I paused for breath, then added, “And even then, I’ll hate you for taking me away from her in the first place. Because of you, I’ll miss out on years of being with my girl. Don’t think that just because I’m young I don’t recognize what I have with Poppy. I love her. I love her more than you could imagine. And you’re taking me away, without even considering how I would feel.” I turned my back, walked to my closet and began pulling down my clothes. “So from now on, I won’t give a damn how you feel about anything. I will never forgive you for this. Either of you. Especially you, Pappa.”
I began packing the suitcase my mamma must have placed on my bed. My pappa remained where he was, staring at the floor in silence. Eventually he turned away and said, “Get some sleep, Rune. We’re up early.”
Every hair on my neck pricked up in annoyance at his dismissal of what I had to say, until he quietly added, “I’m so sorry, son. I do know how much Poppy means to you. I tried to leave telling you until now to spare you weeks of hurt. It clearly didn’t help. But this is real life, and it’s my job. You’ll understand one day.”
The door closed behind him, and I dropped onto the bed. I dragged my hand down my face, and my shoulders slumped when I stared at my empty closet. But the anger was still there, burning in my stomach. If anything, it was burning hotter than before.
I was pretty sure it was here to stay.
I threw the last of my shirts into the case, not caring how crumpled they got. I made my way to the window and saw Poppy’s house was in darkness, all except for the dim nightlight telling me the coast was clear.
After locking my bedroom door, I snuck out the window and rushed across the grass. The window was slightly open, waiting for me. I slid through and closed it tightly behind me.
Poppy was sitting in the center of her bed, her hair down and her face freshly washed. I swallowed when I saw how beautiful she looked in her white nightdress, her arms and legs bare, and her skin so soft and smooth.
I stepped closer to the bed and saw the photo frame in her hand. When she looked up, I could see she’d been crying.
“Poppymin,” I said softly, my voice breaking at seeing her so upset.
Poppy set the frame on the bed and laid her head on her pillow, patting the mattress beside her. As quickly as I could, I lay down next to her, shifting until we were only inches apart.
As soon as I saw Poppy’s bloodshot eyes, the anger inside me seemed to flare. “Baby,” I said, covering my hand with hers, “please don’t cry. I can’t stand to see you cry.”
Poppy swallowed. “My mama told me that y’all are leaving real early in the morning.”
I dipped my eyes and slowly nodded.
Poppy’s fingers ran over my forehead. “So we only have tonight left,” she said. I felt a dagger pierce through my heart.
“Ja,” I replied, blinking up at her.
She was staring at me strangely.
“What?” I asked.
Poppy shuffled her body closer. So close that our chests touched and her lips hovered at my mouth. I could smell minty toothpaste on her breath.
I licked my lips as my heart began pounding hard. Poppy’s fingers drifted down my face, over my neck and down over my chest until they reached the bottom of my shirt. I shifted on the bed, needing some space, but before I could move away, Poppy closed in and pressed her mouth to mine. As soon as I tasted her on my lips, I leaned in closer, then her tongue pushed through to meet mine.
She kissed me slow, deeper than ever before. When her hand lifted my shirt and landed on my bare stomach, I snapped my head back and swallowed hard. I could feel Poppy’s hand trembling against my skin. I looked into her eyes, and my heart missed a beat.
“Poppymin,” I whispered and ran my hand over her bare arm. “What are you doing?”
Poppy moved her hand upward until her hand was on my chest, and my voice was halted by the thickness in my throat.
“Rune?” Poppy whispered as she dipped her head to carefully place a single kiss on the bottom of my throat. My eyes drifted closed as her warm mouth touched my skin. Poppy spoke against my neck. “I … I want you…”
Time stopped. My eyes snapped open. Poppy inched back and tipped her head until her green eyes met mine.
“Poppy, no,” I protested, shaking my head, but she laid her fingers over my lips.
“I can’t…” She drifted off, then gathered herself and continued, “I can’t have you leave me and never know what it’s like to be with you.” She paused. “I love you, Rune. So much. I hope you know that.”
My heart slammed into a new kind of beat, one that knew it had the love of its other half. It was harder and faster. It was infinitely stronger than the one before. “Poppy,” I whispered, completely struck by her words. I knew she loved me, because I loved her. But this was the first time we’d ever said it aloud.
She loves me…
Poppy waited silently. Not knowing how to respond in any other way, I ran the tip of my nose down her cheek, pulling back just a fraction to gaze into her eyes. “Jeg elsker deg.”
Poppy swallowed, then smiled.
I smiled back. “I love you,” I translated into English, just to make sure she completely understood.
Her face grew serious once more, and she moved to sit up in the middle of the bed. Reaching for my hand, she pulled me to sit opposite her. Her hands dropped to the bottom of my shirt.
Taking in a stuttering breath, she pulled it up and over my head. I closed my eyes, and felt a warm kiss on my chest. I opened my eyes again to see Poppy giving me a shy smile. I melted at the nervous look on her face.
She’d never looked so beautiful.
Trying to fight through my own nerves, I put my hand on her cheek. “We don’t have to do this, Poppy. Just because I’m leaving—you don’t need to do this for me. I’ll be coming back; I’ll make sure of it. I want to wait until you’re ready.”
“I’m ready, Rune,” she said, her voice clear and steady.
“You think we’re too young—”
“We’ll be sixteen soon.”
I smiled, hearing the fire in her voice. “Most people still think that’s too young.”
“Romeo and Juliet were around our age,” she argued. I couldn’t help but laugh. I stopped laughing when she edged closer and ran her hand down my chest. “Rune,” she whispered, “I’ve been ready for some time, but I was happy to wait because we had all the time in the world. There was no rush. Now we don’t have that luxury. Our time, this time, is limited. We only have hours left. I love you. I love you more than anyone could believe. And … and I think you feel the same way about me.”
“Ja,” I replied instantly. “I love you.”
“Forever always,” Poppy said on a sigh, then shifted away from me. Without breaking her eyes from mine, she lifted her hand to the strap of her nightdress and pushed it down. She did the same to the other strap, and the nightgown fell away to her hips.
I froze. I couldn’t move as Poppy sat in front of me, bared to me. “Poppymin,” I breathed, convinced I didn’t deserve this girl … this moment.
I moved closer, until I towered right above her. I searched her eyes and asked, “Are you sure, Poppymin?”
Poppy threaded her hand through mine, then brought our hands to her bare skin. “Yes, Rune. I’m sure. I want this.”