"I don't know. I still think Christian Bale is a better Batman." I say to Scarlett.

She is lying down on her stomach with her arms propped up, her hands pressed against her cheeks to hold her head up. I was sitting back leaning against my headboard watching the movie with her, but I kept getting distracted, so I ended up lying next to her. She took off her hoodie at one point because she said she felt hot and then I kept watching her more than the movie. The way her bubble butt looked great in her tight pants that she was wearing, or the way her long hair was fanned out on her back and dangling over her shoulder.

"Yeah I agree, he is definitely my favorite batman as well, but you have to admit...Affleck did a lot better than you could have guessed he would have, right?" She looks away from the screen to glance at me and catches me staring at her. I playfully roll my eyes and she smiles and nudges my arm.

Her skin feels so soft on mine. After she nudged my arm she went back to holding her head up to watch the movie but her arm was touching mine this time. She gets so into the movie it's adorable. I catch myself watching her more than the movie again and she notices. Maybe because of my lack of words.

"Did you hear me?" She says with a giggle.

I snap out of it. "What? No. Sorry." I chuckle. "What did you say?"

"I said, did you see how Batman just won the fight with Superman, but now how he is helping him save his mom. Such a gentleman." We look at each other and start bursting into laughter.

"Gentleman huh?" I say sarcastically and I start tickling her.

She starts laughing even louder and I think I just felt a tear land on my arm. I didn't expect her to react this way. She is really ticklish. She is laughing uncontrollably and is trying to roll away from me as I continue to tickle her. Rolling onto her back and holding her stomach, she is now under me, looking at me. I stop tickling her and get lost in her eyes, the desire to kiss her growing. I don't want to rush her into anything, even if it is just a kiss. After what happened with Ryker, being kissed is probably the last thing on her mind. I look away and roll back onto my stomach and begin to watch the movie again. She stays in that position for about a minute before rolling back onto her stomach too, not saying a word, but I could have sworn I heard her sigh.

The movie is over and it is now 11:15. Scarlett gets up and pulls her hoodie over her head. "I better get going." She says without looking at me.

"Okay. Let me walk you out." I say to her and follow her out of my bedroom. She is walking at a fast pace, almost as if she's trying to make a run for it.

We get out to her car and she unlocks the door, opening it and standing behind it, ready to get in. She pulls all her hair to the side, so that it now is laying over her shoulder. "Well thanks for having me over. The manicotti was delicious."

"Anytime." I tell her. Trying to fight the urge to grab her face and kiss her pouty lips.

She gives me a forced smile and gets in her car, buckling her seat belt while I gently close her door. She waves as she drives off.

"Well? How did it go? I heard her laughing so much it made me laugh." My mom says as she exits the kitchen holding a glass of water.

"Well mom, first off. What are you still doing up?" I smile and she arches her brow, knowing fully well I am attempting to change the subject.

I grunt. "I didn't kiss her goodnight and I think she maybe had wanted me too. But I kept thinking that after what happened with Ryker, being kissed was not something she is wanting right now." I stand there staring at my mom and then shake my head. "This is weird. Talking about this with you." I chuckle.

"First off, I am the mother here so don't be asking me why I am still up. I am not Cinderella, the clock hasn't struck midnight." She giggles, drips of water spilling out of her glass. "Secondly, it isn't weird. I am your mother and I would love for you to be able to talk to me about this stuff. You never talk to me about girls."

"That is because I have only dated one girl mom....and you didn't like her...at all."

She shrugs her shoulders and nods her head in agreement. "Okay you got me there, but I like her and she is one of the good ones honey. Lots of scandalous girls these days your age that are running around."

I start laughing at her choice of words. "Mom, who even taught you that word?"

She giggles again and then abruptly stops and looks serious again. "No, but really Dean. I am sorry honey. You are my son, but you're an idiot."

What? "How am I an idiot?" I scoff.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to see who texted me. Scarlett.

"Thanks again for tonight...Can I ask you something though?"

My mom was saying something and I usually am a good listener but my fingers were moving before I even really thought about what to say back to Scarlett.

"Thank you for coming. Of course you can, what's up?"

I see the dots appear at the bottom of the screen indicating that she is replying but then they stop, start again, stop, and finally start again until I receive my next message.

"Well, I just have to ask because I am a little confused. Do you like me? Like more as a friend or strictly as a friend? Sorry if I sound weird, I just want to know before I get any more confused."

I don't know what to say really. Of course I like her more than a friend. It was obvious...wasn't it?

"I like you...more than a friend. Kind of the reason I had you over for dinner and a movie."

"Then why didn't you kiss me?"

I flush after reading that last text. I look up at my mom who is still standing there with her water, now grinning.

"Is that her? What did she say?" Nosey little thing.

"She...she asked me why I didn't kiss her."

My mom opens her mouth then shuts it.

"Mom...I have to...."

"Go." She interrupts me. "It's her birthday after all." She grins again and starts to walk away before turning on her heel to face me. "But only a kiss goodnight mister and then you get your butt back home."

I stride over to my mother and give her a hug and kiss her on the cheek.

"I will be back. Love you."

I run to my room to grab my extra baseball shirt that I have from school and my keys. I check my phone for the time, and it is almost midnight as I am running out to my jeep.

"Guess what time it almost is?" I text her. It is now 11:58.

"Bedtime? Lol."

"Can you come outside?"

"What? You are here?"

I see Scarlett peek through the blinds and quickly shuts them, probably shocked that I am standing out here. She walks outside in a blue silky robe, her teal tank top, and spandex shorts.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asks as she approaches me while I lean against me jeep.

"I wanted to be the first one to tell you Happy Birthday." It may be dark out here, but I can still see her blushing. I check my phone again for the time and it turns midnight as soon as I turn the screen on. I turn the phone so that the screen is facing her, to show her that it is now October 19, Scarlett's birthday. She begins to giggle at my gesture.

I grab the sides of her robe and lightly pull her closer to me and she sucks in a breath at the movement. I stare into her eyes and then move my eyes to her pouty lips and then back to her eyes. Her body is stiff, and her eyes filled with want, telling me she wants me to kiss her. I entangle my fingers in her hair, gently tugging it so that her head will lift to meet mine as I bend my head down and press my lips onto hers. I kiss her slowly, passionately and I instantly feel her body loosen as she raises both of her hands, resting them on my chest. Her right hand sure to feel my heart beating wildly. Her pouty lips are so incredibly soft and succulent as she kisses me back. We are both losing ourselves with the connection of our lips. The kiss full of want, lust, and even need.

I pull away and rest my forehead against hers, both of our breaths shaky as we exhale. "Happy Birthday." I whisper. She smiles and then rubs the tip of her nose to mine, sending a shooting tingle throughout my entire body.

"Thank you Dean." She whispers and lets out a breath that I hadn't realized she was holding.

I smile back at her. Pretty sure I have been smiling the entire time since our lips detached because my face feels numb, but in a good way. I can't take this stupid grin off of my face. I want to kiss her sweet lips again.

I hold one finger to tell her one moment, and I turn around and lean into the open window of my jeep, grab the shirt and turn back to her. Her eyes dart from the shirt and then back to me.

"What's that?" She asks with curiosity in her voice.

I rub the back of my neck, feeling anxious. "It isn't your birthday gift. I just brought my baseball shirt for you to wear tomorrow for school. I figured you didn't have anything from Douglas High yet to fit the attire for the last day of spirit week."

I shrug my shoulders to make it seem as if it isn't a big deal in case she doesn't like the idea. In hopes though, I am hoping she wants to wear it. I wouldn't let anyone wear my baseball stuff, not even my best friend. But I would love to see her in it, with my name printed across the back of it. I smile at the image.

She takes the shirt from my hands and holds it as she puts her arms around me, rises on her toes and kisses me softly. As I feel like I am flying, with the feeling of her lips on mine, she slowly removes her lips and I come back to the ground.

"Goodnight Dean." She says in a sexy whisper and she starts walking backwards with a smile that can make your knees buckle and then turns to walk back to her front door.

My grin still plastered on my face, I call out to her, "So does that mean you will wear it?"

She turns back to face me, still smiling, shrugs her shoulders and walks into the house closing the door. This girl is going to be the death of me.