We Met Like This

by Kasie West

“We’re not supposed to touch,” I said softly. “Friends touch,” he returned. I closed my eyes and listened to our breathing sync up. In and out. “You can trust me, Margot. I see you,” he said. “I think you might. Three years ago, in your car, I would’ve sworn you had been handed a study guide on my body. It was impressive.” “You know what my study guide was?” My hands felt weightless in his grip. “No, what?” “You. The way you moved against me when I hit the right spot, the noises you made when my mouth was on you. And that was in a car, Margot.” A slow fire had started in my belly with his words and was slowly expanding through all my limbs. “I know. Imagine how much better it would be here, where we have full access to each other.” “I have,” he said. I bit my bottom lip trying to tamp down my desire. “Is this how you talk to all your friends?” I said, mimicking what he’d asked me earlier. “Yes, all of them,” he said, copying me. We stayed that way for several minutes, holding hands, perfectly still, not looking at each other, just breathing.