When Krystina heard the bang on the door, she didn't know who it was or why they were there. After all, the rain hadn't let up since it started. Just a never ending storm.
She looked through the peephole and opened the door immediately. There stood Adam, her friend from high school, soaked to his core.
"Oh god! Adam, what are you doing here?!" Shivering and looking sad, Adam replied,
"I need to talk to you, can I come in?"
"Yes, of course, of course," Krystina closed the door behind him and ran to grab a towel.
"Thank you," Adam took the towel with such force you'd have thought it was the last bit of food he would ever eat.
"Adam, what are you doing here? It's almost 1 a.m. and clearly, it's pouring out. Is everything with your mom ok?" Krystina's green-brown eyes burned with concern.
"No, no. Everyone is fine Krystina... I needed to come here. I need to tell you something. God... I don't even know where to start..." Adam looked down, drops of rain dripping from his hair to the carpet.
"Adam... just say it. I'm getting worried," Krystina put her hand on his wet back to console him. She had never seen him so distraught. He breathed out and looked into her eyes.
"Do you remember when we were in high school and everyone wanted us to go to prom together?"
"Yeah, god they wouldn't shut up about it," Krystina smirked at the memory.
"Right. And you asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with you instead. And we went and had an awesome time."
"Yes... then we never did it again."
"I know. And I am so sorry for that, but that's what I am trying to tell you Krys... I never told you that that night was the single greatest night of my life and I have replayed it over and over again in my mind since. That every day I wake up and think how I never told you... I never told you Krystina... just how much I love you." His hands were shaking and he looked back down after the words rolled from his tongue. Krystina was speechless; not sure of what to say or do.
"I... I... oh wow... Adam..." Adam found his courage again and began to speak.
"I love you Krystina. I always have. Ever since junior year of high school I've had feelings for you. And I thought maybe they would go away. Maybe after six years they would have dissipated, but I was wrong. I tried to move on. I tried dating other girls, but the whole time all I could think about was you. All I could think about was how I wanted to kiss you, hold your hand, cuddle up during a movie, and talk politics with you. How I wanted to make love to you in every way a man can, and curl up with you afterwards. I have wanted to tell you for so long..."
"Then why didn't you Adam? Why did you ignore me instead of go after me?" There was a harshness to Krystina's voice that Adam recognized all too well. It was the same harsh voice she used when in a defensive stance during debates and arguments.
"Because..." The words were like boulders sitting on his tongue. He didn't know how to scrape them off without being in total pain with a side effect of death.
"Because... I... because I was afraid Krystina. I was afraid of what it would do to our friendship; do to us. I was afraid of being in a relationship. Afraid I would lose my freedom and then as we grew farther apart I felt like it was too late. Maybe it is too late, and you'll throw me out of the apartment for being crazy, but I had to tell you. I can't hide how I feel for you anymore. I love you so much it hurts me sometimes to even speak your name, because I think of everything I lost. I am so sorry Krystina... so sorry." Tears welled in his green eyes as he shook with fear for what he may have just lost. There were a few minutes of silence that seemed like hours. Krystina's head was buzzing. Did that really just happen? And more, what did she want to do about it? The answer was clear and concise.
Krystina lifted Adam's head and kissed his soft lips. She moved her kiss from his top lip to the bottom while keeping her hand placed gently on his shoulder. When they finally parted, Krystina smiled and looked into his green eyes.
"I have wanted to do that since that night you picked me up off the ice at the ice rink."
"I have wanted that since movie night at school. You remember that? How horrible it was?" Adam wrapped his arms around her waist and breathed out.
"Oh god, yeah. I mean it wasn't that bad... ok... yeah it was pretty sucky," Krystina laughed and placed another quick kiss on his lips.
"It was worth it though. I got to be with you." Adam then kissed Krystina again only with more heat and intensity then the previous one. Their bodies mashed together in a vertical tangle of tongues and love. They stumbled back into the wall next to Krystina's door. Krystina could feel her heart beating faster and faster, could feel the heat creeping up her neck. Her breath shortened and then she pulled away.
"Adam... I want you to make love to me. The way you said. The way I've always wanted us to." Adam looked into those burning green/brown eyes he loved so much.