Justin walked back to kiss me then. His warm lips on mine felt like velvet cake, the softest press after press as he attempted to kiss me like he meant it. And he did. I know he did.

He gently touched me, my face, my neck, feeling my pulse under his thumb as he met my lips every time we parted. It was the sweetest feeling I’d felt in a long, long time. It felt like finding Christmas gifts under the tree. It felt like sitting with cocoa during a snowstorm. I felt his touch, barely ...