~Senior Year~

Olivia

Can I just say that there is something extremely sexy about watching a man play guitar?

Okay, maybe it's just watching my man play guitar. Yeah, that's right, my man. It's been a year since Max and I stood at the top of our cliff, proclaiming the coveted decision of moving beyond the simple term of just friends. It's the very same spot he told me he loved me exactly two weeks after. The very spot we still go to write together. For me to place a string of words onto the page, for Max to find a rhythm to match. He's been writing some things himself too.

Max started playing at the coffee shop a couple months ago, something his mom set up. She still plays here every once in a while, but she's pulled back a bit being pregnant again. With her pulling out of her scheduled gigs, it opened a nice door for Max to slide right in. And I can't say watching him play every weekend doesn't fill my body with all of that proud emotional crap. Seeing him up there, playing, it does something to my heart. Makes it swell within its walls.

It's similar to the feeling I get when he's on the basketball court. Watching him do something he loves and completely killing it in the process is so damn attractive. It's like I'm oozing pride and desire right onto the damn floor.

The way the light dances across the slight sheen of sweat adorning his skin. The way his fingers so effortlessly glide and pick the strings all the while causing those little muscles along his forearm to put on a show just for me. I think I might just throw my whole virginity plan right out the window watching him up on that small stage.

"He sounds good tonight," Ryder's voice sails in beside me, literally causing my water to fly from my hands. The small splashes of cool liquid across my chest are a welcome cool down from the thoughts blazing across my mind.

She pulls out her phone, raising it toward the stage. I glance over to her as another smile falls across my face. She's been posting his videos online. Plastering them all over the place. He's actually got a ridiculous number of views. Just another thing that makes my heart swell. To see people see what I do.

As his final song begins, I can't help but sing along, quietly mouthing the words as my body sways. This one is our song. The one I wrote, that he helped me finish. The one we shared our first kiss to. I insisted he have it, that it needed to be heard. And there was no way singing was becoming my thing. Not beyond the shield of the theater. He's made some tweaks, made it fit him since he's singing it solo, but it will always be ours. We'll always have that moment.

His fingers fall, the last note ringing out across the room. He offers a smile, thanking the crowd as the place erupts in cheers. Some are people from school, others regulars or family, some random tourists who popped in as they heard the sound. Regardless of why they're here, the place is packed.

"I got all of that," Ryder smiles, looking back at the video she just took. "People are going to flip over this one."

I can't help but smile, knowing she's absolutely right. They flip over all of his videos lately. And as much of it is the raw talent, I know another big piece is the very thing that still has me squeezing my thighs together. He's so damn sexy up on that stage. And I know for a fact that I'm not the only girl with eyes. In fact, there's a few of those desperate eyes clinging to him as we speak.

I stand from my chair, taking two quick steps forward.

"Get him, girl!" I hear Ryder laugh behind me, but I don't break stride.

He's about to step down from that stage and I don't need any girls in this establishment to think they have the slightest of chances. Call me clingy, call me overprotective, I really don't care. He's mine.

He steps down, the crowd already closing in around him. I take one more step, bringing myself into view as his eyes pop up, landing on mine. A smile falls across his lips as he takes a step of his own, ignoring the people trying to talk to him. He shoves past, making a clear path to me as I leap from where I'm standing, his arms wrap around me, holding me up against him.

I know. I've fallen victim to PDA. I can't help it. This boy does things to me. Gives me blinders and makes me see only him. So yes, I'm going to gladly wrap my legs around his waist and kiss him right now. Fully on display for all to see.

"Alright, alright," a gentle voice sounds behind us, causing our lips to part. He doesn't drop me though, just holds me tighter as his forehead falls to mine. "This is a family establishment, you know."

I let my legs reluctantly fall to the ground as Max spins me in his arms. I can't stop the shade of pink now crawling across my cheeks as I turn to face his family. Maybe blinders aren't exactly the best in certain, very public, settings.

"Sorry, Mom. But she jumped me," Max says from behind me, prompting me to spin quickly and give him a nice playful hit across the shoulder.

He laughs, grabbing me back into his arms and holding me tightly against him. I fall into him, feeling the comfort and fire of his embrace.

His mom's eyes glisten as they bounce between the two of us. She's still the woman who offers me advice, who welcomes me into her home without question, and who makes me feel part of their family. Only difference is the open bedroom door policy. A real problem now that the Hayes' finally built their new house. Yep, I'm no longer able to crawl through Max's window at night and cuddle in his arms.

"We were going to go grab dinner if you two would like to join us?" Brynn asks as Tyler wraps his arm around her, pulling her in close.

"Oh," Max says from behind me. "I was actually hoping to take her out tonight."

"Oh, but you guys never come!" Lily whines at her mom's feet, the pout on her face one that has me caving.

The thing is, I know Max isn't planning to take me to dinner. Not when his house just emptied out and we have a place to ourselves for at least an hour.

"Tell you what," I peel myself from Max's grip and crouch down in front of Lily. Her dark blonde hair pulled into two braids, dangling on her shoulders. "How about after dinner, I come to your place and we finish that picture we started?"

Her eyes widen as a smile brightens her face. "Yeah! And we can add glitter?"

"Is there any other way to finish a masterpiece?" I smile back, tapping my finger on the tip of her nose.

"Glitter makes everything better," she beams.

I can't help but pull her into my arms, giving her a hug before returning to my feet. Brynn's eyes are a bit more knowing now, still glancing between the two of us.

"Maybe we'll just get take out. I'm not sure yet," she offers before I see a laugh falling across Tyler's face.

"Leave them be," Tyler says, giving his son a look before pulling his wife into him, planting a kiss on her temple. "Let's enjoy our evening and let them enjoy theirs."

The smile that takes over her face as his lips fall against her has me smiling back. They just have one of those love stories. The ones where they fall deeper everyday. Where they make each other better. The way her body falls to his, how her features soften tells me just that.

"Okay," she relents. "You two have fun and be safe. Remember, you're the same age we were when I had you, Max."

"Mom!" he huffs, the cutest tinge of embarrassment on his cheeks.

"Okay," Tyler says with a gleaming smile. "I think you've killed the mood enough. Let's go eat. And for the record," he pauses to glance between the two of us. "Your mom is right. Always is. Be safe."

***

Pulling up to Max's new house is a bit surreal. It's gorgeous. Huge, pretty over the top for our town, but gorgeous nonetheless. And the best part? It's right on the lake. Backs up to a perfect private beach with its own dock.

I follow him inside, my eyes instinctively falling to the floor to ceiling windows that plaster the living room. I can't help but take in the view of the lake every damn time I enter this house. The fact that they get to wake up to this every single day is unreal. And right now? Watching the rippled light of the moon trail across the water is breathtaking.

"I still can't believe this is your home now," I exhale, walking up to the window and taking in the serenity of it all.

His hands slide across my abdomen, pulling my back to his chest as his chin falls to my shoulder. "I'm still getting used to it too," he whispers, and his breath falls elegantly along my neck.

"Did you ever imagine this would be your life?" I ask, my eyes still trained on the glow of the water.

His fingers move slightly, nudging up the hem of my shirt before resting against my skin. "When I was a kid? Not a chance. I was used to it being me and my mom. Our little house that I practically grew up in. But then I found out who my dad was and we moved to Los Angeles."

"That's right," I nod, placing my hands against his. "You probably lived like this out there for years. All famous and flashy."

His laugh falls against my skin, a tingle igniting across my chest. "Something like that. And don't get me wrong, I loved our house there. I loved becoming a family, getting to create new traditions together. But this? There's nothing quite like this in L.A."

I nod again, my head falling back against his chest. "The view is perfect."

"I'm not just talking about the view," he lifts his head, spinning me in his arms. "I'm talking about what this town means. About it being home. I think no matter where I end up in life, I always want this to be my destination. Where I keep my roots and build a family."

I can't help but smile thinking about Max in the future. About standing in front of a window of a home we built together. Is that crazy? Is it crazy to plant myself in his future?

The thing I'm beginning to learn while loving this boy is that love is crazy. It makes you giddy and hopeful. It makes you dream of futures that are so far away but sculpted so perfectly to the now.

As heartwarming and hopeful as that thought is, it still terrifies me. Thinking and dreaming of a future that could change in a heartbeat, it's scary. I've experienced the instant destruction of a life you thought you were living.

So instead of building this moment with him, my eyes fall to the guitar behind him as I shift slightly in his arms, stepping aside and reaching for it. "And what about this?" I question, lifting it up between us. A well needed diversion from where our conversation was headed. "Do you see yourself playing in your future?"

He smiles, stepping toward me and placing a hand around the neck of the guitar. "I don't think I could ever walk away from music. Not anymore."

His fingers slide along the chords as his eyes trail the length of the guitar. The same glisten when he plays begins to fill his features.

"Can you teach me something?" My voice falls out as my fingers land against his.

There's a different light in his eyes now as they catch mine. "You want to play?"

My shoulders lift as I think about the way his fingers effortlessly pick and glide, creating a sound so perfectly tuned. "I want to try."

His smile widens as his fingers slide between mine "Come on." He pulls me toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?"

He just smiles back at me as he continues to pull me up the staircase. When we reach the top, he takes a few familiar strides to the right before swinging his bedroom door open. I follow behind him, glancing out to the water once more. The view just as beautifully breathtaking from his room as it is downstairs.

He opens his closet, reaching for something before pulling it out. A guitar. My eyes scrunch together as I look up at him, watching as a smile finds his lips again.

"If I'm going to teach you, we're using this guitar," he says, opening the case before nodding toward his bed to sit down.

I do as I'm told as he slowly saunters toward me. "Why that guitar?"

"This was the first guitar I played. It's technically my mom's. A gift from my dad when they were in high school, but she gave it to me a few years ago. Said she saw a light in my eyes when I played. The very light she had when she first learned on this very guitar."

"Your mom learned to play on this?" I question, my eyes shooting up from the beautiful instrument in his hands to his.

"Yes," he smiles again. "And then I learned, and now you."

I'm at a loss. I don't even know where to begin. Thankfully, words don't appear to be necessary as his arms reach around me, placing the guitar gently across my lap as he drops the strap behind my neck. He moves slightly, pulling himself behind me as his hands fall along mine, his legs on either side of me.

"Lift your leg just a bit," he whispers against my neck, his hand falling beneath my thigh to bring it into position. "You'll use that to support the guitar. And now pull it into your stomach just a bit," he adds, pulling it tighter against me as his chest presses along my back.

"This good?" I ask, straightening my back and checking my position.

"Perfect. Now, your left hand will go here, the neck resting in your hand," he directs, reaching for my left hand with his and placing it gently along the neck of the guitar. "You'll want to stay loose and comfortable enough to slide your hand and fingers as needed."

I slowly turn to face him, a smile forming along my lips. "You think I'll really be shredding like Hendrix today?"

He laughs, planting a gentle kiss on the top of my nose. "No one will be shredding like Hendrix today."

"You never know. I'm a pretty quick learner," I tease, turning back to look at the guitar in my lap.

"I know you are." He now places a kiss against my shoulder before reaching for my right hand and dropping it over the base of the guitar. His left hand falls back against mine, his fingers landing perfectly on top of each of mine. "Okay. Take your pointer and place it here," he instructs, placing his own finger with mine and guiding it high on the neck of the guitar. "And your middle finger here. And your ring finger here. Perfect. Hold those chords and pick each one with your right. Strum down one at a time."

I take a breath, checking my left hand before looking back at my right and strumming. The sound plays out, echoing across the walls as my eyes fly up. "Holy crap! I'm playing!"

He laughs, his head falling to my shoulder before lifting and kissing my cheek. "You just played a C Major."

"I played a note? Damn right I just played a note."

He laughs again, shaking his head as he reaches for my left hand again. "You ready to try another one of those notes that have you celebrating?"

"Are you kidding? I'm ready to learn them all."

"Okay, well we're gonna start with the basics but I'd love to show you them all one day."

We continue this way, him holding my fingers in place and showing me one chord at a time. Again and again until he has me playing a simple string of notes in a row. It's nothing like the ease and beauty of the songs he plays, of the sounds he puts together to fill the silence of a warm day, but it's still the beginning of something.

"You know," he says from behind me as my fingers strum the last chord he showed me. "My guitar in your hands...it's really kind of hot."

"Oh yeah?" I question. My eyes trail over to his as he laces a hand along my cheek.

"Yes," his voice drops with the darkened tone of his eyes. His thumb falls along my lower lip, tracing a line across before tugging at it softly, causing my mouth to drop open slightly.

His smile is brief before his lips are on mine and he's removing the guitar from my lap. His movements are slow, the way his tongue parts my lips, his hand up my shirt. The butterflies flourishing my insides, has me sucking in a breath. The same savory moan rattles his throat as he pushes against me.

My back hits his bed and my legs fall open for him, feeling his firm body pressed against mine. His calloused fingertips run up my shirt, the texture against my skin like an ember catching fire in a forest.

He hesitates along the edge of my bra, his mouth fused to mine and our tongues dancing together in breathless harmony. Those lips of his fall to my neck, tracing their way to my collar bone as my legs squeeze tighter around him.

"Max," I breathe out as my fingers tangle within his hair, holding that magical mouth to my neck as he continues to work. "It's okay to touch me," I breathe out, arching my back further to continue to feel him against me.

He pauses, his breath hot along my neck before his eyes find mine. He's searching for an answer, asking permission I've already granted. I glance down, looking at his hand just below my chest, his fingers so close to edging their way beneath my bra. He moves his hand slightly, still watching me. "Here?" he asks.

I nod. "Yes."

His eyes hold mine, and every so slowly, his hand slips beneath my bra. I inhale, my breath caught in my throat, my mouth popped open as his fingers graze my nipple. He leans forward, kissing the corner of my mouth as he grips my breast fully in his hand and squeezes so perfectly it has my hips lifting into him.

He matches me, his hips pushing back, creating a friction my body seems to be craving. "Max," I breathe out.

He stops, his hand still and his eyes back on mine. "Is this okay?"

I nod, my heart hammering within my chest. "It just feels...really good."

He smiles, his free hand cupping my face as he holds me beneath him. "I want to make you feel good, Liv." I nod, my stomach spinning in glittery waves. "But tell me when to stop. Okay?"

"Okay," I whisper.

His hand tightens again, gripping my breast, his fingers squeezing my nipple as it peaks within his grasp. He moves his hips again, gliding his hardened length along my core. The friction builds and I find myself addicted to the growing pleasure between my legs. Still fully clothed, his jeans hit my most sensitive spot and an unexpected moan falls from my lips.

My hand quickly covers mouth, my eyes wide. His smile melts my heart, his hand gently along mine as he pulls it away from my lips. "It's okay," he whispers. "Don't hide from me. Please, baby. I want to hear you."

He moves again, his hips rolling against mine, his length rubbing me so dangerously perfect. His gentle eyes hold mine as my lips part, another whimper escapes and his lips fall to mine, capturing the sound as he continues.

The pressure builds, my hands cling to his back, pulling him closer as my legs fall further apart and my hips lift to meet his, craving more. "Max," I moan.

"Do you want to come, Liv? Or should I stop?"

His words blanket me. I never thought choosing to remain a virgin til' marriage could still feel this amazing. I made a promise to myself. Sex is to be saved for the one person who can truly promise me forever. It's meant to be given to someone who can guarantee a future that won't crumble at my feet, who knows what that moment means. It's meant for my husband.

But this feeling, the desire between my legs, the rush to my gut and the weightless feeling taking over my legs, I don't want him to stop. Maybe letting him make me come already breaks that sacred boundary, but I need him to keep going. 

"Don't stop," I whisper, my eyes holding his.

He brings his lips to mine, each gentle kiss pressed slowly against me as he keeps moving. I anchor myself to his movements, letting myself feel every building ounce of pleasure.

My hand falls to his hair, pulling tight as the ecstasy begins to ripple across my abdomen. "Oh, my God," I breathe out, the moan along my breath one I've never felt before. My legs begin to shake and my hips buck. "Max!" I cling to him as my entire body tenses around him. When I fall still and my legs flop lifelessly open, his eyes appear above me.

"This right here," he says against my lips. "I never had you in L.A. You're what makes this home, Liv."

And there it is. The glimmer of a future. The one I've begun to imagine, to hope for. And I know how hope goes. I know it's only a matter of time before I'm let down. But I just can't seem to protect my heart from the what ifs. I don't want to. I just want to feel all of it. The hope, the love, the lustful flashes of desire.

"I love you," I whisper, wrapping my hand around the back of his neck before bringing my lips to his.

"I love you, too. So goddamn much, Liv."