Never Truth

28

“There,” I said, pointing at a cardboard box on one of the top shelves. Nico stepped closer, his eyes falling from the shelf down to where I stood below. The softness I’d brought to his features with my attempt at levity fell away, a determined intensity darkening his cobalt eyes. His body closed in on mine until I could feel his body heat touching me, tempting me. Our gazes stayed locked, and my head swam with nervous anticipation. He was going to kiss me right there in the art supply closet. But it didn’t matter where we were. I wanted that kiss so badly, we could have been in a bathroom for all I cared. My heart tapped out an erratic rhythm in my throat. My hands suddenly became hot and sweaty, unsure what to do. While his gaze never wavered from my wide eyes, mine kept straying down to his full lips. It felt like an eternity, when, in reality, his slow descent to bring our lips together only lasted a handful of seconds. Then, the moment I’d envisioned a million times over was finally happening. His warm lips pressed softly against mine. It was our only point of contact, but that one single touch electrified my entire body. My eyes drifted shut as neither of us moved, both lost in the sensation of our first kiss. There was no tongue or movement, just a simple touch, but it made my heart swell with love. When he pulled back, my face split in a wide grin that matched his own. “A little something to think of when I’m missing you this summer,” he said shyly, digging his hands deep into his pockets awkwardly. “I’ll find a way to see you, I promise.” “Not even the cops could keep me away. Now you go back over to the sink before we get written up, and I’ll get the towels down.” I followed his instructions, pulling out a new package of towels from the box he brought over, then removing one from the bundle to wet in the sink. With gentle dabs, I wiped at the white paint still adorning his nose. “There, all cleaned up.” I smiled up at him, noticing his eyes dart to where our teacher was working. “Looks like we better get back to our table.” He gestured with a lift of his chin. Realizing we were being watched, I spun and hurried back to my stool. Twenty minutes later when the bell rang, I glanced at Nico’s canvas. In place of the black lettering, he had painted a large red heart adorned with the black dots of a ladybug. We both counted down the days until Nico’s sixteenth birthday. We had survived our summers apart and seen each other more at school than we had expected, but we still longed for a time when we could be together whenever we wanted. He didn’t live within walking distance, and Staten Island didn’t have the same public transportation as they had in the city, so it was hard for us to see each other outside of school. With a driver’s license, Nico could visit me anytime he wanted. When the big day arrived, it started out like any other Wednesday. I rushed through my morning routine, then got to school and hunted down Nico. This time, instead of a morning hug, I greeted him with his birthday present wrapped in shiny green paper. His parents didn’t have much money, so he had a crap iPhone 3 that died all the time. I’d saved for months to give him the new iPhone 5 that had just come out and couldn’t wait to show him. I thrust the package at him, bouncing in place I was so excited for him to open it. He shredded the gift wrap in two second flat, his brows drawing together when he saw what was inside. “Sof, I can’t accept this. It’s too much.” “Antonico Conti, don’t even think about refusing my gift. That phone means I can text you anytime I want without having to wonder whether it’s you or your phone that’s dead when you don’t text me back. It’s purely selfish, so no arguing.” I raised a brow, drawing a smirk from him. “If I wasn’t saving for a car, I would have bought a new one myself. Thank you, Ladybug, I love it.” His hand snaked around my neck and pulled my lips to his for a chaste kiss. “Later, when we aren’t at school, I’ll thank you properly,” he purred close to my ear. My cheeks blazed with warmth. “You coming over later?” “Ma got off work and is grabbing me at lunch to take me to the DMV since their lines take all day. I’ll miss school this afternoon, but I’ll come by your place when I’m done—driving by myself.” I grinned up at him, so happy to see the joy on his face. “Confident you’ll pass, aren’t you?” “Today is going to be an amazing day. I can feel it.” His optimism was infectious, making me giggle as he planted one more kiss on my cheek. “Alright, birthday boy. I need to get to my locker, but I’ll see you after school. Good luck!” “Thanks, Sof!” I shook my head as I watched him strut down the hall, saying a little prayer that everything went smoothly with his driver’s test. Nico was the best part of my life. I shared everything with him, aside from the fact that my dad was in the mafia. I’d debated over and over whether to tell him about my family but couldn’t seem to do it. I hated to mar our relationship with that side of my background. It served no purpose except as an outlet for me to vent, so I allowed the secret to remain in the dark. At six sharp that evening, Nico showed up at my house grinning ear to ear behind the wheel of his father’s twelve-year-old Pontiac Grand Prix. I ran out to meet him, throwing my arms around his neck the second he stepped from the car. “You did it!” I squealed as he lifted me off my feet.