The Other Side - Chapter 33

"The Other Side - Chapter 32" 

“Gary, you make me feel alive.”

Becky had been staring up at the stars for what felt like hours. She could feel the warmth from Gary’s body radiating over her chilled skin, making the right side of her body completely jealous of the left for being so close to him. Becky was so happy that her toes tingled.

“I haven’t done something this spontaneous since…for a long time.” Becky turned her head to look at the curly hair, dark still eyes with perfect eyelashes next to her. She wanted her thoughts to be trained on this moment, on this person. This was all that was in front of her right now and this is all that she wanted to be in front of her. No past, no present, no nothing. Just her, Gary, and the roof top.

After Jim’s good-bye, Becky had planned to stay with Delany and help her cope. But three seconds with the girl told her that wasn’t going to happen. Delany was distraught, confused, and completely furious. Becky went over to Gary’s apartment in tears, where he said no words but just took her into his arms. She confessed her pain and confusion to him, and how she didn’t want to be backwards anymore. Gary had pressed, but Becky just couldn’t tell him about Jacob. He seemed to get the drift quickly though, so he made her a bowl of macaroni and cheese and held her. He held her through three straight movies.

Gary sighed next to her, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. Becky’s heart filled with warmth. Gary was doing everything that she needed. Gary was her savior, Gary was letting her live. Finally, she felt right again, and it was all because of Gary.

After the movies, and after he heard her stomach rumble, Gary took her to his favorite Italian restaurant. By then the sun had gone down and when he took her back to his apartment she didn’t even question…he took her straight up to the roof. They set their blankets on the harsh roof and stared up at the sky above.

“I’m glad.”

Gary turned his head to stare into her eyes and Becky let a smile grow on her face. She gently moved her thumb around his thumb, realizing that she wasn’t content with just holding his hand. She wanted to feel his hand too. Becky was blinded by her feelings, amazed by how quickly everything could come. Just yesterday she had been so confused – she felt what Gary and she had was a teenage relationship. A good old fashioned high school sweetheart kind of relationship. But suddenly, when she looked at him, she felt like it was more than that. This day had brought out so much.

"Gary...I..."

Becky bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she should say it. She knew she was feeling something amazing inside of her right now, and she knew she had never felt it before. Ever. This rush, sparkling, buzzing inside of her heart wasn't anything she ever experienced - not even with Jacob Jones. It was funny, she didn't even mind thinking about him. Here she thought that boy had changed her life forever, and it just now occurred to her that he didn't matter. He couldn't affect her here in Pennsylvania at all. In fact - he was making her realize exactly what her feelings there weren't.

She scoffed to herself and gave Gary's hand a squeeze. She didn't know how she could have thought that low, tantalizing, brooding feeling that swelled up slowly inside of her with Jake could ever be called love. That is the feeling that tricks love, she was sure. That was the feeling of...of desperate love. Dancing in Africa and almost getting run over by a car, that didn't create love...this did. Watching movies and holding hands was the way hundreds of people fell in love every day. If Africa was what it took to fall in love - well...everyone in the world would be single.

"What is it, Beck?" Gary turned her head to look at Becky and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, taking his hand and smoothing back her hair.

"I...well," She smashed her face into his shoulder and muttered something deep into the cloth. Gary laughed aloud.

"Becky, my ears aren't down there, you know."

She tore her face away from him and giggled a little before going serious again. Every nerve in her body was telling her to say it. The mere touch against him was sending lightening through her. She felt like she was sitting next to a storm cloud. She felt like she was sitting next to the man that she...

"Gary, I - is it ok if I love you?"

Gary stopped the slow rubbing of her thumb and turned to look her directly in the eyes. For a moment he had no response and Becky was certain he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Then, in an instant, Gary's lips were over hers in a kiss so full of passion she thought she might drown.

She broke the kiss to take a breath and was about to go for more but Gary had other plans. He grabbed her hands and pulled her into a standing position then took her by the wrist.

"Come on."

"Where are we -" Gary cut her off with another kiss pounding with so much electricity she felt her knees shake. Or maybe it was her excitement and wonder pure and simple. Maybe it was because she knew exactly where he was taking her.

"Just follow me, Becky." He said with their lips still touching, breath tickling the corners of her mouth. He then turned, pulling her into the building, pulling her into his apartment, and locking the door securely behind them.

-----

Jacob collapsed on his bed, green sweater tossed onto the bathroom floor and his jeans (that were far too tight) unbuttoned to expose his black silk boxers (that were far too expensive for underwear). Jacob longed to wear a worn in pair of jeans with holes and sand in the pockets. He wanted to own a shirt from Wal-Mart. But the closest thing he had to that was his bare chest.

He sighed. He finally kicked his act together for scene 24 and made the director happy. Jake guessed they would have about two more weeks of shooting before the actors like him could move on out to the next production. Normally it took months to get the movie prepared but Jacob had sensed a massive rush on the part of this one. He had half a mind to think that most of the movie was already edited and reviewed and ready to be put together. For all he knew he might have to go straight from shooting into working on his schedule for advertising the movie and premiere dates.

Rubbing his eyes, Jake reached above his head to close the blinds with one hand and then flicked off the light of the tiny lamp beside his bed. It may be a mere 8 p.m. but Jake was ready for bed. He had done that lame interview for God knows how long and then been made up for an hour, acted for 4, and then been un-made up for another hour. Yup, he was ready for bed.

"Well, I see you're ready for me."

Jake groaned and quickly did the button on his jeans. "You always pick the best time to come in and bother me."

Melissa laughed aloud. "I knew you were going to be in here all alone probably trying to sleep when it's not even dark outside. For being such a busy-body, everybody-loves-you actor, you sure don't know how to live it up."

The young actor laughed and looked at Lissa smiling in the dim light. Her perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth gleamed at him and with one swift movement he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed. She gave a squeak but didn't protest. Jake wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her long hair, kissing the top of her head.

"Jake!" She whined, "Come on, my hair."

"Oh, screw your hair," he said, his words muffled as he inhale the light scent of mango and peach.

Melissa huffed and wiggled in his arms. "Screw you!"

"Ok." Jake smiled as he heard her burst into laughter. She squirmed out of his grasp and rolled on her stomach so she could look into his eyes.

"You know you shouldn't tempt me like that," she said, her eyes glittering. She ran her long, manicured fingers over his bare chest. Jake felt a sharp, tickling spasm at the base of his spine.

"And why not?"

Lissa winked at him in the dark and kissed the tip of his nose. "Because we are lying together on a bed, in the dark, and you're half naked?"

Jake laughed aloud. "Isn't that more an opportune moment than a problem?"

Lissa flipped her slightly curled tresses over the side of her head and just looked at Jacob for a moment. Her breath was fresh and he could just catch the warmth as it entered his lungs. Then she leaned him and kissed him in a way he hadn't been kissed in quite some time. It was a kiss that stirred up memories of what he felt to be a past life, the first time he was paired with Lissa.

"You know what," Lissa whispered, breaking the kiss to move higher on the bed, leaning over him and letting her dark hair fall in a curtain around them. "You're right. It's not a problem."

She then lowered herself down and took every last breath inside of him away.

"The Other Side - Chapter 34" 

Madame