Emyln

I'm exhausted by the time we're done packing up his bedroom and have shared a whole Hawaiian pizza. And so is Hains – we're both lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"At least the flight doesn't leave until 11:30 a.m., right?" he asks, trying to sound optimistic. "Could you imagine if we had to get up at a God-awful time like 4:00 a.m.? That would be horrific."

I nod in agreement even though my thoughts are elsewhere. I never wanted to come back to Whistler, but now that I'm here, I don't want to leave everyone behind. I mean, technically I'm not leaving everyone behind, but there are some people. My mom, Joel, Miles, Val, and I don't know why the fuck he's even on my list, but also Landon. What can I say? My stepfamily has grown on me a little.

"Ems?" Hains asks, propping himself up on his elbow. "You okay?"

I stay silent, averting my eyes to the window that has a perfect view of my bedroom window. All those times he snuck into my bedroom after bedtime play in my mind.

Sounding more concerned than before, he asks, "Is your side okay?" I feel his hand rest on my ribcage. Warmth radiates through my shirt and to my skin from his palm. "It's not hurting, is it?"

I look at him. "Hains, it's been two weeks. There's no possible way the internal bleeding could start up again."

He shrugs. "Can you blame me? It's not like you to not talk. What's bugging you?"

I sigh and lace my fingers through his. "Do you really want to leave tomorrow?"

"We already talked about this, baby. Yeah, it's sudden, but I think it's for the best. We need to get settled and find jobs. All that kind of shit. Oh, and we might as well act like tourists for a few days. I've always wanted to explore that area."

I smile to myself. He's cute when he's excited like this. I know he's trying to hide the level of excitement he's experiencing at the moment, but he's failing. He's acting like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Ems," he says, his excitement dying down. "Are you okay? You're starting to worry me."

I shrug. How do I tell him I'm already a little homesick? Sure, I'm thrilled to be going to Ontario with him, but that's not going to stop me from missing the serenity of Whistler and the comfort of my family. I look at him, his stormy grey eyes full of concern. "I'm homesick already," I whisper. "I'm going to miss this." I gesture to the space around us. "How do I leave when I've gotten used to this again?" I shake my head. "Fuck, I feel like such a loser for saying that. Your mom is going through rehab and I'm complaining about leaving people behind. I'm pathetic."

Hains looks at me for a good ten seconds and then takes my hand. "Ems," he says, kissing the back of my hand. "You're going to be fine. And it's not a crime to miss your family."

I sigh. "Yeah, but what happens if I start crying because I miss them so much?"

He chuckles and rolls over so his body is on top of mine. "Then you come find me and cry into my shoulder until the tears are gone. And when that's over, you Skype or FaceTime your mom, Val, Rosa, or your dad. Anyone." He pauses and looks at me, a devilish grin on his face. "Or..."

"Or?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

"Or you can do that the next day and give me the night to make you feel better."

"And how, Hains, would you make me feel better?" I tease.

He nudges my chin to the side with his nose and then brings his lips down to my neck. My body instantly reacts to his hot breath and soft lips. "How about I show you right now?" He glances at his watch. "We've got plenty of time to sleep on the plane."

I swallow, my nerves buzzing, and nod.

I feel him smile against my skin, and then gently bite down. A small gasp escapes my lips. I hear him chuckle. It's throaty and deep, and then he's kissing, nipping, sucking. Driving me absolutely insane in the process.

In the midst of getting lost in his techniques, I feel him tug at my T-shirt. 

"Please," I rasp.

He breaks apart from me to pull it over my head and then goes ahead with removing my bra. Both articles of clothing end up on the floor somewhere. The warm summer breeze coming from his open window tickles my bare skin. 

His lips find the hollow of my throat as one of his hands, pressed into the mattress, balances his weight. The other hand gently massages my bare shoulder. And then his mouth moves downward, giving attention to the places that need it most. My cheeks begin to heat up and my breathing becomes erratic as the seconds pass.

"Oh my God, Hains," I whisper, closing my eyes.

When he comes to the waistband of my jean shorts, he stops and pulls away. I hold back a whimper. Why did he stop?

Opening my eyes, I see him hovering over me again, staring down at me. Using his free hand, he traces the shape of my lips. "You're so beautiful, Ems – I hope you know that."

I smile, bashfully. He's being modest. I'm not that pretty.

He seems to detect my doubt because he continues on: "Seriously. No other girl could ever compare to you."

Though I do love his compliments, my body is aching for him. It's unfair that he wound me up so much and then stopped! Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him down to my lips. "Aren't you going to finish showing me how you're going to make me feel better when I'm homesick?"

A crooked grin crosses his face. "Man, I don't know if you're ready for the things I want to do to you," he says.

I burst out laughing. What the hell is he talking about? Does he not remember the night he crawled through my bedroom window and told me all about his mom? Does he not remember how long we lasted in my bed? Or how my mom walked in and basically saw us naked? Okay, there were sheets covering our bodies, but the adult mind still has an imagination. "Seriously?" I gasp through the laughter. "Are you kidding me? We've had sex twice in the past month and you think I'm not ready?"

He laughs along with me. "Yeah, I was trying to act seductive, but I guess that didn't work out very well now, did it?"

"Let me tell you this," I say, "you can be romantic, a total fucking suck, a clown, but if there's one thing you can't be, it's seductive."

We both laugh because we know it's true.

"So," he says after the laughter has died down. "Can you believe this is happening? That we're actually fulfilling the dream we shared as kids?"

I shake my head. "I really can't. But that's what makes it better, right? It's like we've defied the laws of life or something. I don't know. I just feel like a total renegade. It's amazing and I can't fucking wait to be there with you, doing what we want and how we want it."

Hains smiles at me. "I never really thanked you for getting me in."

"You don't need to," I say, hugging him. "I can see it written all over your face." And then I grin at him. "Besides," I continue, reaching down to undo the button of his shorts. "I know a perfect way you can thank me."

Hains smiles and shakes his head. "There's my girl. Miss Emyln Juliette Walker – the girl that knows what she wants and does whatever she can to get it."

"Damn straight," I laugh, pulling down the zipper.

Just as I'm about to tug at the waistband of his shorts, he grabs my wrist. "Shouldn't I be thanking you?"

I flop back against the pillows. "Do your worst, Hains," I grin.

"Oh," he chuckles, hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of my shorts and giving them a good tug in a downward motion. "You just wait."

A smile like no other breaks through. Returning to my hometown has been a rollercoaster of emotions and conflicts, but one thing I'm damn sure glad I did is fight for him. Even though he tried so hard to push me away, I'm so fucking happy I kept trying and didn't give up on winning him back.

My best friend.

My neighbour.

The only man I've ever loved.

No matter what happens in the future, no matter what we have to endure, I know we'll be together to face the storm.

I love this man, and he loves me.

It's as simple as that.

No matter what happens, I will choose him. Over and over again. Without a pause, without a single doubt in my mind, I will keep choosing him.