of hyperactive squirrel. "I've gotta get this, and this..."
The bed creaked as I slowly climbed out of it, softly placing one foot on the ground after the other. I pushed myself up, wobbled slightly, had a mini heart attack, and then breathed a sigh of relief when I was sure my legs wouldn't fail on me.
Sweat beaded around the edge of my scalp and a wave of anger and self-loathing washed over me. Why was I so fucking weak? I must have said something out loud in the midst of my struggle to stand, for Jesse was suddenly gripping my shoulders.
"You shouldn't strain your body so much," Jesse chastised me tenderly.
"I wouldn't say I'm straining myself too much, compared to last night," I joked with a smirk.
Jesse didn't smile back. Clearly, this wasn't a joking matter. "Damn it. I knew we shouldn't have done that last night."
I cupped my hands around his cheeks and gave him my most intense look. "I wanted to."
His gaze slid sideways in an attempt to avoid my eye-piercing technique. "But...your body can't handle too much pressure. I shouldn't have...I was careless. I'm sorry."
With a wide yawn, he asked, "What time is it?"
I removed my hand from his chest in favor of tickling his five o'clock shadow. The bristles on his jaw sent gentle shock waves through my body. I unconsciously smiled, slow and easy.
"Hmm?" my response was.
He bumped his forehead against mine in an attempt to waken me from my blissful stupor. The time? he thought to me.
Sighing, I rolled over to peer at the clock by his bedside. "Nine-thirty."
"Nine-thirty?! Shit!" He jumped out of bed and scrambled to his dresser for some clothes.
I sat up abruptly. "Why? What's going on?"
"Shit. Shit. Shit," he mumbled while simultaneously hopping around, trying to get a sock on his left foot.
"Jesse?" I questioned again.
He barely heard me and continued whirling around the room like some kind of hyperactive squirrel. "I've gotta get this, and this..."
The bed creaked as I slowly climbed out of it, softly placing one foot on the ground after the other. I pushed myself up, wobbled slightly, had a mini heart attack, and then breathed a sigh of relief when I was sure my legs wouldn't fail on me.
Sweat beaded around the edge of my scalp and a wave of anger and self-loathing washed over me. Why was I so fucking weak? I must have said something out loud in the midst of my struggle to stand, for Jesse was suddenly gripping my shoulders.
"You shouldn't strain your body so much," Jesse chastised me tenderly.
"I wouldn't say I'm straining myself too much, compared to last night," I joked with a smirk.
Jesse didn't smile back. Clearly, this wasn't a joking matter. "Damn it. I knew we shouldn't have done that last night."
I cupped my hands around his cheeks and gave him my most intense look. "I wanted to."
His gaze slid sideways in an attempt to avoid my eye-piercing technique. "But...your body can't handle too much pressure. I shouldn't have...I was careless. I'm sorry."
