From the Jump

by Lacie Waldon

There’s enough fear in his voice that I laugh, wondering what Phoebe did to finally break Lucas Deiss. My guess goes to the time she held a box of his records over the edge of a balcony, threatening to let go if he wouldn’t admit Taylor Swift is the greatest songwriter of our generation.

“But the last girl I dated tried to set my pants on fire while I was wearing them. Ever since then, I’ve had a real phobia of biters.”

“And you thought it was a good idea to stop for dinner?” “I was enjoying having you all to myself.” He looks over, and the orange from the sky reflects off his lenses. “It seemed like a good way to make it last longer.”

“I wanted to drag you under the stairs,” he says, his tone deceivingly casual, “and peel that leather off you with my teeth.”

“Of course I did. If something touches your mouth, you lick it. It’s just a basic survival instinct. It’s how you figure out if something is poisonous.”

“I got jealous,” he whispers, “because he’s allowed to want you and I’m not.”

“Sometimes I think you and I are opposite sides of the same coin.” “I like that,” he says. “It means you’re stuck with me.”

love you, Liv. I’ve loved you for a third of my life, and I’ll continue to love you for the rest of it. And I can do that as a friend if that’s what you need. But if you want more, you have to know that I’m not going anywhere.”