Chapter 52 - Falling
Alyssa felt that familiar pulling sensation deep inside of her. Even if she was close to him, she still didn't feel like she was close enough.
She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
The momentum and intensity gradually picked up with each passing moment and each subtle movement of their lips.
Elias leaned more into the kiss, amping up the pressure as his hands held her close to his body.
Alyssa drifted one hand up into the back of his hair, sifting through the wet strands. She lightly curled her fingers around them as his teeth scraped her bottom lip.
She breathed in deeply through her nose, trying to quell her rapid heartbeat. She couldn't believe they were making out in a spring.
How did she go from being so shy and cautious in the beginning of the semester to this person?
Elias brought his hands lower, grabbing at the back of her thighs to draw her legs around his waist. His lips didn't part from hers as they moved and pressed.
Alyssa felt the lightest dash of his tongue against hers, prompting a soft moan from her that she couldn't control.
So many sensations were lighting up throughout her body. She wanted him so badly, but she wasn't used to this. She didn't want to mess up. Maybe she wasn't ready.
"Wait. Stop," she breathed out as she pulled away from him.
"Are you okay?" Elias asked her as a concerned look appeared on his face.
Alyssa looked down as she rested her hands on his shoulders.
"I just… don't know if I'm ready yet… it would be my first time," she murmured quietly. She didn't know why she felt embarrassed telling him that, but she just felt steps behind so many other people her age.
She didn't have as many experiences as them, and she didn't want to be a disappointment.
Elias' eyes widened slightly when he realized what she was talking about.
"I'd never make you do anything you're not ready to do, Alyssa," he told her. "I didn't know."
Alyssa shook her head.
"I was nervous to tell you," she admitted. She knew that was silly. This was Elias she was talking about.
She could tell him anything and find comfort in his reactions. He had never done anything to purposely hurt her.
Elias lightly nudged her forehead with his, making her meet his gaze.
"I'm not in this for the sex. I just want to be with you. We'll go at your pace," he told her with a comforting smile.
A rush of relief flooded through Alyssa. He didn't seem bothered at all. She knew that he was a good guy. She should've known he wouldn't have minded.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. She felt like she could breathe again, and her body physically relaxed in his hold.
"There's no need to thank me. I just want you to be happy," Elias replied.
Alyssa placed her hand on his cheek, stroking his clean shaven face. She really got lucky meeting him.
She could've gotten with some jerk, who only cared about her body. Instead, she got with someone who cared about everything.
"I… can see myself being with you… for my first time," she admitted. She had never gotten close enough with someone or trusted anyone enough to have her first time with them.
But things felt different with Elias. She felt like he would actually take care of her.
Elias gave her a light squeeze.
"And I'll make it perfect for you," he assured her.
"I know you will," Alyssa murmured as she shared a smile with him. She knew that he would pull out all the stops to make the moment special for her, and she couldn't wait for it. She just needed to get over her anxiety about it first.
"How are you liking the date so far?" Elias asked her with a hopeful look on his face.
Alyssa playfully shrugged. Deep down, she loved being here with him. They were in their own little world here, and she didn't want to leave anytime soon.
Reality was no fun. With him, she felt like she was in a dream far away.
Elias' sweet smile then turned wicked before he tossed her into the water.
A gasp rang from Alyssa before she was submerged underwater. She swam her way back to the surface to see Elias laughing.
Her jaw dropped open in shock before she splashed water at him.
Elias recoiled back from the splatter of water in his face. His eyes then narrowed.
"Oh, you're asking for it now," he said before splashing water back at her.
Alyssa cried out as water drops rained down on her. She wasn't about to back down from his challenge, though.
As they splashed around in the spring and pushed each other into the water, all of her stress from earlier melted away.
He so easily put her in a calm state, and it became obvious to Alyssa that she was falling for him. There was no turning back now.
***************
Alyssa laid out all of her things at her usual computer station in the library. Honestly, her mind wasn't all that focused on homework right then, but she knew that she needed to catch up.
She had been slacking lately because her and Elias had been going out and hanging out so much.
Seeing him felt like an addiction at that point. She loved being around him, getting to talk about anything and everything that was on her mind.
She felt like she didn't have to hide anything from him and like her life was more than just school. He showed her that there could be so much more.
After she told him that she was a virgin, there was no awkwardness or hesitation between them.
Things went back to normal completely, which was a relief to Alyssa. She didn't want that messing anything up for them. When she was ready, they could take the next step.
Nothing about him was keeping her from taking that next step. In fact, he really encouraged her to want to, but her own nervousness held her back.
What if it didn't feel good? What if she panicked? She wanted that moment to be perfect, and she knew that he would do everything to make it that way, but could she keep up her end of the deal?