Marathons and Parking Garages

your love is a verb

It started, innocently enough, with a day spent watching a Supernatural marathon. It was one of those randomly chosen days when a network decides to air every episode of a given show, and today, they’d chosen Supernatural.

Coincidentally, that day also happened to be one of the rare, blue moon days in which Kandi and Logan’s schedules actually coincided, leaving them both free to spend the day together however they saw fit. Instead of going out for lunch or packing up for a daytrip to the beach, they decided to lounge around his apartment, sprawled along the length of the couch. An afternoon’s worth of comfort food spread out across the coffee table, just within their reach.

“I can’t believe you’ve never watched this show,” Kandi laughed, grabbing the triangular half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the table. “It’s really good.”

She could see the dimples emerge from his cheeks as he grinned. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

Though she would’ve loved to have spent the day with her toes in the sand and the salt air tousling her hair into beachy waves, the heat radiating from Logan’s body felt just as perfect.

A couple seasons in, and Kandi found herself staring up at the ceiling, watching the blades of the fan whip around as stuttered giggles spilled from her lips.

“What is it?” he asked as he gave the loose strands from her messy bun a playful tug.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied, the remnants of a smirk still imprinted on her lips. She knew he wouldn’t drop it, not with how flushed her cheeks felt.

“Come on, K. What’s so funny?” His finger trailed along her side, eliciting even more giggles.

“Right now? You’re tickling me.”

His expression fell; his brown eyes narrowed in on her, an espresso eyebrow raised slightly.

“Oh okay.” The breath gushed from her lungs. “It’s just…” her eyes met his for a moment before darting nervously away. She’d never felt awkward about this sort of thing before. This whole relationship-boyfriend thing was throwing her for a loop. “I think you would look really hot all badass like Dean Winchester.”

Logan let out an exaggerated scoff as he propped his head up on his arm. “Uh, I’m already plenty badass. Winchester’s got nothing on this.” His fingers tugged at the collar of his t-shirt before letting the material fall back into place.

“Yeah right.” Another set of brown eyes rolled in their sockets. “When you fight off some demons, go to hell, then come back, you’ll know what badass really is.”

Logan mimicked her expression before sinking back into the couch cushion, and the two spent the rest of the afternoon sprawled across the couch, watching television and binging out on junk food.

The following day was a little more interesting.

Around six in the evening, Kandi was lounging on the couch, thumbing through a magazine she’d gotten in the mail. Brown eyes glazed through pages clothes that she would lust over but would never be able to afford.

She heard the key turn in the lock before the door suddenly slammed open. Logan stood in the doorway, a reckless confidence glistening through his familiar features. His jaw was set, and as he strolled closer, she noticed that his jawline was marked with stubbly dark hairs, the closest he could muster to a five o’clock shadow. He narrowed his coffee-ground eyes at her as he leaned over the back of the couch, a single dark eyebrow cocked suggestively as his own smirk adorned his lips.

An artistically-worn leather jacket hung over his frame, the soft white cotton of one of his many v-necked tee-shirts peeking out from beneath the heavy material.

With the way he had swaggered over to her, it took all that she had not to laugh.

It wasn’t like Logan was awkward in his day-to-day life, because he was anything but. She just wasn’t accustomed to the devil-may-care attitude that he had chosen to feign for the day; Logan’s confidence was more swag-based than rebellion. But she couldn’t say that she had any complaints.

She was right; he did look hot as a badass.

The urgency in his posture returned as soon as her eyes met his, his stare scanning the room for any possible threat.

“Hate to put a damper on your evening, honey, but I’ve gotta get you out of this apartment.” His words weren’t exactly in-character, but they rolled off of his tongue like molasses, the remnants of the southern drawl he’d spent years in acting classes trying to hide pulling at every vowel.

Kandi was a sucker for his southern accent.

It was obvious that he hadn’t formulated a clear backstory, or any storyline, for that matter. After all, he was an actor, not a screenwriter, but she did appreciate the effort.

For a quick instance, her expression mirrored his exaggerated anxiety, but the moment was lost as soon as her phone vibrated loudly against the coffee table.

A brief glance confirmed that it was her roommate, probably checking in on her since she hadn’t dropped by the apartment in a couple days. Kandi flicked her thumb along the screen to unlock it, revealing a simple text that read “are you staying at the guys’ tonight?”.

Before she had a chance to reply, Logan snatched the phone from her grasp, and she could see in his eyes that he was toying with the notion of chucking it across the room. He decided against it, instead thrusting it into the back pocket of his jeans.

“In my line of work, you can’t trust anyone,” he muttered as though it was a worthy explanation. “That friend of yours could be possessed for all we know.”

Kandi had to stare at her chipped nail polish job in order to keep herself from automatically rolling her eyes.

Just go with it.

She rose to her feet, her gaze trained on him expectantly, and he gripped her arm in response, pulling her towards the door so quickly that she almost stumbled over her own feet trying to keep up with his pace.

Their footfalls echoed through the cramped stairwell, she in her yoga pants and tank top and he in his new Winchester costume. It was the unexpected rush that sent chills down her spine and kept her clinging to the sleeve of his jacket, anxious to find out what exactly he had in mind.

They made their way into the small lobby, pass rows of gold-toned P.O. boxes and through the steel-framed glass doors, out onto the sidewalk. The sun was just beginning to make its way behind the towering buildings around them, leaving the sky an array of lavender and creamsicle orange.

People strolled past them on the street as Logan led her down the block. His expression never broke from its set defiance, brows furrowed as he stared at the stretch of pavement ahead. He didn’t slow down until they reached the entrance of the parking garage two blocks down. Though it wasn’t quite dark yet, the fluorescent lights overhead still flickered on, giving the gray urban landscape an icy blue glow. Logan’s biker boots scuffed against the concrete as his chocolate eyes scanned the rows of vehicles for his own: a stealthy black Range Rover parked in the corner of the first level.

His hand instinctively reached into the pocket of his jacket, fishing out his car keys before his thumb pressed into the unlock button, eliciting a shift honk from the hulking SUV.

“Where are we going?” Kandi asked, looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes, trying her best to muster up the airs of a damsel-in-distress.

This may have been Logan’s chosen profession, but she wasn’t exactly a novice at the performing arts herself.

“You’ll see,” he replied as he pulled the back door open, the sleek paint shimmering in the light. His gaze seemed to smolder in the lowlights, the warm glow from the car’s interior illuminating the faint freckles across the bridge of his nose. For a moment, his exterior broke down, a lopsided grin bringing out his dimples just before he gnawed at his lower lip. His eyes locked on the toes of his boots as he motioned her inside.

Though it was obnoxiously bulky, there was something about Logan’s car that felt homey to Kandi as her eyes did a once-over of her new surroundings. So many summer nights spent cruising the streets of LA, blasting music from the speakers that made her heart skip a beat every time the bass knocked. Pulling into the drive-thru at Taco Bell because it was one of the few cheap places that stayed open late, grabbing their usual order of cruchwrap supremes and the biggest Mountain Dew on the menu. It was the summer when every radio station played Taylor Swift’s “Our Song” so often that it wasn’t long before they knew every single word and had broken down to shouting the lyrics out with the tinted windows rolled all the way down, the wind tangling her mess of brunette waves.

Her fond memories were interrupted as she watched her boyfriend slid into the backseat beside her, his gaze focused on the windshield, the wall of cement in front of them.

The second hardest part about sex in a car is getting your clothes off.

There was a moment somewhere in between when Logan was struggling with his belt and Kandi was trying to kick off her pants when the roles faded away, if only for that instant. She was still the girl that had full-length commentary whenever they went to the movies, and he was still the boy that beatboxed to himself while microwaving Easy Mac. There was beauty in the awkwardness, reassurance in the fact that they weren’t perfect little sex fiends.

Logan shifted back into his role with ease, his hands clamped around her upper arms like vise-grips as her toes left prints across the opposite window. She was preoccupied, trying to soak in this uncovered side of him. Her eyes washed along the planes of his body, everything displayed in a new light despite how his bare skin felt so familiar against hers.

Though his SUV was anything but small, there still wasn’t adequate space in the backseat, each movement cramped as they tried to position themselves in the most comfortable way along the beige interior, leather clinging to damp skin with each shift.

His lips crashed into hers with more force than she was used to, and her own parted almost instantly, allowing the tip of his tongue to rake along the roof of her mouth. For once, she didn’t try to rob him of control, blinded the raw passion of his every movement. Her fingers ran through his hair, short nails digging into his scalp as he deepened the kiss, building more tension in her muscles as she tried to grab hold of him. The new sensation of his stubble against her chin was just the right amount of pain and foreignness.

He broke away unexpectedly, leaving her craving more as his lips drifted down to her neck, sucking hard so hard at the delicate skin above her pulse that she knew she’d be branded with bruises the next morning. She couldn’t get frustrated with him because it felt so good, having him at his roughest. She’d always suspected that he was holding back on her. Soon the sharp bites and drags settled along her collarbone, accompanied by the contrasting subtlety of his thumb circling her breast.

She was still playing in his hair, twirling the longer locks around her middle finger as the tug from his lips grew softer, traversed the stretch of skin down the middle of her chest. The flutter of his thick eyelashes left butterfly kisses in its wake as his grip moved from her arms to her waist. Lingering just below her navel was the now-soft pressure of his lips, his lower lip slowly dragging upwards against her skin.

With her eyes closed, it proved difficult for her to keep her body steady as she felt the warmth of his breath slid further downward from her bellybutton, and her thighs quivered as his tongue flicked along the crease of her pelvis. His lips tugged at the thin skin stretched across her hipbone, his brown eyes gazing upward at her, still smirking at her even though his lips were busy.

His smugness got under her skin, but at that moment, she didn’t really care. She’d let him win if only he would quit teasing her, but it was all a necessary part of the game.

He pulled himself back up to face her, and she rose up to kiss him, her teeth nibbling at his bottom lip before easing her tongue into his mouth, mimicking the movements he’d practiced on her but adding her own twist. Her kiss wasn’t as rough and raw, more slow-burning and lingering, her hands gripping his chest as he hovered above her.

She became so lost in her own moves that she almost didn’t notice one of his hands glide along the length of her stomach, slowing to a stop between her thighs. His tongue didn’t slow as his fingers trailed below, though as the friction and speed increased, Kandi’s mouth could only gape open while his tongue moved in sync with his hands until she became nothing but putty beneath him. Her hips rocked against his palm, her mouth formed a string of consonants in his, but his rhythm didn’t slow.

Eventually, Logan readjusted himself, shifting his weight from his palms to his forearms, his lips still melting into hers. His hips cradled against hers as he tried to build his rhythm back up, starting slowly at first, letting himself slide against her because he knew that was what drove her insane, and she voiced it, moaning muffled vowels in his mouth. Her hands were gripping at his shoulders, his back, his ass, any stretch of skin that she could sink her coral-colored nails into as her hips thrashed against his. His movements were more controlled, more steady, and after awhile, hers slowed to meet his pace, though she still met each of his thrusts with more force, her body begging him for more, forming the words that her lips couldn’t.

It wasn’t long before he obliged, letting the tip of his erection settle at her base, a silent warning as her nails dug deeper into his flesh to prepare herself. She repositioned her legs around his waist, her knees rubbing into his sides as he gave that first real thrust. Kandi swore in his mouth, Logan groaned in hers. As he thrust faster, each motion a little rougher and jerkier than the previous, his lips wandered from hers, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water as he struggled for air.

Sweat began to pool in the small space between their bodies, and Logan began to lose his rhythm as she tightened around him. Between labored breaths, he could her her speak, but he couldn’t quite make out the words until they were raspy in his ear.

“Lean back,” she whispered, giving his shoulder a slight nudge.

His back pressed against the opposite door, the curve of the console a little painful, but his body was too flooded with endorphins to care. His damp, matted hair left smudges against the window as he let his head tilt back. He let his eyes fall closed as she climbed on top of him, her finger running along the underside of his cock before lowering herself down on him. It was instant warmth, he could feel her convulse around him in waves as her hands gripped his shoulders for leverage. Her hips bucked up and down along the length of his cock, faster and harder with each push. He didn’t have to tell her to fuck faster or take him deeper, she could tell from the way that his fingers raked along her ribcage, the way he’d lost the ability to form coherent words, just a rambling of vowels in lazy Texan drawl.

His hands clasped the back of her thighs, his fingers trailing along the soft flesh before inching upwards to grip her ass, to push her hips down harder against his as he felt himself reach the edge.

Even though he wasn’t supposed to be himself, he didn’t have to tell her to call his name when she came, her own southern drawl dragging out the last vowel for what felt like forever. Logan could feel his lips moving, hear his own voice uttering the lord’s name in vain alongside hers, but he didn’t feel like he was saying anything. The next minute, his abs were trembling as he came, every muscle in his body clenching then releasing as she rode him through it, her hips rotating around his dick as the air gushed from his lungs in one last rush.

Kandi collapsed onto him, her face buried in his shoulder as he ran his fingers through her tousled hair and down her back, eventually clasping her tighter against him as the car became filled with their slowed breathing. Neither of them really felt like moving, and he could feel her chin nestle into his chest, the tip of her nose brushing against his neck in a half-hearted Eskimo kiss.

The hardest thing about having sex in a car is getting your clothes back on, and it wasn’t long before the two stretched out uncomfortably along the length of the backseat, drifting to sleep in each other’s arms.

Fusion

merging to a unified whole

Tonight was the night.

Syrupy brown eyes glanced over the series of slashed-out boxes that marked up the calendar on his desk. The tip of the blue ink pen hovered over the twenty-fifth as Logan contemplated whether he should cross the circled date out, but in the end, his indecisiveness won out, letting the pen loose from his grip as he stood up and surveyed his bedroom. Anxiety coursed through the teenager’s veins, and though he was used to being nervous, this time his nerves were on an entirely higher plane.

His gaze darted downward to the outfit he’d already picked out, a black sports jacket, crisp white button-down, and a pair of dark-washed jeans laid out across his navy blue comforter. To be fair, he’d gotten a little help from his friend James, the most stylish out of the group. Though Logan considered himself to be pretty intelligent, he had to admit that he was completely clueless when it came to fashion. He was able to get by with his collection of cardigans and jeans, but he felt like tonight called for something a little extra.

It was his and his girlfriend’s one-year anniversary, and they’d been planning this date for weeks. They had plans to have dinner at this really nice hotel restaurant, and through quite a bit of scheming and pooling their savings, they’d managed to book a room for the night. Logan had never been the best at lying. It was easy to see straight through his poker face, so Kendall had made up some story to tell his mom about the two of them going to some overnight science convention, and since she had no reason to suspect anything, she bought it.

But even though everything seemed to be in place, Logan still couldn’t ease the knots out of his stomach. He and Kandi had been talking about taking their relationship to the next level, and though he couldn’t imagine losing his virginity to anyone else, he was still terrified of the unknown, scared that he’d be changed somehow. All this pressure and worry weighed him down, all these unanswered questions of insecurity floating around in his thoughts. What if he did something wrong? What if he didn’t live up to her expectations? What if it just became too awkward between them to actually go through with it? Being Logan, he was the type of person to make an already awkward situation even more awkward.

He was desperate not to screw this up, and though he felt a little weird discussing something so personal with his friends, he knew he needed a little advice, or at least a pep talk to calm his nerves. So he went to the only person he knew that had expertise in the matter of sex.

James was leaning against the kitchen counter, raking a hand through his shaggy chocolate-colored locks as he watched a carton of leftover Chinese from the night before rotate in the microwave.

Logan eased over beside him, casually grabbing a bottle of lemon-lime Powerade from the refrigerator.

Luckily, James wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“So I hear you’ve got a big date tonight,” he said, a smirk adorning his sunkissed features.

The shorter boy nodded as he held the plastic lip of the bottle to his lips, slowly taking a sip.

“Are you excited?”

Another nod.

“Well, you look petrified,” James laughed as his eyes strayed from his lunch to look over his friend.

Logan immediately diverted his stare, choosing instead to focus on the white linoleum beneath his bare feet. “I’m not petrified,” he replied with a slight roll of his brown eyes. “I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.”

“Why? You don’t have any reason to be. I mean, you did remember to get her a gift, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Logan quickly responded, thinking back to the silver necklace in the tiny velvet box on his dresser. “It’s just…” He sighed, trying to disguise the waver in his voice. “We were going to do it tonight, and I’m…I’m scared I’ll do something wrong.” The words tumbled from his lips in a rush.

A suggestive glimmer set James’s hazel eyes ablaze, and a cocky grin tugged the corners of his lips upward.

“Dude, there’s no need to be so uptight about it. It’s just sex.” The words flowed so effortlessly from the more experienced boy’s lips. His expression was so nonchalant, as if it was nothing, but Logan could detect the excitement seeping through his voice. “I mean, it’s a natural thing. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for sex.”

Though he knew it was true, Logan couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of his parents in bed.

James winced as well. “Okay, so that probably wasn’t the best advice, but you know what I mean. It’s not really as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be.”

But it was as big deal to Logan because, once it was done, he couldn’t go back. There was a permanence to the action that he was unable to get over, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.

“I just really want everything to be perfect. I don’t want to be…awful,” he sputtered as he pretended to inspect the nutritional information on the label of his drink.

James took a deep breath, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Nothing in life is ever perfect.” A dramatic exhale escaped his lips. “Okay, I’m going to go all romantic comedy on you.”

Logan couldn’t help but chuckle slightly to himself as he gauged the other boy’s expression.

“As long as you love her and you’re doing it for the right reasons, it’ll be great. I mean, sometimes I wish I would’ve waited a little longer, ya know, done it with a girl I actually cared about. Maybe it would’ve been better.”

For once, Logan saw a crack in James’s confident exterior, and he knew his friend was speaking the truth.

His gaze locked on the other boy’s before he spoke. “Thanks.”

As Logan turned to walk away, feeling a little more at ease, he heard James’s voice call out from behind him.

“You better tell me everything tomorrow!”

Logan slowly shook his head, a grin softening his features as he ducked into their shared bedroom.

Later that afternoon, after he had brushed his teeth, changed clothes, and ran a bit of gel through his short, espresso locks, Logan found himself staring into the full-length mirror hung on the back of the closet door. He was examining himself, trying his best to get his face to form an expression somewhat resembling sexiness, but it was all in vain. His eyes widened too much, making him look bug-eyed, or his lips would purse too much, giving him the appearance of a duck. No matter how many times he stared at his reflection, he couldn’t get his eyes to smolder like every attractive guy in every film he’d ever seen. Every time he tried to cock his eyebrow suggestively like James, it made him look more confused than hot and bothered. He knew in his heart that he should just try to be himself, but this wasn’t like anything that he had ever done, so he had no idea how to react. At least he looked nice, he thought to himself as he appraised his outfit once more. Like a more sophisticated, more mature version of himself, and that helped slightly to ease away his worried thoughts.

His eyes glanced back to the digital clock on the nightstand; he only had a few minutes before he was supposed to meet Kandi downstairs in the lobby. He took one final glance in the mirror, silently taking inventory of himself one last time before grabbing the tiny box off of the dresser, tucking it safely away in the pocket of his jacket before leaving the room.

“So how do I look?” he shakily asked James, who was lounging on the couch watching MTV.

His hazel eyes tore themselves away from the screen long enough to get a look at his nervous friend.

“I gotta admit you look pretty sharp.”

“Thanks,” Logan replied. He could feel a faint smile forming across his lips.

“Good luck with your date,” James said, his voice brimming with innuendo.

“Thanks again,” he said as he grabbed the bouquet of red roses he’d purchased the day before from their vase on the kitchen table.

And with that, Logan was out the door. Fortunately, Kendall’s mom was out running errands with his little sister, so she hadn’t seen the way he was dressed. She would’ve immediately known something was up. He wasn’t exactly in typical science convention garb.

As he exited the elevator into the lobby, his eyes scanned the room for any sight of his girlfriend, but she hadn’t come down yet. Logan snagged a chair by the front desk so that she’d be able to spot him easily when she made it to the lobby. He was anxiously excited to see how she looked, curious to see if she sported the same nervous expression as he had to have been wearing at that moment.

He glanced over the different faces that surrounded him, feeling like all of the other teens eyes were on him, like they somehow knew what he was about to do. It was all incredibly nerve-wracking for him, and he couldn’t keep himself from shifting in his seat as the anxiety reared its ugly head again.

But as soon as he saw her through the cracks of the sliding steel doors, all of his nerves seemed to unravel, and he began to feel like himself again. There was no trace of fear in her coffee-colored eyes as they locked onto his. Her posture remained steady and natural; her movements weren’t rushed as she walked over to meet him. And she looked absolutely gorgeous.

The silky skirt of her yellow dress flowed over her hips, the hem gently swaying at her knees as she walked confidently towards him in a pair of strappy silver heels. When she approached him, his arms automatically wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into a brief embrace.

“Hey,” she said softly as a hand strayed towards the hair hanging over her shoulders. Her usual mess of tousled chestnut waves had been styled into loose curls that cascaded over her chest. Her sideswept bangs had been pulled up into a small bump at the top of her head.

“Hey, how has your day been?” he asked as casually as his voice would allow, his eyes still trying to soak every inch of her in.

“Um, it’s been pretty good,” she replied, her voice still unusually soft as she gazed up at him from beneath her lashes. “How about you?”

His eyes darted upwards towards the ceiling as he nodded slowly. “Pretty good, pretty good.” His stare shifted past her and onto the table where the roses laid. “Oh yeah, I got you these.” He smiled as he handed over the flowers.

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked them over, her fingers brushing over the petals carefully. “You didn’t have to go through all this,” she laughed slightly, but he could tell in her smile that she appreciated the gesture.

He should’ve gotten her the yellow roses, he thought to himself as soon as he noticed the stark contrast between the color of the flowers and the color of her dress. But he remembered from his mother’s days as an amateur florist that each color had a meaning, and that yellow roses meant friendship while red roses meant love. Though he doubted that Kandi knew that useless bit of information, he still didn’t want her to think he just wanted to be her friend. They’d definitely moved past that stage.

“I wanted to,” he insisted as he wove his fingers through hers. “So are you ready to go eat?”

“Yes, I’m starving,” she admitted as they walked through the glass French doors and out into the night.

Logan’s eyes scanned the parking lot for the dusty rose-colored convertible that he shared with his other three roommates, and he eventually spotted its hood near the far side of the lot.

“Sorry you have to walk this far,” he apologized. “I can pull the car around, if you’d like.”

She laughed, and he could feel her begin to ease back into her usual self. “No, it’s fine. I’m not opposed to exercise.”

They made their way across the stretch of pavement, still hand in hand, the night air cool and crisp against their skin.

When they reached the car, Logan didn’t hesitate to pull open the door for her, waiting until she got settled in the seat before he let it close. She offered him a “thanks” as she smiled up at him once more.

As he got situated in the driver’s seat, reaching for his car keys in his pocket, he watched her from the corner of his eye as she leaned back into the seat, casually crossing her legs at the knee. Turning the key in the ignition, the car roared to a start, the space suddenly flooding with music from the radio. Of course, Carlos had been bumping again. He was the last of the guys to use the car.

But Kandi didn’t seem to mind, a broad smile spreading across her pink lips as she nodded her head along with the beat. It made him feel good to see that she wasn’t having any doubts or second thoughts about the night, which helped him to loosen up a bit as well. It wasn’t long before they were both singing along with the catchy pop tune as he navigated the streets of downtown Los Angeles.

The hotel wasn’t too hard to find. Logan had already drove there a couple times previously, just to make sure he could make it there without getting lost.

The restaurant was dark, soft light radiating from flickering flames ensconced in glass candleholders in the center of each small, circular table. Wall sconces adorned each of the four walls, casting a warm glow over the room. Other couples occupied the tables around them.

Logan gave the hostess his last name, and young woman found his reservation with ease, quickly leading them to a table at the edge of the room. Soon after they settled into their seats, a waiter was at their table to take their drink order.

“I’ll have water,” Kandi replied, flashing the waiter her warm smile.

“I’ll have the same,” Logan said, nodding gratefully at the man as he opened his menu.

The waiter seemed to vanish into the darkness.

Neither of them really spoke, both pairs of brown eyes glued to the leather-bound menus in front of them. Logan eyes scanned over the unfamiliar entrees, carefully reading the little caption beneath each item. Everything just seemed so fancy and new, and all he wanted was for at least one thing about this night to not be an unknown.

Though he generally preferred chicken, he decided to go with the steak. Steak just seemed like the manlier choice for some reason.

When the waiter returned with their drinks, Logan ordered a sirloin, while Kandi ordered the grilled chicken breast, both of them trying to stay in their comfort zones for dinner.

After they were left on their own once more, awkward silence began to overtake the space between them.

Kandi held her glass of water to her lips, slowly taking a sip as her eyes shifted over to meet his.

“This place is so nice, it’s a little intimidating,” she said quietly as her eyes moved around the room.

“I know. I feel like we’re too young to be here or something.”

She nodded slowly, still observing the people around them. “You look really nice, by the way,” she added, a little reluctant to meet his stare. Her own confident front was beginning to crumble.

“Thanks. James helped me with the clothes, but I still don’t look as good as you.” He was silently swearing at himself for not complimenting her the first moment he’d seen her.

“I try, I try,” Kandi teased as she swiped the condensation from the side of her glass.

As he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his knuckles brushed against the velvet jewelry box.

“Uh, I got you this,” he stumbled over the words as his hand removed the tiny box from his pocket, awkwardly pushing it across the white tablecloth.

“I got you something too,” she smiled in return as she picked her small silver clutch up from beneath her chair. She placed a small rectangular box wrapped in red paper on the stretch of table in front of her before handing it over to him.

Both of them opened their presents at the same time, looking over at their significant other when they finished to gauge their reaction.

Logan held the pair of tickets closer to the candlelight so that he could read them; she’d bought him two tickets to a local hockey game scheduled in two weeks.

Her smile mirrored his for a moment. “I thought you might like to go with one of the guys. I know how much you guys miss hockey out here, and I was a little surprised to find that Los Angeles actually has a pro-hockey team to begin with, so I’d figured it’d be something you’d like. Give you a chance to squeeze some guy time in as well.”

Logan laughed to himself as he tucked the tickets back into the box. “Trust me, K, I get enough guy time. You’re more than welcome to be my date if you want, you did get me the tickets and everything.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’d be much fun to go with. I’d have no clue what was going on,” she admitted.

He watched as her fingers held one of the three yellow stones that made up the necklace’s drop pendant.

“This is really pretty. I think you have better taste than you think,” she laughed, raising an eyebrow. “Plus it matches my dress,” she added, holding the pendant against the yellow fabric.

It didn’t take long for her to unwrap the necklace from its backing, pulling her hair to the side as she fastened the delicate chain around her neck. The three stones rested perfectly along her sternum, glistening against the fair stretch of skin in between the v-neck of her dress.

“Thanks,” she said before taking another sip of water. “Happy anniversary.”

“Happy anniversary,” he returned with a smile, causing his dimples to dig deeper into his cheeks. “It really doesn’t feel like it’s been a year already.”

“Really? It seems like we’ve been together forever to me, like I’ve known you all my life or something, as incredibly cheesy as that sounds.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Shortly after, their waiter returned with their dinner, and the two dug in. Kandi sawed and stabbed at her chicken breast with her cutlery, growing frustrated with the meat. Meanwhile Logan attempted to tear apart his steak with as much etiquette as possible. Throughout the remainder of the dinner, they made small talk about mutual friends and how outrageously hot the city had been for the past week or so. No awkward silences crept into the meal, and they began to feel comfortable around each other again, despite the pressure of these circumstances.

As soon as they reached the hotel room upstairs, Kandi kicked off her heels, letting them skid across the carpet with a soft thud. He watched her toes sink into the carpet as she took a moment to explore the room, and he sat down on the bed, carefully removing his leather loafers. His chocolate stare trailed her body as she peeked into the bathroom.

“Wow, this bathtub is humongous,” she remarked, looking back to flash him an excited smile.

His black dress socks suddenly became hot and itchy to his feet, and Logan quickly yanked them off as his girlfriend strolled into the bathroom. He caught her examining her reflection in the mirror for a moment before she returned to the main room, flipping on the radio as she passed through.

Logan stood up to meet her in the center of the room, a little surprised by the way her arms snaked so easily around his neck. Her hips swayed gently in time with the slow John Mayer song drifting from the speakers.

“Do you remember our first prom?” she asked, looking up at him as she nestled her head against his shoulder.

“Mhm,” he mumbled as he rested his hands along the curve of her hips. They’d gone to prom together before they’d started dating, and he could remember vividly dancing with her just like this in one of the Palm Woods’s banquet halls beneath a ceiling filled with sparkling silver cardboard stars.

That was back when just having her body pressed up this closely against his own was enough to send his hormones spiraling into a frenzy. The effect was only diluted slightly now, after a year of dating, but at least he could manage to think clearly as he slow-danced with her.

“I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was in love with you,” she murmured against his neck. The honeysuckle scent of her perfume wafted into his nostrils as he buried his face into her hair.

“A part of me always knew. You know I’m not the type to put myself out there for no reason,” he laughed.

“That is true,” she confessed as she looked up at him, a coy smile playing across her lips.

With a sigh, all of the tension and stress that had built up in Logan’s body over the course of the day seemed to drift away. James was right; this was right. He couldn’t see either of them backing down.

“I love you, Kandi,” he stated suddenly. Though he’d said the words countless times, they had a slightly different meaning to them now as he stood there, staring into her deep brown eyes. “I know people say that a lot without really meaning it, but I honestly do love you. I couldn’t really see myself being with anyone else.”

She smiled to herself, the blood rushing to her cheeks in a soft flush as her eyes diverted from his. “I know you do, Logan. I can see it in your eyes. Do you think I’d waste my time with you if I thought for a second that you didn’t care about me?”

He laughed. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“And you know I love you just as much, maybe even more,” she teased as her fingers traced the line of buttons down his shirt.

“I wouldn’t say more…” he joked as his hand gently brushed a curl away from her face.

Her lips pressed against his with enough pressure to cause that frenzy in his head, but not so much that it felt greedy or lustful. It was more of a passionate, slow burning kiss that lingered along his lips, giving him a tingling sensation from the inside-out.

His tongue washed along her lower lip, and she didn’t hesitate in allowing her lips to part. It was easy for Logan to allow himself to explore the familiar recesses of her mouth, letting his tongue roll against the roof of her mouth as she kissed him back with more desperation in her movements. Her lips never left his as she guided him towards the bed, regretfully breaking away to collapse into the mound of white goose-down pillows at the bed’s headboard.

Her lips pursed in a sexy smirk as she watched him shrug off his jacket, a black blob of cloth sticking out amongst a sea of white sheets. Logan quickly returned to her, leaning over her as his lips collided with hers once more. It wasn’t long before he broke away, his lips wandering to the soft skin along her neck. As he brushed her hair off of her neck, she could feel the tickling sensation being replaced by the flutter of his eyelashes against her skin. The butterfly kisses were a nice accompaniment to the soft pressure of his lips.

As he worked his way downwards, the kisses grew more forceful. His tongue washed over the thin layer of skin above her pulse just before his lips dragged at the stretch of skin, causing her to shudder at the sensation. Logan’s lips left a trail of flushed skin in their wake as he made his way to her collarbone. Her fingers dug into his scalp, gently tugging at tufts of his hair as he sucked at the skin along her chest in an attempt to mimic the feeling, the slight pain that was enough to edge anyone on further.

As his lips pulled at the soft patch of skin between her breasts, his hand wandered down in between their bodies, inconspicuously feeling for the hem of her dress. He leaned up to kiss her lips again as his thumb brushed across the distinct line of stitching, tugging the material up softly. His hand began to rub along the inside of her thigh in long, smooth strokes, inching upward as the kiss deepened. Her lips parted limply against his for a moment, silently encouraging him to venture further, so he did. He could feel the heat radiating from between her thighs, and he couldn’t help but become even more turned on. Logan could feel himself twitch slightly in his jeans as his fingers traced along the lacey trim of her underwear, causing her hips to shift softly as she fought the urge to buck against him. Giving the soft flesh of her thigh a quick squeeze, his hand easily slipped beneath the fabric, gently brushing against her as his lips met hers with sudden force. He could feel her moan into the kiss, the warm gush of air washing into his mouth in a sudden wave.

His fingers lingered along her skin before he began to provide more friction with his palm, rubbing her harshly as she began to become nothing more than putty beneath him.

Both of her lips enveloped his lower lip, gently tugging at it before her teeth sunk slowly into the soft flesh, the sharp sensation causing him to stiffen even more. As the pace of his strokes increased, the skin beneath his palm grew slicker, and each movement of his fingers began to cause a more intense reaction from his girlfriend.

Their lips broke away from each other, his attention more focused on pleasing her than bothering to keep up with the kiss.

“Oh God Logan, please don’t stop,” she purred softly as her back arched up off the mattress.

He wanted to take it further, to provoke an even stronger reaction from her, relishing the fact that he had this sort of power over her. But as her breath began to hitch in her throat, her southern accent drawing out the vowels in his name as she tightened around him, he could feel himself giving in, each of her reactions driving his own arousal even further as he felt himself begin to throb and twitch uncontrollably in his pants.

As soon as she was left gasping for air, he leaned up to kiss her again, this time more softly as he let her come down.

It wasn’t long before her eyes slowly fluttered back open, her lips brushing softly against his as her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, jerking the hem loose from the waistband of his jeans. Logan eased the fabric down his arms, balling it up and tossing it off the edge of the bed. Her hand ran along the pale planes of his chest, her fingertips gently caressing his stomach before they tugged at the waistband of his pants. Her thumb ran along the skin underneath, her hand creeping down to playfully tug at the elastic of his boxers before she undid his jeans.

Logan quickly wriggled free of the denim, immediately enjoying the feeling of cooler air against the newly exposed skin.

As his lips pressed against her shoulder, his fingers slowly edged the silky yellow strap of her dress down, all while trying to steady his breathing as her fingers crept along the inseam of his boxers.

He lost all his control once her hand meandered through the slit in the cotton, firmly gripping his cock and causing his voice to catch in the back of his throat. All it took was one good touch to get him to yank off his boxers, discarding them against the footboard of the bed.

It wasn’t really that big of a deal for him to be naked in front of her; they’d already done their fair share of fooling around. But somehow, this felt different. He felt more exposed. Though the voice in the back of his head was a bit insecure, the drive to get off was overwhelming strong, and Kandi didn’t seem too fazed by his naked body.

His lips fumbled against hers desperately, his hand feeling for the zipper at the back of her dress, but she was a step ahead of him, slowly gliding the canary-colored silk over her skin.

Logan fell over on his back onto the stretch of mattress beside her. His eyes silently begged her to straddle him, his pupils blown wide with lust, and she obliged.

Her knees dug into the mattress as she maneuvered herself over him. He stared at her in awe as she began to shed her blush-toned underwear, the hue only a bit more rosy than the shade of her skin. Saving him the awkwardness, her hand effortlessly unhooking her strapless bra in one fluid motion before tossing the discarded fabric off the bed.

As she stretched out above him, his hands crept up her ribcage.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked for his own conscience’s sake, though he could sense that she was just as enthralled as he was.

“Mhm,” she murmured. “And you?”

Logan could only nod his response as his hands reached up to cup her breasts, loving the way that the flesh gave in to the slightest pressure of his touch. His lower lip dragged down her chest, eventually grazing her nipple before his lips enveloped the stretch of skin, the lightest pull causing her to moan uncontrollably.

His brown eyes gazed up at her longingly as his tongue flicked against her skin, watching her as she struggled to contain herself, her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip in an effort to calm her own reactions.

As his lips pulled away from her breast, his fingers lingered along the waistline of her panties, stroking the skin underneath as he began to ease the fabric down her hips.

When the silky material became bunched up midway down her thighs, she pulled it the rest of the way off, eventually shaking the fabric off from around her ankle.

The sensation of her bare skin against his was the most intense feeling Logan had ever experienced, and he let out a husky groan as her hips grinded against his.

Kandi could sense that it was a little too much for him, so she rolled over onto her back, waiting restlessly for him as he dug the tiny black packet from the back pocket of his jeans. His teeth tore into the wrapper, suddenly ripping it open, his heart pitter-pattering wildly in his chest. Taking the rubber from him, she gently grasped the base of his cock as she rolled the condom sown his length, the contact causing him to shudder slightly.

His nerves began to creep back to the forefront of his mind as he hovered above her. This was really going to happen, and the fact that he felt okay with that, the way that his body was urging him to go further, felt so foreign and yet so natural at the same time, and that scared him.

He could see Kandi’s calm and collected exterior begin to break as he inched himself closer to her, and he found some comfort in knowing that she was just as nervous as he was. As he moved forward slightly, easing himself just barely inside of her, his eyes glanced back up to her face in an attempt to gauge her reaction. Her lips were mashed in a firm line, but her eyes widened, encouraging him to continue.

She threw her head back, a sudden wail escaping her lips as he thrust entirely inside of her.

“I’m so sorry,” he repeated the three hushed words over and over again as he tried not to shift.

“It’s okay,” she mumbled. “I’m fine. Really.” Her lips curved into a weak smile.

“We can stop,” he whispered, his soulful brown eyes filled with concern and devotion.

“No.” Her voice grew stronger before she exhaled, her chest sinking with the movement. “Keep going.”

Logan planted a quick kiss on her cheek before allowing his hips to rock gradually against hers. Her lips remained sealed with each motion, and he wished that he knew how to take her pain away.

As his jerky thrusts began to meld into a smoother rhythm, he could feel Kandi’s muscles loosen beneath him. All of his thoughts began to fade into the background as he focused solely on her, trying his best not to ruin the moment. Her hips began to meet his pace, her muscles clenching around him, pushing him over the edge. Her nails dug into his back, dragging along his shoulder blades as he plunged deeper. He wasn’t sure if he could keep it up, the warmth of her body, the scent of her skin, the way his name rolled effortlessly off her lips all too intoxicating. Feeling his muscles begin to clench, knowing that he was about to come, his hand slipped between their two bodies, massaging her in time with his last few frantic thrusts. Her thighs quivered against him, edging him on even further.

Logan could faintly hear his own voice calling her name in boyish whimpers, his shaky words hanging in the humid air between them, but he couldn’t feel his mouth forming the syllables. His lips gaped open, his eyes closed as every ounce of energy seemed to rush out of him in one fluid motion.

Completely spent, he collapsed onto the space beside her, listening to her labored breaths as his own chest heaved. As his gaze wandered back to Kandi, her hair disheveled and her eyelids drooping, he didn’t really know what to say. Though words had never been Logan’s strong suit, his mind was unable to form any coherent reaction to the intense pleasure he’d just experienced.

His girlfriend offered him a faint smile as she scooted closer to him. Her head rested against his chest, and his arm wrapped around her back instinctively, his fingers threading through her hair absentmindedly.

Her finger trailed down his chest, her deep eyes gazing up at him with an uncharacteristic shyness. “Happy anniversary, Logie.”

He smiled to himself, his gaze drifting to the illuminated city skyline just outside the window as he clutched the girl in his arms.

“Happy anniversary, K.”

---

Mine :) by Anasthasia ColeSprouse

Akhir2 ini aku jadi suka sama pasangan Logan/Jo ga tau kenapa, tapi tetep yg pertama Kendall/Jo, nah aku bikin cerita gitu deh pake bahasa Inggris dan...

Cerita ini menurut lagunya Taylor Swift : Mine
So, i hope you Rusher liked it :)

____________________________________________________________________

Uh ohh oh

Seventeen year old, Jo Taylor, was currently walking on one of the the sidewalks of the ever busy streets of Los Angeles. She and her father had moved here just about a year ago so she could fulfill her dreams of becoming successful here in Hollywood as either an actress or a singer.
The weather was relatively warmer than usual as she wore her favorite floral Sunday dress and her white flip flops. Her hair was neatly braided since she wanted to try it for once and her shades were perfectly perched on top of her head. Then suddenly her stomach growled, indicating she was hungry.
Jo stopped by a quaint little restaurant downtown, which was pretty crowded and the staff and crew seemed to be in a rush on which table they would serve first. Good thing she was able to find a table to sit at even though there were so many people eating there, considering it was lunch time.
She loved it here in LA, a place where something was always happening. The Palm Woods; a hotel where she and her dad lived is dubbed the home of the future famous. It has become her new home. Sure, she sometimes missed the simplicity of her hometown, North Carolina, since her mom and her older brother were there, but she has been able to put that thought away and besides, every night, she'd chat with her mom over the phone and she always video chats with her brother so everything was alright.
"God, I'm hungry." She mumbled to herself as she really felt the need to put some food into her system. She noticed many of the waiters were in a hurry to get from place to place in the restaurant, due to the great number of customers waiting to be fed.

Uh ohh oh

As Jo waited, she glanced at the table beside her. She saw a couple, probably married, who were arguing about something. She then remembered her parents, who were always fighting, not agreeing in one decision or reasonably about their financial needs.
There was a time when she was eight years old; she was walking through the corridors of their house to their kitchen when she heard shouting inside the room. Jo walked closely to the door while she hid behind the wall. She peeked through the kitchen's door and found out that her mom and dad were the ones who were making the noise by shouting at each other with such anger which was evident in their tone of voice and facial expressions. The little Jo was hurt by the sight of her parents fighting and so she walked away from the scene as tears started to form in her eyes.


You were in college working part time waiting tables
Left a small town, never looked back
I was a flight risk with a fear of falling
Wondering why we bother with love if it never lasts

Her flashback was cut short all of a sudden, when she heard a loud crash sound by the kitchen. It was one of the waiter's clumsiness which had made the noise, when he accidentally bumped one of his friends who was holding a tray full of plates and leftovers. The clumsy waiter apologized to his co-worker, but as soon as he was going to continue on with his work, he tripped over his own foot.
It was so embarrassing that he fell twice that time, so he covered his face to hide himself from embarrassment, but still continued his job.
As he was dusted off the mess on his clothes, he just picked the table that was the farthest away from where he had screwed up.
"Hi, my name is Logan, and I'll be your server today, may I take yo-" The waiter, named Logan started to introduce himself until he was cut off when he saw the girl that he will be serving.
"Jo?" He questioned the girl.
"Oh, hi Logan!" Jo greeted him happily when she noticed him standing by her to take her order since she was busy looking through the menu awhile ago while he introduced himself.
"Hey!" He greeted back with the same tone and a crooked smile when he realized he was right and the girl he'd be serving was one of his Palm Woods neighbors, Jo Taylor.
"I didn't know you worked here." She told him honestly with surprise apparent in her voice.
"Yeah, just doing this for the college fund." He told her.
"Ohhh, cool!" She responded with a smile.
"Anyway, can I take your order, M'lady?" He teased which caused Jo to laugh.
"I'll just have the ham and cheese sandwich and your house blend iced tea please." She told him sweetly.
"Coming right up!" He told her as he rushed back to the kitchen, attaching the note with the order on a small window.
As the food was given to Jo, Logan couldn't stop looking at her. He was watching her all over the time she was eating the order, as though he was secretly spying on her. He wanted to get closer to her but aside from the fact that he was too shy, ever since she and his best friend, Kendall dated, she was practically off limits to date. But now that they're broken up, and have been for a couple of months now, she was free to go out with any guy she wanted and hopefully, he'd be that guy.
After Jo had finished the food, he actually wrote something in a paper and inserted it in with the bill. As he gave her the bill, he was pretty nervous that it wouldn't work or something might happen that will not make it work but he was miraculously able to keep his composure as he handed the bill to her and made his way back to the kitchen.
Jo read the bill check, but she had noticed a note that was with the check. She read it over and smiled at the message inside it. It said, 'Would you like to go out sometime?' with a smiley face at the end. She glanced at Logan who was 'chatting' with his pal but in reality was actually admiring her from afar.
Minutes later, Logan came back to her table and she gave him the bill check.
"It was nice seeing you Logan." Jo told him as she stood up from her table and waved him goodbye with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, you too." He replied, smiling and waving back as he watched Jo leave the restaurant.
Once she was gone, Logan looked at the paper, but when he saw it, he didn't see anything written on it. Just about when he was about to think that Jo maybe stood him up or didn't see the paper, he turned it around and was surprised to see what he saw.
'I'd love to.' with a smiley face at the end of it.


I say can you believe it?
As we're lying on the couch
The moment I could see it
Yes, yes, I can see it now

Logan looked down at Jo, who was sitting on his lap, as their beautiful brown eyes met.
They were both laughing, just enjoying each others' company.
"I can't believe this is actually happening." Logan spoke as he put some of Jo's hair which was on her face behind her ear as she smiled at him.
"I know… it's pretty unbelievable... me… and you… together." Jo replied as she ran her hands through his hair, messing it up.
"Hey!" Logan exclaimed as caught her hand and as the two stood up from their place. As soon as the two were standing, they started a playful fight on messing with each other's hair.
The fight on messing each other's hair up was fun as it turned to an all out pillow fight. The two teens laughed as this was going on and as they ran around the living room, one trying to run away from the other and the other chasing the one.
Logan hit Jo with his pillow once caught up to her, resulting her to stumble down. However, the fact that he was running and that he is pretty clumsy, he fell down as well, landing on top of Jo.
The two stared into each other's eyes. Logan slowly leaned in to Jo's face and was just inches away before their lips would meet.
Suddenly, they heard the door opened and in came Jo's father, Mr. Taylor.
Though, the usual scene wherein the father would react when they saw their daughter with a guy didn't happen after that. He just shrugged and went upstairs with the suitcase he was holding.
The two quickly stood up, fixing themselves up.
Even though that was a little embarrassing, they still laughed about it.


Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

Jo sat beside the seashore, looking and admiring the waves that were crashing on the sea.
Shortly, she felt something around her waist and felt someone kiss her cheek. She looked to her side and saw it was only Logan.
She playfully slapped his cheek. "I told you not to sneak up on me like that." She told him.
"Sorry, I can't help it." Logan told her, with a cheeky grin on his face.
Instead of being angry, she just smiled at him and placed her arm around his neck while he was at her back.


Flash forward and we're taking on the world together
And there's a drawer of my things at your place
You learn my secrets and you figure out why I'm guarded
You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes

"Come on Logie! Hurry up!" Jo shouted back at her boyfriend while carrying a box.
Logan was carrying three boxes in a row.
"I'm coming…" Logan answered, barely seeing where he was going. "As soon as I take these boxes inside."
They moved out to a new house by a lake which was located on the outskirts of town. The environment was beautiful, the weather was fine, sun was shining brightly and the trees that surrounded the place, made it shadier.
The couple wanted to take their relationship to the next level, so they decided on moving out of the Palm Woods to live on their own. The house they found was a perfect place for a new family to start out.
Jo placed the box she was carrying down on one side. She opened it and to her surprise, she saw family picture of hers when she was little. The four of them were seated on the couch of their old home in North Carolina; her parents were on either side of the couch while she and her brother were in the middle of them. They all looked so happy in the picture. She touched the photo, as she remembered the time she saw her parents fighting. It was harsh that it was the first memory that she had remembered when she was still with them. A tear fell and rolled down on her cheek.
Logan had finally placed all the boxes where they should be, but then he notice his girlfriend just standing at a corner, looking at an old photo frame.
He walked up to her, "Are you okay?" He consoled, his voice full of concern as he held her shoulder comfortingly.
"Yeah… I'm fine." Jo told him as she wiped the tear that fell on her cheek.
Logan felt pity on her since he knew what kind of life she had gone through. Her family almost broke because of the arguments her parents had.
Logan turned her around so that the two were face to face. Jo looked away from his gaze but he brought her chin up so they were eye to eye.
"Don't worry, Jo." He said, his eyes full of love and sincerity.
"I promise that we will never do what you're parents had done." He told her assuringly as the two hugged.
Jo smiled, she was happy that Logan was there for her, and she knows that he will be with her forever.
Once the two pulled away from the hug, Logan pulled her towards him as the two started to dance. Jo laughed all throughout the dance but she liked what they're doing. He twirled her around and the pulled her towered him again as the two shared another hug.
He pecked her on her cheeks, but Jo just turned around to face him as she kissed him on the lips and as he happily kissed back.


But we got bills to pay
We got nothing figured out
When it was hard to take
Yes, yes, this is what I thought about

Time had passed and things were alright, I guess.
Logan got a good job in a nearby city while still studying to become a doctor and Jo had parts for TV shows lined up. But something was wrong; they have been having serious fights on financial parts, arguing on small things and other conflicts about other things.
Jo thought that maybe it's just the normal thing with people who were living together, but she had a feeling on the pit of her stomach that something will happen.


Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

Do you remember all the city lights on the water?
You saw me start to believe for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

The pair was in a boat on the lake near their house. Logan paddled the boat through the middle of the water. Jo just stared at him while he was rowing the boat, so they were pretty quiet.
When Logan had made it to the middle, he rested a little; it was hard to row all by yourself.
He glanced at Jo who was looking at the water, watching the fishes swim. Nevertheless, he tried to get something from his pocket, which didn't go unnoticed by Jo.
"What are you getting from your pocket?" Jo asked him.
"Uh… nothing… it's nothing." Logan stuttered as he stopped moving his hand from his pocket, making Jo suspicious.
"Hey, there's something on your back." Logan said, finding a way for her to look at the other side.
"Where?" Jo asked as she turned around and fell for his trick.
While she was looking at her back, Logan quickly took out a ring box and opened it. There was a beautiful diamond ring inside it. He was completely silent while Jo was still looking for the thing that Logan saw.
"I don't see any-" She said as she turned around to face him but was cut off when she saw the ring that Logan was holding.
"L-Logan… w-what's that?" She stammered, pointing to the ring. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Isn't it obvious?" Logan chuckled, his award winning smile plastered on his face.
"A-are you g-going to propose?" She continued to stammer, since she really couldn't believe what was happening.
He just continued to smile at her as held both of her hands and looked at her square in the eyes.
"Yes… I know you're surprised about this, but-" Logan gulped. "Josephine Taylor, will you marry me?"
Silence ensued until Jo replied:
"Y-yes… YES! I will marry you Logie!" She exclaimed gleefully as she raised her arms and hugged him.
Logan tightly hugged her back, very happy that finally, after a long time, he had proposed.
When they broke the hug, Logan pulled the ring out of the box and slowly placed it on Jo's finger.
Once he had worn the ring on her, Jo quickly kissed him full on the lips. He almost fell out of the boat, because he had been caught off guard, but fortunately he regained his balance just in time and he didn't stumble down into the water.


And I remember that fight, 2:30 a.m.
As everything was slipping right out of our hands
I ran out crying and you followed me out into the street

Unfortunately, something happened…
It was 2:30am on the clock and Jo was waiting for Logan to come home. She was very worried about him; he has never gone home later than 10:00 pm and he never was away for such a long time without her knowing the reason why.
Suddenly, she heard the door open. She slowly gazed on the door and she saw Logan, who looked tipsy. Jo assumed that he probably got drunk after work.
"What the hell happen to you?" Jo screamed in concern.
Logan heard his fiancée but he didn't seem to care. He continued on walking inside the room.
"Logan, what's wrong with you?" She continued to scream but still, Logan didn't care.
Okay, now, Jo was majorly pissed at him. She went closer to him and slapped him on the face, hard. This causes a red mark to form on his cheek.
Logan winced in pain as he rubbed his cheek then he evilly glared at her.
"What was all that for?" He yelled.
"What happen to you Logan? Why are you doing this?" Jo cried.
"It was only a party, nothing happened." he told her.
"Party? What party? Tell me!" She told him demandingly.
"It's just a friend's birthday. We just have a fun time…" He trailed off.
"But you said you're on overtime work. You could've just told me that you'll go to a friend's party." She told him.
"I just want to rest; maybe we can talk about this tomorrow." He told her as he made his way upstairs until Jo pulled him.
"You're not going anywhere until you'll answer my question." She told him sternly.
"Jo please… Can we just talk about this tomorrow? I just want some shut eye!" He whined as he looked away from her but she still continued stopping him.
"Don't you dare turn your back at me like that!" She yelled at him angrily.
They started shouting at each other, their voices echoing throughout the room.
"Will you SHUT UP!" Logan yelled. "I can't take it anymore! I have had it with you… I don't want to hear a word with you… I just wish that I didn't propose to you… and I wish that I've never met YOU in the first place!" Logan yelled in his temporary state of rage.
That last sentence that Logan shouted struck Jo very badly. She slapped him again, this time much harder than the first one.
"I knew this would happen." She cried, tears falling from her eyes.
"You said we'll never do what my parents had done. But what now?" She exclaimed sadly.
Suddenly, she walked away. Jo ran out of the house, trying to get as far away from it as possible.
"Jo, I'm sorry!" Logan yelled after her, as he tried catch up with her which was hard since the distance between them was pretty far.


Braced myself for the goodbye
'Cause that's all I've ever known
Then you took me by surprise
You said I'll never leave you alone

She continued to run as she cried. She remembered when she saw her parents fighting and she had ran away. This was the same feeling she felt when she left the scene of her parent's argument.
Jo then stopped running. The memories kept playing in her head and she couldn't take it away from there.
As she continued to cried, Logan slowly caught up with her.
"Jo, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean what I said." Logan told her.
He tried to hold her hand but Jo kept on taking it back.
"If you want me to go away, I'll do it because that's what you want." Jo said.
"Jo, listen." Logan begged as he turned her to face him. Her eyes were full of tears so he used his handkerchief in his pocket to wipe them all away.
"Listen to me… I know that I have made a mistake…" He started, his voice full of regret for what he has done.
"But I didn't forget what I had promised to you…"
Jo stopped crying.
"I love you Jo, and no matter what happens…" He began as he slowly moved his face closer.
"I'll never leave you alone." He whispered in her ear as he leaned in and as their lips met.
Jo felt that he was truly sorry on what he had done so she wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss.


You said I remember how we felt sitting by the water
And every time I look at you, it's like the first time
I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter
She is the best thing that's ever been mine

The time has come, the day the two looked forward to.
Logan wore his tux as he waited by the altar for his bride.
Jo entered last, that being tradition, and was the center of attention as she walked down the aisle.
She wore a beautiful, white, strapless gown as she held the bouquet of flowers in her hands and as a long veil covered her face.
Once she got to the altar and after sone words were exchanged all around, the couple finally recited their vows.
They both promised to love each other for the rest of their lives, no matter what challenges may come along their way.
They had learned that every fight is what makes the relationship stronger. If they give up the fight, they also give up their relationship.


Hold on, make it last
Hold on, never turn back

A year later, Jo gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The couple named him Kody.
Jo held her baby in her arms as Logan looked at him, smiling at his perfection. He got his hair hair and lips but he's got his mother's eyes.
Logan kissed Jo on the lips, and then kissed his son's forehead. He whispered in his baby's ear, "I'm never going to leave you and your mom."


You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

They have had a fun life with their son as he grew up.
There was that time when they celebrate Kody's 4th birthday. But still, Kody couldn't blow out the candles by himself. He got tired from blowing that he just let his parents do the job.
There was another time when they enjoyed a day at the beach as a family. The three of them played with the waves and build sandcastles together. All in all, it was a fun day.


Do you believe it?
We're gonna make it now

About two years later, when Kody was six, Jo had given birth to a baby girl. They named her Kennedy. Everything about her resembled her mother except her eyes which she obviously got from her dad.
"Now, you're going to take care of your sister and make sure nothing happens to her okay?" Logan told his son, who was observing his baby sister who slept peacefully in her crib.
"Of course! Like you said to me before daddy, you'll never leave me and mommy like I'll never leave Kennedy." Kody said, very innocently with a smile as Logan couldn't help but smile back.
"That's my boy!" Logan said proudly as he patted his son's shoulder.
Jo stood by the door frame of their daughter's room and smiled at the father and son moment she had just witnessed.
After a few moments, Logan noticed Jo standing there and made his way towards her. He closed the door after him and the two smiled at one another.
"You're a great father, you know that?" She asked him with a smile on her face.
"Only because I have you right by my side all the way." He told her with a smile of his own as Jo blushed out of flattery.
"I love you Logie." She told him sweetly.
"I love you too Jo." He replied back as the two shared a kiss.


I can see it
I can see it now

All I Want For Christmas is You. (Prequel) by Linda Rusher Maslow Winchester (INDONESIAN)

A/N: ini prequel dari ff yg kemaren, awal perkenalan Rose sama James, hope you like it^^


**************************************

La Jolla, California. Desember 6 tahun yang lalu.


Salju… aku selalu suka salju, rasanya damai banget waktu kamu memandang butiran-butiran lembut salju berjatuhan dari langit. Selain itu salju identik dengan bulan Desember, Desember tempatnya natal dan natal berarti hadiah dan makan enak. Bagi gadis 13 tahun sepertiku, mendapat hadiah-hadiah natal ibaratnya mendapat tiket ke surga. Kau selalu bisa meminta apapun yang kau inginkan, dan semua itu akan terkabul dengan cepat, beda banget dengan bulan-bulan lain dimana kamu harus berusaha mati-matian mengejar ranking untuk sekedar mendapat boneka baru.
Tapi setiap natal aku merayakannya hanya bertiga bareng mom dan dad, tanpa teman-teman ataupun sanak saudara lain. Hidupku selalu berpindah-pindah. Saat ini saja aku baru pindah dari Washington ke La Jolla, salah satu kota kecil di California. Dad seorang arsitek, dan dia arsitek yang bertanggung jawab banget. Dia akan memastikan bangunan yang di rancangnya sesuai dengan apa yang dia rencanakan, dan itu artinya dia harus turun langsung ke lapangan untuk memantau anak buahnya. Akibatnya, dad harus berpindah-pindah kota, pekerjaannya kan gak selalu di satu tempat. Aku dan mompun harus ikut dengannya. Sudah tak terhitung berapa puluh kota yang pernah kami singgahi. Paling lama satu tahun dan kami harus pindah lagi, mengikuti panggilan kerja dad. Itu sebabnya, aku jarang punya teman. Aku gak mau terlalu akrab dengan orang lain, karena aku tahu bahwa cepat atau lambat aku akan pergi meninggalkan mereka, dan aku benci perpisahan. Jadi sekalian saja aku bersikap cuek, biar gak harus sakit hati saat berpisah.
Aku berjalan ke beranda. Salju disini lebih lebat dan putih. Kami tinggal di lingkungan yang cukup menyenangkan, banyak anak-anak sebayaku bermain perang salju di jalanan. Aku hanya melihat mereka, tidak berniat untuk bergabung, namun tiba-tiba.

Buuuuuggggh..

Sebongkah bola salju mendarat tepat di mukaku. Aku berpegangan pada selusur beranda agar tidak jatuh. Sialan, rasanya sakit banget. aku menyumpah-nyumpah, siapa yang melepar bola salju ke arahku. Cari matii!

“Kamu gak apa-apa??”
Tiba-tiba seseorang menghampiriku.

Aku membersihkan sisa salju di wajahku, dan mendongak. Di depanku berdiri seorang cowok, lebih tua dariku dia memakai topi rajutan yang menutupi sampai sebagian wajahnya. Dia ganteng, tapi kegantengannya gak cukup untuk menutupi rasa sakitku.

“Kamu gak punya mata ya.. kalau hidungku patah bagaimana??” semburku, sambil mengusap-usap hidungku yang berdenyut.

Dia melihatku dengan tatapan bersalah. “Maaf, itu tadi adik sepupuku” dia menoleh ke arah jalan “dia benar-benar gak sengaja dan takut buat minta maaf, jadi aku kesini ngewakilin dia. Kamu gak apa-apa??”

Aku mengikuti arah pandangnya, dan melihat gadis kecil mengintip takut-takut dari balik boneka salju.

“Uh.. aku gak apa-apa, berdoa saja supaya hidungku gak patah.” Kataku masih kesal.

“Mau aku antar ke dokter??”

Aku menatapnya, dia kelihatan benar-benar khawatir. “Gak usah.. it’s ok.”

Dia tersenyum lega. “Aku James ngomong-ngomong, kau siapa??”

“Rose..” kataku singkat.

“Wow.. nama yang bagus. Kau baru pindah ya??” katanya, melirik kardus-kardus yang belum di bereskan di depan pintuku.

“Yeah.. dari Washington.”

“Cool… kenapa pindah??”

‘Ini cowok bawel banget sih’ kataku dalam hati. “Ikut orang tuaku, dad seorang arsitek dia yang merancang gedung pusat perbelanjaan di tengah kota itu, jadi untuk sementara kami menetap disini sampai kerjaan dad selesai.”

“Jadi kau gak akan selamanya tinggal disini??”

Aku menggeleng.

“Sayang sekali..”

“Kenapa??”

“Yah.. aku jarang dapet temen baru, apalagi yang dari luar kota kayak kamu.”

‘yeah.. kayak aku mau jadi temanmu saja’

“James..” gadis kecil tadi menghampiri kami, dia bersembunyi di balik badan James, melihatku takut-takut.

“Oh Joeey..” kata James lalu menggendongnya. “gak apa-apa dia gak marah kok, ayo kenalan sama Rose.”

Anak itu—Joeey, mengulurkan tangannya malu-malu. “Aku Jooey.. maaf yah,, tadi aku melempalmu, aku gak
sengaja.” Katanya dengan suara anak kecilnya.

Aku tersenyum, dia cute banget, aku jadi gak tega memarahinya “It’s ok Jooey.. aku gak apa-apa kok.” Kataku sambil menyalaminya.

Jooey tersenyum lega “Makaciii,, nanti kita main belbie sama-sama yah..”

“Uh… akan ku usahakan.”

“Sudah yuk Jooey, Rose mau istirahat tuh, dia baru pindah dari Washington, kita pulang ya.. nanti kita ngobrol lagi, kay.. byee Rose” James melangkah pergi sambil menggendong Jooey “Oh ngomong-ngomong” dia berbalik “rumahku yang di ujung jalan situ” katanya menunjuk sebuah rumah bercat hijau “Kalau-kalau kau mau mampir” dia tersenyum dan mengedipkan sebelah matanya.

Aku cuma menatap kepergiannya kayak orang bego. Aku bocah 13 tahun yang gak tahu apa-apa dan belum mengerti apa itu cinta, tapi senyuman James tadi sukses membuat hatiku meleleh.

***

“Siapa cowok tadi??”

Mom menginterogasiku begitu aku masuk rumah.

“Tetangga..” jawabku datar lalu duduk di sofa. Mom ikut-ikutan duduk di sebelahku.

“Dia cute ya..” katanya tersenyum jahil.

“Arrrghh mom..” aku menutup mukaku dengan kedua tangan

“Kenapa??”

“Dia ngelempar aku pakai bola salju—well.. sepupunya sih, tapi sama aja, rasanya masih sakit.”

“Awal yang indah untuk cinta” mom terkikik. Bener deh, cuma karena momku ini pengarang novel percintaan dia kadang-kadang bisa jadi genit banget kayak anak ABG.

“aku baru 13 mom..” aku mengingatkan.

“Lalu kenapa?? Mom dulu ketemu cinta pertama juga di umur 13.”

“Dia bukan cinta pertamaku..”

“Masa??” mom menaikkan alisnya, menggoda ku.

“Ahh….” Aku melemparinya bantal dan kabur ke kamar.

“Kita undang dia makan malam ya sayang.” Teriak mom lalu terkikik lagi.
Aku membanting pintu kamar dan berbaring di ranjangku, menatap langit-langit kamar, berpikir, James…
***

“Kamu udah janji mau traktir aku es krim.”

“Iya.. tapi uang sakuku abis pakai beli game.”

“Salah sendiri, pokoknya aku mau es krim.”

James menggaruk kepalanya, kebingungan. Aku dan James berdiri di depan gerbang sekolah—kami sekolah di tem
pat yang sama, tapi James dua tingkat di atasku. Sejak perkenalan perdana itu, James jadi sering main ke rumahku, otomatis aku sering menghabiskan waktu denagannya, itu membuat kami akrab. Aku melanggar pantanganku sendiri, tentang ‘enggak berteman dengan siapapun’. Sulit menolak James, dia itu menyenangkan dan selalu membuat tertawa. Berada di dekatnya rasanya nyaman dan terlindungi, mungkin karena aku gak punya saudara, dan kehadiran James jadi seperti abang buatku. Pokoknya, aku berhenti berpura-pura cuek dan gak peduli, menelan gengsi—dan ledekan-ledekan mom tentu saja. Lalu memulai persahabatan dengannya. Sekarang kami jadi gak terpisahkan kayak perangko.

“Jameess… aku mau es krim!” kataku lagi, lebih memaksa. Dia udah janji bakalan mentraktirku es krim dari tiga minggu yang lalu, tapi sampai sekarang belum juga terpenuhi.

“Minggu depan saja ya??” James memohon.

“Enggak!” aku menggeleng kuat-kuat “Minggu lalu juga kamu bilang begitu, lalu minggu lalu minggu lalunya lagi. Aku mau sekarang!”

“Uh….baiklah, aku pinjam uangnya Tommy dulu, sebenarnya dia nitip buat beli game, tapi nona bawel ini gak mengerti yang namanya gak ada uang.” Katanya menggerutu.

Aku tersenyum manis.. “Yaaaay…” lalu berlari ke toko es krim di depan sekolah kami.

“Rose tunggu..” katanya mengejarku “nanti kamu jatuh, sini gandeng tanganku!.”

“aku bukan balita James..”

“Tetap saja, kalau kau jatuh nanti aku yang repot.” Dia mengulurkan tangan, dan menggandeng tanganku.

“Terserahlah..” aku memutar bola mata, tapi menyambut juga uluran tangannya “lama-lama kamu kayak mommy tahu.”

“Yeah.. better save than sorry.”

***
Kami punya rumah pohon, rumah itu di bangun dad di atas pohon oak besar di samping rumahku—terimakasih Tuhan kau memberiku ayah seorang arsitek. Gak terlalu besar sih, tapi cukup menyenangkan untuk dijadikan ‘markas’ khusus buatku dan James. Tiap hari kami meghabiskan waktu disana, mengerjakan pr, curhat, bermain monopoli dan macam-macam lagi. Rasanya seperti mempunyai kerajaan sendiri dengan aku dan James sebagai penguasa. Tidak ada anak lain yang boleh naik ke rumah pohon kami, hanya aku dan James.

***

Natal tahun ini aku gak kesepian lagi. Aku punya James dan keluarganya yang ramai. Gak seperti natal pertama yang aku rayakan disini—di La Jolla, natal tahun ini benar-benar istimewa. Kami menghabiskan malam natal di kebun belakang rumah James, Mom, dan Auntie Cathy—Mommynya James, memasak makanan yang enak banget, belum lagi ditambah saudara dan sepupu-sepupu James yang lucu-lucu. Untuk pertama kalinya dalam hidupku, aku sebahagia ini di malam natal, dan untuk pertama kalinya pula aku gak meminta hadiah macam-macam ke Santa, aku cuma minta James.
***

“James, kamu pacaran ya sama Angela itu?” kami sedang berada di rumah pohon, menikmati liburan tahun baru yang membosankan. Aku tidur di pangkuan James, sementara dia asyik mebaca buku.

“Memangnya kenapa?”

“Uh.. gak ada sih..”

“Kamu cemburu?” dia tersenyum nakal, meletakkan buku yang dibacanya.

“Enak saja…” aku bangkit dan duduk di sampingnnya.

“Udah ngaku aja.”

“Mimpi dulu sana!”

Dia terkekeh “Cemburu juga gak apa-apa kok.”

“Jameeeesss…” aku mengcak-acak rambutnya. “Aku serius tahu, kemarin aku lihat kalian berduaan di perpustakaan.”

James merapikan rambutnya. “Enggak kok, dia sih memang naksir aku. Tapi aku gak suka cewek brunette.”

“Kenapa?? Angela kan cantik, udah gitu dia ikut tim pemandu sorak.” Kataku sedikit mencibir.

“Tapi dia bukan tipe ku. Kamu kenapa sih? Kok nanya yang begitu?” dia menaikkan sebelah alisnya.

“Uh.. gak ada, aku gak suka aja sama dia, dia suka sama kamu, cuman karena kamu itu calon artis” belakangan aku
baru tahu kalau James itu sering ikut Casting pencarian bakat dan terobsesi banget jadi artis, malah dia pernah mendapat sebuah peran di salah satu drama musikal saat berumur 14 tahun.

“Masa sih.. bukannya dia suka aku karena aku ini memang ganteng.” tersenyum sok imut

Aku mengacak-acak rambutnya lagi. “PD…”

“haha.. lagian biarin aja dia. Aku udah punya cewek yang aku taksir.”

“Oh ya??? Siapa??” tanyaku penasaran.

Dia mengeleng “Ada deeeh.. my lips are sealed.” Katanya sambil membuat gerakan mengunci bibir.

“Peliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt!!!” aku mengacak rambutnya lagi dan lagi. Kami tertawa bersama, tapi tunggu, James sudah punya
seseorang yang ditaksirnya. Kenapa aku sakit hati?

***

‘there is no forever for happiness .’

Aku percaya kata-kata itu, dan aku selalu berusaha menahan diriku untuk tidak terlalu terlena dengan kebahagiaan
karena aku tahu, kebahgiaan tidak akan bertahan selamanya.
Tapi aku melupakannya, aku melupakan kata-kata yang sudah jadi pegangan hidupku itu. Aku terlalu terlena dengan kehadiran James. Jadi waktu mom bilang kalau kami sekeluarga harus pindah lagi, karena dad mendapat panggilan kerja di tempat lain dan pekerjaannya di sini sudah rampung. Aku seperti mendapat tonjokan keras dari petinju sekaliber Mctyson.

Ini gak boleh terjadi. Aku gak mau ninggalin James, sahabat pertama yang aku miliki.

Maka aku mengamuk, menendang, membanting, menghancurkan setengah isi ruang keluarga, karena aku gak mau pindah. Aku gak mau ninggalin kehidupanku yang sempurna disini dan memulai hidup baru di tempat yang sama sekali asing buatku.

“Palo Alto gak terlalu jauh dari sini sayang, gak sampai 3 jam kalau naik kereta.”

“Kami, janji.. mom dan dad akan sering-sering mengantarmu berkunjung ke sini.” Mom dan dad berusaha
membujukku.

“GAK MAU!!!” aku berteriak “AKU UDAH NYAMAN BANGET DI SINI DAN AKU GAK MAU PINDAH!!!” menjadi anak tunggal, dan satu-satunya yang dilimpahi kasih sayang membutku keras kepala dan manja.

“Tapi sayang… dad ada proyek baru, dan kita harus ikut…”

“GAK MAU!!!!!” aku memotong kata-kata mom “AKU MAU TINGGAL DISINI, KALIAN SAJA YANG PERGI.!”

“Sayang..” mom berkata dengan sabar, dan berjongkok di depanku “Kami gak mungkin ninggalin kamu sendirian.” Dia
mendekap wajahku, yang pasti merah padam menahan tangis.

Aku menepis tangan mom “AKU JUGA GAK MUNGKIN NINGGALIN JAMES!!!” dan aku berlari meninggalkan mereka,
meninggalkan mom dan dad yang bingung menghadapi putri semata wayangnya yang kurang ajar.

***
“Ternyata kamu disini..”

James melongokkan kepala ke dalam rumah pohon. Aku meringkuk disana sendirian, menangis sejadi-jadinya sampai mataku bengkak. Mom atau Dad tidak mencariku, mereka menghargai privasi atau memang memberikanku waktu untuk berpikir.

“Kenapa nangis??” tanya James begitu masuk dan duduk di sebelahku.

Aku menyandarkan kepala di bahunya, masih berlinang air mata.

“Mom sama Dad jahat..” kataku terbata-bata.

“shuuuuuuhh” James melingkarkan tangannya di pundakku, menarikku lebih dekat. “mereka udah cerita sama aku. Kamu gak seharusnya membentak mereka seperti itu.”

Dinasehati begitu aku jadi ingin meledak-ledak lagi. “Kamu gak ngerti, aku mau pindah. Itu artinya kita gak bisa ketemu lagi.” Kataku bersusah payah menahan air mata.

“Siapa bilang? Ibumu kan sudah janji mau menemanimu berkunjung, lagipula apa kamu pikir aku gak bakalan ngunjungin kamu?”

Aku mengangkat kepalaku menatapnya. “Kamu mau mengunjungiku??”

James tersenyum, menghapus air mataku. “Tentu saja. Apa kamu kira aku akan membiarkanmu pergi begitu saja??
Sorry ya.. kau itu terikat sama aku seumur hidup!” katanya menekankan kata ‘seumur hidup.’

Aku tertawa, yang malah kedengaran seperti isakan. “Memangnya boleh sama orang tuamu?”

“Hey.. aku kan bukan bocah 14 tahun sepertimu. Aku sudah 16, dan itu artinya, aku bebas pergi kemana saja sesukaku, tanpa perlu di awasi, dan besok kalau aku sudah jadi artis besar dan punya uang banyak, aku janji aku akan mengikuti kemanapun kamu pergi.”

Biasanya aku akan mencubitnya kalau dia sudah memanggilku bocah, tapi untuk saat ini aku hanya diam dan memeluknya erat. “Terimakasih James.”

“Gak perlu.. kapan kau berangkat?”

“Satu minggu lagi.”

***
Tapi sejak saat itu James gak pernah menampakkan batang hidungnya lagi. Dia gak pernah ke rumah pohon, gak pernah membantuku membuat pr, gak pernah mentraktirku es krim dan bahkan saat aku cari ke rumahnya, dia selalu sibuk. Aku kesel banget, padahal tiga hari lagi aku akan pergi ninggalin dia, tapi dia sama sekali gak membantu membuat saat-saat terakhir ini berkesan.

Apa dia sengaja menjauhiku supaya aku benci, dan ngelupain dia? Tapi buat apa, dia sendiri yang bilang kalau dia bakalan sering-sering mengunjungiku di tempat tinggal baruku nanti. Buat apa dia bohong? Kecuali kalau dia gak mau berteman sama aku lagi, dan dia ngelakuin ini biar aku lupa sama dia? Tapi James bukan orang yang seperti itu.

Damn, James.. kamu kenapa??

***
Bahkan saat tiba waktuku untuk pergi, James sama sekali tidak datang untuk mengucapkan selamat tinggal—padahal Joeey saja melepas kepergianku dengan air mata. Aku menghela nafas pasrah mungkin James memang mau melupakanku.

“Sayang.. tunggu disini dulu ya.. mom mau membantu dad memeriksa barang-barang kita.”
Aku mengangguk, lalu masuk ke kompartemen kereta kami. Aku duduk di dekat jendela, melihat kesibukan di stasiun kereta yang ramai ini.

“James..” kataku pelan, berharap dia ada disini.

Lalu tiba-tiba pintu kompertemen terbuka, aku menoleh dan melihat James berdiri disana, rambutnya acak-acakan dan nafasnya terengah.

“James… ngapain kamu disini?” aku setengah terkejut, setengah gembira.

Dia nyengir dan masuk ke dalam kompertemen “Aku kan belum mengucapkan salam perpisahan.” James berkata sambil mengatur nafasnya “aku juga punya hadiah untukmu.” Dia menarik sesuatu yang dilipat dari saku jaketnnya.“gak sempat dibungkus, buru-buru sih..”

Aku menyambar barang itu, bahkan sebelum dia mengulurkannya. “Topi rajut??” tanyaku heran begitu membuka lipatannya, topi rajut itu persis sama seperti yang dipakai James dulu saat pertama kali kita bertemu.

“Ehhhm.. iya, aku yang membuatnya sendiri, gak terlalu rapi sih.. tapi kurasa masih bisa dipakai.” Kata James malu-malu.

“Dan untuk apa tepatnya aku menginginkan topi rajut?”

“Well.. sebentar lagi musim dingin, aku harap kamu mau pakai itu biar gak kedinginan, dan supaya kamu gak kena lempar bola salju lagi.” Dia menunduk, mukanya memerah.

“Jameees..” aku meloncat ke pelukannya. “Kamu baik banget.. thanks berat tapi aku gak punya apa-apa buat dikasih ke kamu.”

“Gak perlu kok, kamu udah ngasih aku dua tahun yang menyengkan.” Dia tersenyum.

Aku membalas senyumanya “Tunggu.. jadi selama ini kamu ngejauhin aku gara-gara bikin ini??”

James menggaruk tengkuknya “Uh.. Iya.. aku mati-matian menyuruh mom mengajariku, bahkan sampai begadang.”

“Kenapa gak bilang dari awal, aku kira kamu sengaja jauhin aku."

“Kalau bilang gak jadi kejutan dong.”

Bunyi peluit kereta api menghentikan perdebatan kami.

“Duh.. kayaknya aku harus turun sekarang.” dia menoleh keluar, sebentar lagi kereta akan berangkat. “Kamu jangan lupain aku ya.. aku pasti ngunjungin kamu tiap bulan.”

“Gak akan lupa.. kamu juga jangan lupa ya.. dan jangan deket-deket si Angela itu.”

“Hahaha.. tentu.” Dia sudah di ambang pintu ketika berbalik “Hmm,, aku boleh minta hadiah perpisahanku gak?”

Aku mengernyit bingung “Tentu, memangnya apa yang….”

Tiba-tiba saja, bibir James sudah menempel di bibirku. Itu bukan jenis ciuman yang kau lihat di film-film dimana pelakunya berusaha mengklaim bibir lawan, James hanya menempelkan bibirnya di bibirku selama beberapa detik, kemudian menariknya kembali.

“Itu saja…” katanya salah tingkah.

Aku gak bisa berkata apa-apa. Perutku mulas, kakiku tiba-tiba tersa seperti jelly. Inikah rasanya berciuman?

Bunyi peluit kedua, orang-orang sekarang bergegas naik ke kereta.

“Aku akan mengantarmu dari luar.” Katanya kemudian, lalu bergegas turun.

Aku masih shock, tidak bisa berkata apa-apa.

Bunyi peluit lagi dan kereta mulai berajalan.

“Rose..” James mengetuk kaca jendela dari luar, aku tersadar dan buru-buru menghampirinya. Dia berlari agar bisa menjajari kereta yang mulai bergerak.

“Disana jangan lirik-lirik cowok lain ya.. mulai sekarang kamu pacarku.!”

“Gak akan..” aku menggeleng “Kamu juga jangan genit-genit sama cewek lain.”

Dia menangkat jempolnya sebagai jawaban. Kereta mulai bergerak lebih cepat, James sudah tidak bisa mensejajari lajunya. Maka dia berhenti berlari, berdiri peron sambil melambai ke arahku.

“I LOVEEE YOUUUU..” teriaknya

“I love you too..” balasku pelan, tersenyum bahagia ke arahnya, sampai kemudian kereta berbelok dan dia menghilang dari pandangan.

“Waw.. dia cowok yang sweet banget.”

Aku menoleh, entah sejak kapan mom sudah berada di sampingku.

“Mooom..” aku memeluknya erat.

“Sepertinya putri kecilku sudah tambah besar sekarang.”

Aku nyengir. “Janji ya Mom, natal besok kita habiskan bareng kelurga James lagi.”

“Tentu sayang, Dad pasti bakalan seneng banget.”

Aku memeluk Mom lagi, perasaanku ringan seringan kapas, beruntung sekali aku mempunyai Mom dan Dad, dan
sekarang James,yang akan selalu aku nanti sebagai kado natal terindah.


Dear Santa:
I don’t want a lot this christmas
There’s just one thing I need
I don’t care anymore about the presents
All I want for christmas is him
Santa, please bring me the one I really need
Please bring my baby to me

**********************************************

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own more than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
It’s YOU

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
Don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I don’t need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas day

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
Yooou baby

I won’t ask for much this Christmas
I won’t even wish for snow
I’m just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe
I won’t make a list and sent it to the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won’t even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer’s click

Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding onto me so tight
What more can I do??

All I want for Christmas is you
Yooou baby

Oh! All the lights are shining so brightly everywhere (so brightly baby)
And the sound of children’s laughter fills the air
And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won’t you bring me the one I really need
Won’t you please bring my baby to me? oooh

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
This is all I’m asking for
I just wanna see my baby standing right outside my door
I just want you for my own more than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
Yooou baby

All I want for Christmas is you baby
You’re all I want
You’re all I need
Christmas day baby you and me

You’re all I want
You’re all I need
Christmas Day baby you and me