we were a spark, darling
and I tried to fan us into flame
but a fire we were never meant to be
and we burnt out as quickly as we ignited 

March 2, 2015

We fall together just as if we're meant to be. My hands naturally weave around his neck as his arms tangle around my waist, resting in the small of my back. His touch leaves a trail of fire across my skin, and I lean into him. You could burn me alive, I want to say, and I would still have no regrets.

His touch brings me back to the first time we danced; it was a night much like this, in a smoky bar instead of an open field, but it turned from dream to nightmare in an instant. This is our second chance to redeem that horrible night.

My eyes connect with his, and I only see his cerulean eyes against the fading lights behind him. They are searching mine, and I can sense the pensive tension between us as we breathe the same air, faces only inches apart. My own words echo back to me. Be brave.

Eyelashes fluttering downward, I whisper, "Josh, I still..."

I don't know how I would have finished that sentence. I still love you. I still have feelings for you. I still want you. In the end, it doesn't matter. I have no chance to say anything because Josh silences me.

He kisses me, his lips searing into mine gently but insistently, and my entire body responds to his kiss. Electricity runs between us, sparking in every place our bodies meet. My hands move to cradle his head as he kisses me so forcefully that I feel myself leaning backwards in his arms. His kiss transforms from gentle to passionate until I feel as if I'm being consumed. His hand travels up my spine and then brushes down my neck until it rests against my jaw as he turns my head to deepen the kiss. Every shared breath between us brings me to life.

This is the moment that I've been waiting for since the day we met, and it exceeds even my wildest expectations. My entire body is trembling as I try to channel every ounce of love inside of me into the kiss. I love you, I want to whisper against his lips, I'll always love you.

Eventually, we run out of breath and pull apart slowly, foreheads touching and breaths panting. Our eyes meet, and a smile takes over my face. In one moment, we were both brazenly courageous. In one moment, everything changed.

My voice shudders as I whisper, "So...this is...this is what you want? You want us?"

Josh smiles. "I want you, Rach. I screwed up three months ago. It was...it was the biggest mistake I've ever made, my biggest regret. And..."

"And tonight, it's like the universe decided to give us a second chance," I finish.

"Yeah, exactly," he says, and a smile sneaks across his face.

I reach up and let my fingers graze his jaw, lingering on first a dimple and then his lips.

"I've liked you for a really long time, y'know," I tease.

Josh laughs and looks down contritely. "I know, I'm an idiot."

"Maybe a little," I answer, leaning up to kiss him again.

I revel in this feeling, the feeling of having the freedom to show and tell him exactly how I feel with no restraint.

We pull apart again, and he whispers, "Rach, I'm so sorry. I was...I was afraid."

"I was too," I whisper back. "I still am, a little."

Josh laughs, "Me too. But no regrets?"

"No regrets," I say as he kisses me again and our bodies twine together.

Eventually, we realize that the song ended a while ago. Now DNCE is playing, and we've become the awkward couple making out on the middle of the dance floor. Honestly, I completely forgot there was anyone else around.

"Well, this is embarrassing," I say with a laugh as I glance around.

Josh smiles at me, refusing to look at any of the people around us as his fingers trace my spine.

His voice is low and gravelly as he murmurs, "We were making up for lost time."

I can't resist kissing him again before we finally stumble off of the dance floor hand in hand. Everything about this is so instinctive and authentic, almost as if we've been waiting to fall into place together since the very beginning.

We spy Jordan, Luis, Chloe, and Simon standing near the light-covered fence and walk over to join them. I can't keep myself from smiling as we approach, and Jordan looks almost as giddy as I feel.

"It's about time!" Jordan exclaims, playfully puching Josh. "It took you long enough."

I look up at Josh and smile, and when he smiles back, I just don't care about anything else. I don't care that it took us nearly two years to finally find each other at the right place and time. I don't care about the hurt and broken trust. I don't care about Haley or Collin or any of the other people who've gotten in our way. I don't even care about our uncertain future. Everything was worth it for this moment.

"Hello?" Jordan calls, drawing my gaze away from Josh and back to reality.

We finally break gazes, but Josh puts his arm around me and I feel that sense of belonging I only feel with him, except it is no longer restrained by unexpressed emotions. We are free to belong to each other wholly and unconditionally. The banquet ends soon after and we leave the magical evening behind us. Once we get back to campus, we climb out of the car and stand in the parking lot outside our dorm. Simon and Chloe went to the Latte Lilypad after the banquet, so it's just the four of us now, shrouded in moonlight.

Jordan tugs on Luis's hand. "Luis, you ready to go?"

Luis stares at her, confused. "What? Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here," Jordan says, "we have to give these two lovebirds some time alone."

She winks suggestively at me and pulls Luis behind her. Luis is used to her antics by now and just rolls his eyes and follows her. They leave Josh and me alone for the first time.

We face each other, and there's a sense of the caution that comes with tasting something new and novel. Josh takes one of my hands, gently tracing the lines on my palm. I bite my lip anxiously and wait for him to say or do something.

"So you and me..." he murmurs, his fingers trailing to the sensitive skin of my wrist and arm.

"You and me," I answer with a half smile.

"I've nearly gone crazy these last few months, Rach, without you. I couldn't, or I didn't know how to tell you that last week. Seeing you but not...but not being with you...it was torture," he blurts out.

I grin at him. "If you'd talked about your feelings like this early on, we never would have had so many problems."

He laughs. "I tried, that night at the bar, but I managed to screw everything up. Rach, how long..." he rambles off.

I catch my breath, gathering the courage I need to admit how long I've been hoping and waiting.

"Since the beginning," I whisper.

I break his gaze, terrified by the vulnerability of my confession. I fell in love with him so quickly, before I even knew what falling in love was.

"Since I made you jump on my back that very first day of the wilderness program?" He asks with an impish grin. "And your face turned red?"

I laugh and shove him playfully. "I knew you were trouble."

"Am I?" he asks, a devilish smile on his lips.

"You, Josh Hunter, are far more trouble than I reckoned on," I say, gazing at him fully.

A clouded look crosses Josh's face and he breaks my gaze, stumbling for words. "Do you...have you ever wondered would have happened if I hadn't been so stupid with Haley, if I would have...done or said something at the beginning?"

I snort. "You know me. I've gone through every possible scenario in my head a million times. We've both screwed up, but none of it matters, Josh. We're here, now, me and you. For once, there's nothing in our way. This is our second chance."

I look up at Josh, his eyes more luminous than the stars. Even if we're not meant to last forever, I want to treasure this moment for the rest of eternity.

He reaches forward with one hand, brushing curls away from my face. He leans forward and kisses me gently along my jaw, nearing my mouth. Every fiber in my being strains for him, and when he's finally inches away, he pauses, hand still cradling my jaw. He leans in, draws a breath and pulls away with a devil-may-care grin.

I lean up, hands on either side of his face, and pull his mouth to mine. As we kiss again and again, I lose my breath but don't dare to stop. I don't know when or if this will end, but I refuse to waste a moment of our second chance.

~~~~~

EEEEEEK! It finally happened! I've been waiting to post this chapter for MONTHS! I hope it lived up to your expectations, and I promise there's much more cuteness to come.

What do you think? Can they make it work this time? 

I'm just so happy that I finally got to post this chapter! Stay tuned for more, there are fewer than 10 chapters remaining! 

~ Hannah