Aspen's cheeks were still red when they had finally reached the building where Paisley's apartment was. It's just a ten-minute drive from the bar where they came from, but for some reason, it took Aspen fifteen minutes to reach the building because she was too busy calming the hell out of her. The kiss- though she wasn't sure if she was supposed to consider it a kiss since their lips just pressed into each other for a split second. Then, the next thing Aspen knew, Paisley had already fallen asleep. Aspen tried to convince herself that it was nothing, that Paisley mistook her for someone else, but almost no brain cells believed her. Most were excited and happy but simultaneously afraid that this was nothing again. That maybe Paisley was again toying with her feelings. Fortunately, that thought calmed her down as the deep shade of pink on her cheeks slowly faded. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes for two long seconds, then snapped her head in the passenger seat.
Aspen stared at Paisley for two more seconds before she unbuckled her seat belt and exited her car. Paisley was still sleeping soundly, even after Aspen lifted her from the passenger seat and carried her in a bridal style.
Realizing that the possibility of her opening the apartment door without putting Paisley down was close to none, Aspen slowly let the brunette's feet touch the ground but kept her left hand around Paisley's waist, which made the shorter girl's eyes flutter open.
"What was your passcode?" Aspen whispered, awkwardly stealing glances at the wasted beauty who could barely keep her eyes open.
"Anniversary," Paisley whispered as she closed her eyes again, and her head hung low in exhaustion and sleepiness. Aspen tightened her hold on Paisley's waist as Paisley almost fell forward.
Aspen scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she asked, "What?"
The gray-haired beauty failed to hear any more words from Paisley's lips except for soft snores.
Aspen sighed in slight frustration as she tilted her head, staring at the door and still keeping her hands on the brunette's waist.
"Anniversary," Aspen repeated mentally, thinking it through.
When she heard that word, only one date crossed her mind: December 10, 2013. It was the day that used to be her favorite, but now it only brings pain whenever it crosses her mind. The very first day, her lips touched Paisley's. It was the day when everything between them became official. Aspen shook her head to rid those unnecessary thoughts as she heaved another long sigh.
After pondering for three more seconds, Aspen realized she should at least try to open the door. She slowly lifted her hand, creeping up to the door, but kept her eyes on her feet. She gradually but surely entered the digit 101213, and when she heard that beeping sound, signaling that the door was finally open, she wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad, or maybe both. The first thing that crossed her mind was, "Why is that her password?"
As the night gets deeper and deeper, so is her confusion. She carefully dragged the wasted brunette inside the warm apartment, closing and locking the door after her. She couldn't help but wonder why they had met again. Why, of all times, have their paths crossed again? Why, of all times, did she happen to see her again? Is Heaven playing tricks on me? Or was I just being tested?
Aspen clenched her teeth as she tried to shake those thoughts out of her mind. She held Paisley tightly and guided her to the room she assumed was Paisley's. A long, exasperated sigh slipped between the gray-head's lips when she had finally put the younger woman down on the bed, relieved that the weight on her shoulder dissipated but also undeniably sad that the peach-like fragrance with a hint of beer left her nostrils.
For the umpteenth time, a sigh came out of her mouth as she stared at the wasted but smoking-hot Paisley. She didn't mean to stare at Paisley's thighs, which were on full display due to her burgundy dress that accidentally moved up, but she did, for two fucking long seconds. Before perverted thoughts could ever flood her mind, Aspen averted her eyes as she rubbed the back of her neck, reminded of the identity of the person on the bed.
Her ex. Her greatest love. That's the girl that tore her heart into pieces.
She contemplated for a second if she would remove the red heels that Paisley was still wearing but soon decided to remove them from Paisley's feet. She was also kind enough to cover Paisley's body with a comforter. She watched Paisley for three more seconds before she decided to call it a day and leave the apartment and probably Paisley's life too, never to let herself cross paths with her ex again when a soft, warm hand stopped her from taking a step.
Surprised, she snapped her head back and saw Paisley fully awake. If Aspen will be honest, that creeped her out because she had seen the brunette sleeping just a few seconds before she looked away from Paisley. Yet, here she was now, fully awake. But that also didn't fail to send butterflies to her stomach. There's something about Paisley's stare. She was drowning. She was slowly losing her ability to think straight.
"P-Paisley-"
"Stay." Paisley interrupted Aspen, catching the grayhead beauty off guard.
Paisley's voice was raspy and pleading. Paisley's chocolate brown eyes were glistening. Harrison wasn't sure if it was due to the reflection of the light or because of tears pooling in Paisley's eyes. The taller girl failed to utter words and stared at the shorter beauty. She opened her mouth to speak but soon closed it again and again. On her third time, she finally mustered her courage as she answered, "I can't," eyes closed while shaking her head.
Knowing that staying in the same room as Paisley would not result in anything good, Aspen desperately removed Paisley's hand from her arm as she hurried to the door. But Paisley refused to give up that easily, not today that they had finally seen each other again after seven years; not today that something was telling her that Aspen wanted her as much as she wanted her. Feeling unbelievably brave, Paisley pushed herself out of bed and ran towards Aspen, who was already in the doorway. Her sudden movement made her dizzy, but she ignored that and closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Aspen's warm body.
"Please stay." Paisley again begged as sobs slipped out of her lips.
Aspen Harrison didn't dare move or say a word; she just quietly listened to Paisley's pleas and cries, unsure what to do. She had pictured this scene thousands or maybe a million times already. In her imagination, Aspen always managed to get out of Paisley's grip and leave without caring about the brunette. But what's happening right now— what she wants to do right now is far from what she imagined— far from what she should do.
Aspen looked down at Paisley's trembling hands around her waist. Aspen saw something fall onto the floor; oblivious to her, she was already crying. Aspen gulped down, slowly raised her hands, and traveled to Paisley's arms. She untangled them over her waist and slowly faced the wasted brunette.
Paisley's head was hung low, still crying and repeatedly uttering the words, "Please stay," with desperation engraved on every syllable.
With a mind of their own, Aspen's hand moved towards Paisley's cheeks as she slowly pushed the shorter girl's cheek upwards and wiped the damp cheeks with her thumb.
Aspen was no longer sure what she was doing. She no longer knew why she was doing all these things. Her hands and lips moved independently and glued to Paisley's forehead for two seconds. Aspen leveled her eyes, boring her eyes at the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes she had seen. She glanced at Paisley's parted lips, then back at Paisley's eyes again. Aspen isn't sure who took the initiative. It's just that the next thing she knew, she was kissing the brunette for the second time tonight. Aspen tasted something salty, probably the brunette's tears, and also sweet, which she was sure was the chapstick that Paisley was wearing right now. Neither of the two were moving their lips; they stayed like that until Aspen took the initiative to move very slowly, which Paisley gladly reciprocated. That slow kiss progressed into a deep, hungry, sensual, and needy kiss as Aspen took a step, pushing Paisley back to the room, back to the bed.
When the back of Paisley's lower thigh hit the edge of the bed, her legs became wobbly as her back fell to the bed, but she made sure to drag Aspen down with her by wrapping her arms around the taller's nape. The fall entangled their lips as Aspen looked down at Paisley in worry.
"Are you okay? Did I squeeze you?" Aspen worriedly asked as she immediately supported herself with her arms on each side of Paisley.
The question made Paisley smile. "You're still as kind as I remember," Paisley uttered, pulling Aspen down. She bit Aspen's lower lip and then stared back at Aspen's darkened gray orbs.
"And your lips were still as soft and sweet as I remember."
Paisley ran her index finger on Aspen's lower lip, staring alternately between Aspen's eyes and lips, trying to convey a message.
Aspen didn't reply and just stared at Paisley's sparkling eyes. Her mind was blank. She couldn't think of anything else. She doesn't want to. What she just wanted to do was claim Paisley's lips again for a lustful kiss, and that's what she did.
Their eyes closed in unison as Aspen began sucking on Paisley's lower lip and Paisley on Aspen's upper lip. Tongues entangled as their kisses began to get rougher, needier, and lustful.
Feeling her strength loosening up in her arms, Aspen gradually and gently lowered herself as she let her clothed body against Paisley's. A soft moan escaped Paisley's lips as Aspen's kisses slowly crawled down her neck. She nipped. She bit. She licked. She sucked, leaving marks all over Paisley's neck. Love marks that Paisley will surely boost up with her friends the next day.
Paisley was biting her lower lip, stopping herself from becoming a moaning mess. As Aspen's mouth busied themselves on the brunette's neck, her hands started roaming and found themselves on Paisley's breasts. They were soft. They weren't too big for Aspen's hands; they were just big enough for Aspen's hands. Harrison started with slow and light squeezes, barely making any movements, and just looked like she was measuring- memorizing the size of Paisley's breasts against her palms. Aspen was taking her sweet time, ensuring that her lips would graze all over Paisley's skin.
Growing impatient as the clock's hand ticked against their ears, as the night grew hotter and deeper, Aspen pulled the upper part of Paisley's strapless dress just below the brunette's breasts. The action surprised Paisley a little bit and, at the same time, aroused her even more. As Paisley's dress didn't require her to wear a bra, Paisley's round breasts and perked-up pinkish nipples were on display when Aspen pulled the dress down. It was a breathtaking sight.
The sight amazed the taller girl as a slight smirk played on her lips, followed by a teasing lick on her upper lip. Paisley forced a gulp down her throat as she could feel herself getting even wetter down there, growing extremely excited and impatient. Aspen looked up, allowing Paisley to see her darkened gray orbs again before she lowered herself to the desert before her.