Flat-Out Love - Park Jessica (книги txt) 📗

“We’ll see.”

Julie went through the kitchen and out through the back door to the porch.

He was there. Out on the lawn, standing with his back to her, his hands tucked into his shorts pockets. He looked amazing. Everything about him pulled her in. Julie touched her palm to her chest, reminding herself again to breathe, to calm down. “Matt.”

Matt turned around hesitantly and gave her a shy wave. He had on the same Nietzsche Is My Homeboy shirt that he’d worn the first day she met him. It was exactly as it should be.

“Matty!” She called his name louder this time, wondering if he could hear the relief she felt at seeing him. She ran down the steps, needing him more than she could ever have imagined. It had been a long summer of heartache, but at least she finally knew whom her heart had been aching for.

She couldn’t reach him fast enough.

Matt rushed forward and caught her as she flew into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. It had been so long since she had been close to him. Too long.

“Julie.” There was nothing more wonderful than the way he said her name. How had she never noticed that? “What’s wrong? Are you OK?” She heard his confusion and concern.

She laughed as she hung on to Matt. “I am now.”

She sniffed, aware that she’d become a blubbering mess in an instant. But that’s what love does to you. Gut-wrenching, overpowering, crushing, fulfilling, complex, bring-you-to-your-knees love.

“I missed you,” she whispered into his ear. And she had. His voice, his touch, the way he moved… everything about him.

“Yeah?” he asked softly.

“Yes. So much.”

He held her close while she rested her head on his shoulder and ran her hands over his back, neither of them willing to let the other go. And with the way they were glued to each other, she knew that this was not like the last time they had been this close. This was not goodbye.

“I’m so sorry. It was always you,” she said.

“What?” he murmured.

She lifted her head and pressed her cheek against his. “It was always you. I thought it was somebody else, but it was you. You were the person I felt.”

Julie heard him catch his breath, and she dropped her feet to the ground, keeping her body against his. Matt put his hands on her hips, pulling her in more. God, he felt so perfect. Then his lips were on hers, kissing her hard, passionately. Differently than before. No more pretending, no more denying, no more sadness. His fingers moved just under the bottom of her shirt, lightly brushing her lower back, and then her waist was in his hands. His grip was firm, solid, comforting. God, the feel of his hands against her skin… He kissed her neck, his lips soft, his tongue hot, and his breathing picking up. She whimpered quietly. He was such a guy, totally picking the worst time ever to get them all riled up. Later, she told herself. Later, they could be alone.

Julie forced herself to back away every so slightly. “Come on. We’re going to have an audience soon.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her, determined not to let go of him again.  “And we’re leaving in an hour.”

“I could make a lot of things happen in an hour,” Matt offered.

Julie spun around and raised an eyebrow as she walked backwards. “I bet you could.” He was making it tempting to take off with him, but this day was important. “I promise you’ll have that chance. But for now, we have to go eat. You, Celeste, Flat Finn, and I are leaving together. We have someplace to be.”

“We do?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t stop smiling.

“I thought Flat Finn was being assigned attic duty for the rest of his existence?”

“Plans change.”

“So we don’t get to sneak off somewhere and fool around?” Matt groaned.

“Not yet.”

“These better be some damn good plans.”

**********

“Look, this blindfold thing is really starting to creep me out. I don’t know when you became a dominatrix, Julie, but my sister is in the car, so it hardly seems appropriate to be demonstrating your specialized skills in front of her.” Matt reached to pull off the blindfold that Julie had tied over his eyes.

“Don’t you dare!” Celeste leaned into the front seat of the Volvo and smacked Matt’s hand. “Behave yourself. This is a good surprise.”

“Are we almost there yet? I’m hungry,” Matt said. “I need to pee. I’m bored. How much longer? Let’s play I Spy. Oh, wait. I can’t. I’m blindfolded. This is the worst trip ever!”

“Matt, shut up!” Julie pulled into the far right lane on the highway, keeping her hand in Matt’s. “Only one more exit, and then we’ll be there. This will be worth the two-hour drive. Trust us.”

“When you say worth, do you mean there will be cash incentives involved? Apple is having a press conference in a few days, and I’m sure they’ll be releasing some wildly unnecessary gadget that I need.”

“Celeste, make your brother behave,” Julie said.

“The fact that you are still holding his hand after he has been persistently annoying during this whole drive indicates to me that he is now equally your problem. I am going to enjoy this scenic drive and let you manage Matty’s irritating outbursts.”

“Great.” Julie sighed dramatically. “Lengthy bouts of obtuse chatter interspersed with moments of mind-numbingly boring trivia about the history of the internet. It’s a tradeoff for the occasional bits of charm, I suppose,” Julie admitted. “But one that I’ll just have to live with.”

“I’m still here!” Matt hollered. “I can hear you talking about me. I have feelings, you know!” He faked a sob and sniffed loudly.

“I’ll make a note of that,” Julie said.

“Oh, Julie, there’s the sign,” Celeste said. “We’re here! This is the perfect send-off for Flat Finn. The real Finn would approve. You will, too, Matty.”

Julie pulled the car into the parking lot. “Guess where we are?”

“Yosemite? The Grand Canyon?” Matt said. “Vegas? Oh, my God, we’re in Vegas, aren’t we? Is Celine Dion here? Cher? Are we going backstage? No, it’s the Liberace Museum. I can feel it. It’s a dream come true! I’ve waited my whole life for this.”

“That is ridiculous, Matt,” Celeste scolded. “We are not in Las Vegas. Try harder.”

“Disney World? The Mall of America? Pike Place Fish Market? Graceland?”

“It’s flattering that he thinks we’re lame enough to subject him to a tourist trap, isn’t it? Celeste, he’ll never figure it out,” Julie said. “Let’s show him.” She slid the blindfold off his eyes and watched him. He adjusted to the light and read the sign in front of the car.

Matt was serious now. “I never would have guessed this is where you two were taking me.” He paused and bit his lip, a soft smile forming. “The last time I was here was with Finn.”

Julie clapped her hands together. “We’re going skydiving.”

He looked at her. “What do you mean we’re going?”

She nodded. “You’re not very bright, are you? I mean that you and I are going to jump out of a plane and then a life-saving parachute thingy will pop out and we will land on the ground in one piece. “

“Both of us are going?”

“Yes,” she said. “I want to jump with you, Matt. For real this time.”

She loved when he was speechless.

“And Flat Finn, too,” Celeste said. “We called the skydiving center this week. They remember you and Finn, and they said that you could take Flat Finn when you jump. I think it’s a fitting way to celebrate. The real Finn would genuinely like this idea.”

“Of course I’ll take him,” Matt said. “Of course. Julie, are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” she said. And she meant it. She trusted him completely. “I want to do this with you.”

Matt leaned over and put a hand on the back of her neck. He pulled her in gently, kissing her softly and perfectly.