Welcome to New Haven (99 page)

 
“Oh my God.” Holly groaned.
 

“What does that mean?” Alex asked, and everybody else huddled closer to hear.
 

“Holly was…closed off, shall we say. But it’s not my place to tell any more than tha’”.
 

Holly gave Alex a look that said ‘I’ll tell you later’, and he gently kissed her.
 

“Awww.” Said Em as Holly and Alex beamed at each other.

After a few minutes, Emily had to go and everybody took their turns saying goodbye. Em was even nice to Ryan, as promised. After lunch, they got up to go to Phys.Ed, just as it started raining, Another session in the gym instead of track, for Holly.
 

“I need to talk to you, urgently” Holly said to Alex.
 

“Is everything ok?” He asked, his eyes full of concern. The look she gave him made him understand what was up.

They took a slight detour to class, and conveniently ended up in the empty store room.
 

No sooner had the door closed that Holly grabbed Alex and kissed him senseless. Her lips devouring his own. Tongues exploring and tasting. She ran her hands under his T-shirt, caressing his hot skin that covered steely muscles.
 

Alex’s hands grabbed Holly’s arse firmly before stroking back up under her crotchet top and vest as the other hand ran up her back to press her to him. His hand cupped her breast, and he kneaded it gently, making Holly moan.
 

“Fuck!” Alex whispered as he broke their frantic kiss, both of them panting.
 

“That was so sexy when you got all protective.” She said breathlessly.
 

“Yeah?” He asked with a smile. “You haven’t seen anything yet, babe.
 
I wanted to beat the crap out of Will when he said that shit to you, in class, and the others in Tech. Hell I wanted to hurt anybody if they even…”
 

His sentence was cut short when Holly attacked his mouth again.
 

“I love it when you’re protective too. So. Damn. Hot.”

The sound that rumbled from his chest seemed to vibrate right through Holly’s body and settled between her thighs, and she took a sharp breath.
 

Alex continued his kisses on her neck as Holly dropped her head back, giving him full access.
 
He kissed a path from under her ear to her collarbone.
 

“Alex!” She squeaked as she felt her core heat further.
 

Her whole body was tense, needing a release that only Alex could give her.
 

He turned her on so much that she was already hurting.

Her nipples hard and painful, legs shaking and her insides alight.

She could feel Alex’s arousal passing against her and she longed to touch him.
 

She knew she couldn’t in school but at home… Alex brought his head up and kissed her mouth as the door opened.

“Oh my!” Said a female voice.

There, standing in the doorway, was Miss. Delaney. In utter shock.
 

“Um, if you could just close that again that would be great. Thanks” Said Alex.
 

“Oh, uh…ok.” She said and closed the door.

Alex turned to Holly, and they both laughed.
 

From what Alex had caught
her
doing, there was no way she would tell on them for kissing. Luckily, that’s all she saw.
 

Alex’s hand, up her top, was away from the door view and they were too close to see Holly’s hands up his shirt.
 

They kissed again, but this time gentler.
 

“I suppose we better get to class now” Alex said with a frown.
 

“Unfortunately. But, I loved our
talk
.” Holly said and Alex chuckled.
 

“Me too. I bet we could talk some more at home.” He said with a twinkle in his eye.
 

“I’m counting on it.”

After they had
finally
gotten to the gym, they did their stuff, and showered. Alex and Holly began the journey to her house.

Everybody would be helping with the garden today.

“So, what did your Nan mean about me ‘finding your heart?’” Alex asked.
 

“My Nan’s little dig at me for being antisocial.” She said with a groan. “I had no feelings for anybody. That’s what she meant. She used to joke, saying that my heart must’ve fallen out and gotten lost because I had
zero
interest. Girls, our age, were getting boyfriends or, at least, were showing interest and I didn’t. She’d open the cupboards pretending to look for it.
 
My Granddad said that somebody out there
had
found it and was just waiting for me.
You
have it Alex. You always did. That’s the only explanation for it.”

Alex pulled over.
 

“Holly, I love you so much, it hurts.” He said as he wrapped his arms, tightly, around her.
 

“I love you so much too, and yes, it really does hurt. But, some places can be eased a bit though.” She said, lowering her voice to a sultry level.
 

Alex’s eyes darkened, and he licked his lips. His pants straining around his hard on.
 

“Holly…” He warned. “I want to tear off your clothes when you talk to me in that way.” He said as his fingertips brushed down her throat and down, gently, over the centre of her chest.
 

Holly’s breathing hitched as he reached her stomach, then the buckle of her belt.
 

He couldn’t do anything in the car, not in public like that anyway.
 

He would take her home and undress her slowly. Removing one item at a time.
 

Exposing her fantastic body to him, bit by bit.
 

“Alex?” Holly asked, bringing him out of his fantasy. “What are you thinking?”
 

“I’m thinking about how I want to undress you.” He said.
 
His heated gaze roaming over her.
 

His body was wound tightly with the need for release.
 

His heart pounding, breathing heavy and his skin scorching hot.
 

He wanted to strip her naked, now.
 

“I want to see you, too.” She said.
 

“I wanted that too, from that day.” He replied as he interlocked their hands, looking at the rings that signified their first meeting place.

They kissed, softly, before Alex continued the journey to Holly’s house.

They were going straight to her room.

As they pulled up outside, Riss’ car and Ben’s car were there.
 

“What the…?” Holly was disappointed that she couldn’t go up to her room with Alex. He took a frustrated breath.
 

“I thought we’d have a few minutes before everybody got here.” She said as they walked to the door.
 

“Me too. I thought they would’ve gone home to change first.”

“Yeah. Oh, have you got a change of clothes?” Holly asked, realising that Alex would ruin his clothes in the garden.
 

“No, but I don’t mind getting dirty for you.” He said in his low strip-me-naked-and-take-me-now voice.
 

Holly’s jaw slackened, and then she bit her lip as Alex chuckled.
 

“Down girl.” He said as the door opened.

“Where have you been? We came straight from school.” Said Dev.
 

“We just stopped for a sec.” Said Holly as she walked into her house, holding Alex’s hand. “I thought you’d stop off at your place for clothes. You’ll get filthy” she added. Concerned that her friends would ruin their clothes, helping her.
 

“No. We brought them with us. I knew your stuff was coming today so I texted the others, this morning, to get stuff ready. We wanted to surprise you.”
 

Holly felt bad at the sad look on Dev’s face because her plans hadn’t turned out as expected.
 

“Oh, I
am
surprised! I never expected this…Thanks Dev.” She said as she hugged her best friend.
 

“Thanks Dev” Alex said. “You could’ve told me about it though.” He smiled, not wanting to upset her.
 

“You were off out so fast, this morning, and I knew if I called you, you’d be together so…” Dev shrugged as they walked through.
 

Everybody was there.
 

Ben, who had spare clothes for Alex, Kyle and Kayla, Ryan and Riss, and her Mum and Dad. Then, she spied Nick too.
 

“Yeah, he wanted to help. He kind of insisted. He said ‘it was the least he could do’” Dev said with a smirk.
 

“Probably to score points with Em” Alex whispered and Holly nodded in agreement.

Holly checked the delivery and then went to change into her gardening clothes.
 
As everybody waited for instructions, Holly separated the different plants, seeds, and other equipment. She had the guys remove the remaining panels, from the greenhouse, and fit the new ones.
 
The girls got busy planting some new plants in the bedding areas, replacing the ones that Stacey had ripped up or stomped over.

Holly mixed grow food and compost before filling the seedling trays. Then planted the new seeds in them.

Alex watched as Holly worked her magic. She had the same look of concentration on her face as she had in A.Bio when they were working on their daffodils. His heart swelled watching her do something she loved.
 

He thought about her passing her gift onto their kids someday. He smiled widely to himself.
 

“Dum dum du dummmm.” He heard from his side. He turned to see Oli watching him, watching Holly. Alex looked down and blushed. Still smiling, but a little embarrassed because they
were
the thoughts he had about Holly.
 

“From that reaction I’m guessing you’ve thought about that, a lot” Said Oli as he clapped a hand on Alex’s shoulder.
 

“Mhmm” Alex didn’t want anybody to overhear or ‘guess’ the conversation he was having so he kept to that answer.
 

“Yeah. I thought so” Oli said as he went back to moving pots into the greenhouse. Holly went over to the daffodils and tulips that had been saved, and picked some up.
 

Alex quickly moved to help.

This was for her Dad’s, James, memorial. The flowers they’d cross pollinated had produced seeds, the last ones from when he was alive, and had almost been destroyed.
 

As Alex bent to pick up some pots, Holly looked up at him and his breath caught in his throat as he saw the love in her eyes, for him. He couldn’t help it, he had to, and he bent to kiss her full, sensual lips.
 

The both of them still holding pots.
 

“I love you.” He whispered, as he pilled away.
 

“I love you too.” She said with a warm, tender smile.

He would never get tired of hearing those words from her mouth.

They walked over to the rockery and Holly made some holes in the soil for the ones she’d brought over.
 

“The ones you have can go on your side” Holly said, gesturing to the side closest to him.
 

“You trust me doing this?” He asked. This was Holly’s most important piece in her garden. Surely, she wanted to make sure it was perfect.
 

“Of course I trust you.” She said with a smile. “It makes it more special now.”
 

Alex wanted to hold her tight and never let go. He wanted to make sure that everyday, for the rest of her life, she had something to smile about and be happy.
 

Holly showed him how big and deep to make the holes for the flower bulbs. Once he was done, she looked his finished work.
 

“That looks great!” She said with a huge smile. “You could be a gardener yourself.” She winked at him. He smiled mischievously and spoke low, in the tone he knew that hit her hard.
 

“Maybe. I do have an urge to plant some seeds.” He watched Holly’s eyes widen when she realised what ‘seeds’ he was taking about and a blush crept over her cheeks.
 

“Alex!” She whisper shouted as he laughed.
 

“Hey, Holly. Here’s your plaque.” Said Ben.

Alex watched as Holly’s eyes filled with tears as she looked over the repaired piece of rectangular metal with her Dad’s name, birth, and death on it.
 

Ben’s Dad had done such an amazing job that it looked brand-new. Holly stood quickly and hugged Ben.
 

“Thank you.” She said. “Tell your Dad thanks too.” She added and knelt down next to Alex.
 

“No problem.” Ben said as Dev came and wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him.
 

“Thanks for doing that, Ben. I owe you.“ Said Alex. “Nah dude. I’ve gotten what I want already.” He said as he gazed down into Dev’s eyes.
 

 
His best friend and sister.

Nope. Still not weird.

Holly and Alex stood as Oli reattached the plaque to the largest rock. A single tear ran down Holly’s cheek, and Alex swiftly wiped it away.
 

“It’s fixed.” She said, turning into Alex’s chest.

Once everybody had finished, they all stood together to see what they had done.
 

They were all dirty, including Nick who had helped out a lot.
 
As well as assisting with the panels, he’d organised the storage for compost and the interior of the greenhouse, so everything wasn’t all over the place. He’d even dug out and replaced the small saplings that Stacey had snapped beyond repair.

All four of them.

The garden didn’t look
exactly
the same as before, obviously the new plants needed time to grow, but it would get there and it would look great.