Page 91 of I'll Look for You, Everywhere
‘No need for gentleman-approved behaviour. I’m a cool girl.’ She shrugs.
‘Oh really?’ I say, testing out her pseudo bravery when it comes to talking about anything involving sex. Let’s see how much she can take.
‘Try me. What are you really thinking about?’ She holds my gaze, humour deep in her smile. She thinks I’m bluffing. I weigh the odds of me going to hell and conclude that I’ve already dug my way down at this point. How much more fun would it be if she’s down there with me?
‘I want to taste you again, sweet girl.’
Magdalen doesn’t flinch, but it’s as if I can see the wires in her brain crossing, trying to understand what I mean. She opens her mouth and closes it again.
‘You don’t mean—’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘How chivalrous.’ Her long hair brushes against my knee and I reach out to run my hands through the auburn strands.
‘I assure you; this is completely selfish.’
‘Should we do it here?’
I have to stare at her for a second before bursting out in laughter, completely taken aback. ‘Yes, Magdalen, please let me go down on you so the nice elderly couple can watch.’
‘What? Maybe they’ll throw money if we do it well enough.’ She joins me in laughing joyously, her eyes closed shut as she snorts and giggles. Magdalen tries to cover her mouth with her hand to silence herself, but I wrap my fingers around her wrist to pull her down to where I sit.
‘I lied before. You have an incredible laugh,’ I whisper when we’ve both calmed down enough, our breathing still fast with unspent laughter.
‘Mhm.’ She leans forward so that her nose brushes softly against mine. ‘I know.’
I scoff. ‘That’s when you’re supposed to tell me I have a great laugh, too.’
She stays close to my face, nuzzling me in slow and delicious motions, eyelashes fluttering against my forehead, down the bridge of my nose, my cheeks.
‘But I’m not a liar,’ she says and plants a soft kiss on my cheekbone, lips still cool and sugary from the gelato. I lean my head back and smile lazily and then dip my head to kiss her. Her lips part, licking her bottom lip. Just as I’m about to press my mouth to hers, I tilt my chin up and bite down playfully on her nose instead.
Magdalen erupts in another fit of laughter and pushes her hands into my shoulders. ‘What was that for?’ she gasps.
‘For insulting my laugh,’ I muse. ‘I am very offended.’
‘You just bit a chunk of my nose off!’
‘You’re pretty enough to go nose-less. No one will even notice.’
‘I’ll be the laughingstock of Chivasso!’ she says, smiling and standing up, holding her hand to her nose. I stand up too and begin stalking towards her with my teeth bared.
‘You know I’d kill anyone who laughs at you,’ I snarl, and Magdalen shrieks giddily and begins to walk backwards away from me.
‘Theo,’ she warns, and I continue my pursuit, crouching low as I track her steps. And then I launch at her. She yelps and runs down the alleyway lined with bars, sandals smacking loudly against the cobblestone street, and people watch curiously, sipping their spritzes as Magdalen dashes past them.
‘Come here, phantasma,’ I yell, and chase her through the streets, laughing happily. ‘You know I’m always going to catch you.’
47
MAGDALEN
He does catch me eventually. I lasted three minutes behind a rusty fountain before strong hands grabbed me by the waist, hauling me into him.
‘On my back,’ he commands when he lets me go.
‘What?’ My heart is still pounding from the small race across town.
