Going to that bar was the last thing on her "want to do" list that night. But she let her friend drag her. It was a little hole-in-the-wall bar. As she walked through the back door, she could feel her sweater seeping up the cigarette smoke and could hear the drunken, tone deaf singers trying to sing along to the most country-twang song they could find out of the sing-along book.
She was sure she wasnt going to know anyone there except for the one she came with.She looked up she saw her friend hugging someone. When they released their grasp she saw him. And like it used to do, her heart skipped a beat. For a split milisecond she thought to herself, what in the hell is this feeling? Im supposed to be over him"-but at that exact same second she hugged him and he whispered in her ear and it was like all the anxiety melted away. What happened between them all that time ago didnt matter. The only thing that mattered was that moment. That night. Those beers and that smell. His smell. As she dug her nose in the crook of his neck like she used to all those nights with him, his smell welcomed a flood of memories and flash backs that ran through her mind like a music video.
As soon as she hugged him, did the whole idle chit chat thing and walked away from his table, she knew she had hooked him. All she had to do now was reel him in.
It seemed like it took no time at all, first he moved himself and his bucket of beers to the large table she was sitting at with everyone, who she had now made friends with. As drinking usually does, it made everyone best friends if only for the night.
She could feel his eyes beaming into her from across the table. She knew he was watching her take pictures with the uber drunk guy that was hanging all over her. And as she glanced over at him, he smiled that sideways grin, and just like it had always done, that smile melted her. She gestured him over with a flick of her finger. He playfully pointed at himself in question and they both laughed as he grabbed his bucket 'o' beers and found his way through the crowd to her.
He found a chair and pulled it as close to her as he could without the table getting in the way. Immediately his hand found her leg as hers did the same. No words were said between them, they just sat there for a moment smiling at each other knowing where the evening was going to lead them if they sat there, together for too much longer. Still neither moved. The only movement that was made were ones to bring them closer.
Before she knew it, the conversation lead to the past. From what happened, to how they both still feel. He opened his heart and told her that she was the one that he missed the most and he still cant, for the life of him, figure out why he made the decision to leave. "I lost an amazing girl," he said "Im an idiot."
She tried to keep her mouth shut. Not to tell him what she wanted so bad to tell him.
Her heart was screaming at her from inside.
Yelling at her to just jump in.
Tell him.
She leaned into his ear, parted her lips and whispered " You will always have a piece of my heart. A part of me will always love you". As she leaned back, dreading to see his reaction, he put his hand to her cheek and whispered back,
"You just said what I have wanted to say to you all night"
And then, he kissed her.
It was an amazing kiss. That flood of memories came rushing back. She found her heart aching when he kissed her. It was familiar, it was comforting, it was breathtaking. She couldnt believe she had forgotten how good of a kisser he was.
They just looked at each other after that kiss, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. Even though they knew that kiss was going to happen sooner or later that night, the fact was that there was no denying how they still felt about each other after that moment. That kiss. It wasnt just a druken make out sesh. That was a kiss. A real kiss. The kind of kiss that digs up buried memories.
And they both knew it.
A few more beers, country karaoke, and tons of kisses later, they still sat there, holding hands, touching legs, still not believing how the night turned out. He asked her to stay with him for the night. She wasnt going to give in that easily.
Everyone decided to leave the bar and go on furthur adventures into the night. She knew it was time for her to go home. She had responsibilities. He asked for her to come with him, she couldnt. She wanted to, oh she wanted to bad, but she knew she'd better not. He offered to drive her home, he didnt want to partake in the adventures with the others if she wasnt going to be with him.
They got in his big, black truck and he pulled her into the middle seat. Just like a highschool couple, they drove down the road, his arm around her, listening to music and kissing at stop lights.
As he pulled into her driveway, she didnt want to leave him. They sat there for a while talking, kissing and talking some more. It was time to go inside. The feeling between them didnt have to be said, they didnt want the night to end.
She walked to her front door, quietly slid the key into the deadbolt and as she looked back at his truck driving away she wondered what that night meant for them.
It didnt matter what it meant, or what was going to happen tomorrow.
All she cared about was that night.
And how she wished she could box it up, tape it shut and keep it forever.