Chapter Three
1657 Words
Leo’s Pov:
I woke up to the quiet hum of machines, the room dark except for the soft glow from the hallway spilling across the floor. My head was heavy, and everything ached, but then I felt it, a warmth pressed against my side.
I turned, and there she was.
Maya was sleeping right beside me on the narrow hospital bed, curled up carefully so she wouldn’t disturb the wires or hurt me. Her hair was spread across the pillow we shared, strands falling over her face, and even in the dim light, I could see the faint streaks on her cheeks from where she’d cried. Her lashes were clumped together, and her nose was a little pink, but God, she looked so beautiful.
She was breathing softly, her lips parted, and I could feel the slow rise and fall of her chest against my arm. She was warm, real, here. One of her hands was clutching the edge of my hospital gown like she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go.
I couldn’t stop looking at her.
Even after all the tears, after everything, she still looked like the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. There was something so soft about her in that moment, something that made me want to reach out and brush the hair from her face, to trace the lines under her eyes, to touch her lips. To kiss them.
I don’t think I will ever look at any other girl this way.
” I love you, Maya, I want you”. I whispered.
I lay back beside her and had the most beautiful sleep.
I spent a week at the hospital before I was finally discharged, Throughout that time, Maya refused to leave my side. I wouldn’t forget all that.
And I hope she knows how much I adore her… I hope she knows that my stares aren’t just any stares… I hope she knows how much I wanna be more than friends.
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“Teach me how to kiss, Leo,” she said, out of the blue.
“ huh”? I asked, surprised.
I had come to visit Maya so we could study together, and we took turns visiting each other for that.
She was home alone. Her mum wasn’t always around, as a flight attendant, she’s hardly home.
I already knew the keypad code. So i just unlocked the door and went on inside, I went up to Maya’s room and she was in the bathroom.
So I just say on her bad and grabbed her dairy, I knew the code and everything written there cuz we literally wrote it together.
And then…
“Pass me that shirt, Leo”. She said
I looked up and Maya was standing there… stark naked.
Water clung to her skin, catching the light, making her look soft and warm. Her hair was wet and messy, sticking to her shoulders, her cheeks still pink from the shower.
My breath caught, and my heart slammed so hard it hurt. I froze, eyes wide, every thought in my head scattering like birds. I knew I should look away, but for a moment, I couldn’t. She was my best friend, but…
“Can you pass me the shirt?” she asked casually again, like she was asking me to hand her a book, not standing there with absolutely nothing on.
“M-Maya…” I stammered, my voice cracking, heat rushing to my face so fast it made me dizzy.
She raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips as she brushed her wet hair back. “Leo, come on, I'm freezing.”
I swallowed, tearing my eyes away, grabbing the oversized T-shirt from her bed with shaking hands and holding it out without looking at her.
She walked over, still unbothered, taking the shirt from my hand. Her fingers brushed mine, and the touch shot straight through me, making it impossible to ignore how close she was, how warm the air felt suddenly.
“Thanks,” she said lightly, slipping the shirt over her head right there, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
I didn’t look. I couldn’t. I pressed a hand over my eyes, but the image of her, the way she looked at me without a hint of embarrassment, was already burned into my mind.
“Leo, you can look now,” she teased.
I lowered my hand, trying to breathe normally as she stood there in the T-shirt, hair damp and sticking to her skin, her eyes bright like nothing had happened.
She didn’t care.
But I did. Because in that moment, I realized something had shifted between us, and I didn’t know how to go back.
I watched her as she slowly did her skincare.
“Andre invited me to his house,” she said happily.
“Will you go?” I asked
“Sure, you know I like him” she replied
“But why Andre? I asked.
“ I…don’t know, I just like him, I just want to know what it feels like to have a boyfriend..
“I’m 21 already!.
You should get a girlfriend too, you are in college now.”
“ I’m not interested, Maya,” I said weakly
“And.. I’d like you to teach me how to kiss”
“Huh”? I asked
“I wouldn’t want to act like a novice, I’d love to impress him too”,
“You don’t need to impress anybody, Maya. I stated.
“I know… but please, this is very important to me”. I know you haven’t kissed anyone before either, but we can learn together. Please… Leo. She pleaded.
Of course, I wouldn’t say no.
This was going to be her first kiss, our first kiss..and I want this too, this is the only opportunity I’d get to do this…
“ Fine, if that’s what you want.. I will I said, calmly.
“Yes! That’s my bunny!” She said happily.
She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave me this stare and then asked “ so…what do we do first?”
The proximity of her body to mine made it too hard to concentrate. I took a breath..
Her eyes lifted to mine, wide and trusting. Held my hand and said, “I trust you.”
I didn’t think she knew what that did to me.
I swallowed. “Okay. Um. You sure?”
She nodded, and for a moment, we were just kids again, the ones who shared secrets under the Oak tree and raced bikes before the rain fell.
But this was different. The air felt different.
She stepped closer, her knees brushing mine, and I looked up at her, at the curve of her lip she kept biting, at how her lashes fluttered.
“Do I just…?” she asked, glancing at my mouth.
“Can I…?” I started, but my voice cracked.
She nodded, so I lifted my hand and brushed her damp hair back, letting my thumb graze her jaw. She shivered, and I almost pulled back, but she leaned in.
“First, um…” My heart was pounding, but I didn’t let it shake me. “You just lean in slowly. If it’s too fast, it feels awkward.”
She let out a small laugh, and it steadied me. So I leaned in, letting my forehead brush hers, letting her get used to how close I was.
“Close your eyes,” I whispered.
She did, and I let our noses brush. She giggled, and it made me smile.
Then, I kissed her.
It was soft. Steady. I let my lips move gently against hers, careful, but not clumsy. I tilted my head just enough, letting it feel natural, letting her ease into it.
Her hand found my shoulder, holding on softly, and she let out the tiniest breath against my mouth. I pulled back just enough to catch her eyes, her lips pink and parted.
“How was that?” I asked, my voice low.
She blinked, looking stunned for a second, then let out a tiny laugh. “That was… good.”
“Yeah?” I tried not to grin too hard.
She nodded, touching her lips. “Good.”
I hadn’t kissed anyone before, but somehow, it felt right with her. Easy. Like I’d been waiting for that moment, and I just knew what to do because it was her.
“Again?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I didn’t need to think about it. “Yeah.”
This time, I kissed her with a little more confidence, letting it linger, letting my lips press against hers in a way that made her sigh softly, her hand sliding up to my neck.
And for a moment, the world felt quiet and warm, just the two of us, learning each other in a way that felt both brand new and like something we had always been meant to do.
I wanted more … more of her…her pointed n*****s weren’t helping matters. I wanted to remove her shirt and stare at her body again, and feel her skin against mine. I was losing my mind. I knew I had to stop or I might be tempted to do something I might regret later…
Then… I gently let go …
We both took a deep breath, like something heavy had been taken out of us…
“Wow! Leo, that was Awesome.” She giggled.
“You are not bad for a first timer” she laughed again.
“I’m glad, you love that”. I said
“Let’s study”, she said, breaking through the few minutes of silence.
That night, I couldn’t sleep, her lips. Gosh! They tasted heavenly. I kept picturing her gorgeous body.
“ What did you do to me, Maya Brooks?!’
- Writer
