Chapter 27: Triangular

Sunday, June 16, 1996, Sanford Maine

I awoke, again, for the millionth time since having fallen asleep the night before. Sleeping with that damn cast on was annoying as Hell. I had my arm raised above my head, resting on a pillow, but no matter how I placed it, eventually, its dull ache woke me up, and I had to rearrange how I had it positioned before I could fall back asleep again. If this was a precursor to how the next six weeks were going to go, then I was in for one bitch of a ride.

I yawned and looked over at my clock and saw that it was only 7:36. Too goddamned early for a Sunday morning, but I was up for good, I figured. One pleasant thing about waking up that morning, though, was realizing that I had a girl snuggled up against both sides of me. I could definitely get used to that.

Amber was on my right, and her head was in the crook of my armpit and shoulder. Her blonde hair was spread out over my chest like a silky blanket, and her hand was resting in the middle of my pecs. I could feel her warm breath as it flowed across my skin with her rhythmic exhales. I loved the feeling of her soft, firm tits pressed up on my side. Her knee was on my thigh, and I could feel the heat of her pussy against my leg.

CC was curled up on my other side, almost a mirror image of how my sister was on my right. The only difference being that her hand was resting on my stomach about an inch away from my hardening cock. Fuck, I was getting horny. I lay there, enjoying the feeling of their two warm bodies bookending me for a while, thinking about my love for them and how we had gotten to be where we were together.

I was ecstatic that I didn’t have a headache, although I hadn’t tried moving anything other than my arm yet, so I didn’t know how the rest of me was fairing. I had been worried that I would’ve been suffering from them almost constantly, considering the seriousness of the blow to the head that I had taken.

I finally decided that I really needed to get up to go piss. So I tried twisting my body to slide the girl’s heads off me when mega pain shot through my back ribs like a lightning bolt. I couldn’t help but yelp at the shock of it. That shit was going to get old fast, and it didn’t really seem like the wrap around my ribs did too much to help.

“Mmm, are you okay, Baby?” Amber asked as she raised her head and stroked my chest softly; her eyes fluttered open while she tried to focus on me.

CC slid her arm up around my waist and mumbled in her sleep as she pulled herself tighter to me and snuggled.

“I dunno, Sis. I really gotta piss, so I tried twisting a bit to ease you guys off me, but my ribs are so fucked that it hurt like Hell just trying to move,” I sighed in frustration.

“Here, Baby. Lemme help you,” Amber said while sitting up bleary-eyed.

I looked up at her and smiled. Her green eyes sparkled with the sunlight that was already shining through the slats of my blinds, and her beauty took my breath away—again. Her perky breasts jiggled slightly as she moved to grab my arm with one hand while sliding her other one underneath my shoulders to help push me up. I couldn’t help but drink in the erotic vision of her tight athletic body as I watched her abs and arm muscles flex with the exertion that she used to push and pull me up into a sitting position.

I practically drooled over her smoothly shaved pussy as she sat Indian-style on the edge of my bed. I grunted in pain at the same time, though it hurt like a son of a bitch as she managed to help get me up. CC mumbled a protest as she slid off me and turned over. She scrunched the blanket up underneath her chest while still deep in slumber and wiggled sexily as she got comfy again. I couldn’t help but stare at her gorgeous ass as it faced me and advertised its perfection. Her long chestnut brown hair fell across her shoulders and back like a silken fan, and I got a whiff of vanilla.

“She has a great ass, doesn’t she, Davey? I bet you’d love to stick your tongue in it again, or maybe watch me do it while you fuck her tight little pussy?” Amber purred while her arms snaked around my waist and grabbed my rock-hard shaft.

I moaned in agreement, and pre-cum glistened upon the tip of my cock. I just knew that if Amber did anything more, that I wouldn’t last very long before spewing my load everywhere.

“I’d love it, all of it, but I need my sister first. It feels like it’s been forever, my Peach,” I whispered quietly into her ear as she kissed my neck while still stroking me from behind. “The shitty thing is that I don’t know when I’ll be able to make love again. I could probably eat pussy right now, but fucking would kill me,” I sighed miserably.

“Aww, it’s okay, Baby. We’re just glad to have you home. Fucking can wait; that doesn’t mean that we can’t all take care of each other, though. I bet you’d love to see us eat each other, wouldn’t you? Plus, I know that the both of us are dying to suck your cock, Bro,” my sister whispered seductively to me while her tongue licked at my ear as she playfully nipped it.

I moaned quietly; the licks and little bites that she was giving me upon my neck and ear combined with her gentle stroking of my cock had me ready to burst. I didn’t know what I wanted more, to pee or to cum. She kissed my neck down to my shoulder, leaving a trail of moisture that gave me goosebumps.

“Come, Baby. Let Nurse Amber take care of you. We’ll get you in a nice hot shower that’ll make you feel good. Oh, and you need to take your medicine; two pills should help your back. Here, lemme help you stand up, loverboy,” she murmured while her hands roamed sensuously over my upper body.

“Thanks, Honey,” I sighed gratefully as I really did need her help to stand.

Amber led me by my cock to our bathroom, where she started the shower and admonished me to wait until she got back before getting in. She threw her bathrobe on and ran downstairs to get me a glass of juice to swallow my pills with. I couldn’t hold it any longer, so I peed while I waited, much to the relief of my bladder. I tried seeing how deeply I could take a breath before being shot through with agony, and it seemed like maybe half capacity. I hoped that it wouldn’t be too many days before I could breathe fuller; it almost felt like I wasn’t getting enough air with the shallow breaths that I was forced to take.

Amber came hustling back into the room, pushing a glass of orange juice at me, “Here, Babe. Take your medicine, and maybe I’ll be like the sugar and go down on you,” she grinned as she wiggled my cock and handed me my pills.

“Oh, god, Amb! I really need it so badly. I doubt I’ll last two seconds. I’ve never felt so weak. Ugh, I hate this feeling, Sis. My legs still feel like they’re made out of rubber,” I complained to her with a wry grin on my face.

My breathing quickened as I watched Amber slip out of her bathrobe. She noticed the effect that she was having on me and grinned up at me like a cat with a mouse. Still grinning sexily, she undid the bandage wrap on my ribs, kissing all over them gently as she exposed my skin. After that, she wrapped my cast up in plastic. She was very efficient at it, taking just under a minute to do so. Then, pulling gently on my hand, she helped me step into the tub; she followed me in and steered me underneath the hot water. All the while, she sensuously caressed and stroked my naked flesh, causing shivers to run through my torso.

“Mmmm, see something that you like, big brother? Could it be that you like seeing your baby sister naked in front of you? How about kneeling in front of you? Do you like it when I do that?” she asked me coyly as she slowly slid down my legs until she was eye level with my cock.

“Oh god, Amber! You really know how to turn a guy on, ya know? Please, Baby, please suck me...”

“Davey, lean your shoulders back against the wall, Honey. I don’t want you collapsing on me when you cum. You know how you sometimes get weak-kneed when you cum hard. You’re already wobbly, and I’m going to suck you so good, my love,” she told me as she looked up at me through smokey eyes.

I did as she suggested and leaned back and closed my eyes, shivering in anticipation of her mouth on me. The hot water was landing on the junction of my neck and collar bone, and I enjoyed it as it cascaded down my torso; my cock was jutting out from it like a rock in a waterfall. I could feel her soft fingers stroking my shaft lightly as I felt her suck in one of my balls. She swirled it carefully around with her tongue and moaned, which in turn sent a heavenly sensation through my sack with the vibrations.

She spent quite a few minutes just teasing me with her tongue and fingertips; it was exquisite, but my legs were already shaky.

“Baby, I ... I don’t know how much longer I can stand like this. Please make me cum, Amber. I need you so badly,” I moaned out to her as my leg muscles trembled.

I felt a sudden warmth envelope my cock head as she slurped me in. I had a momentary spasm shoot through me as the pleasure of it coursed throughout my groin without warning. She slid her wet mouth down my length, taking me in almost to the root. Her hands reached up to tickle my balls and taint. She applied the perfect amount of suction and slowly withdrew from my dick as her tongue flicked all around my width.

“Oh god, Amber! Fuck! Peaches, how I love you. It feels so good ... so good,” I moaned as I lifted my good arm up to rest my hand on her head.

She picked up the pace and started to bob on my cock as if all that mattered to her was getting a drink of my jizz. I wasn’t going to last much longer. It felt so amazing. I don’t know if it was because I hadn’t had sex for over a week or if it was because I had almost died, but it was one of the best blow jobs that I’d ever had. It just felt so good, and it had me crawling out of my skin.

“I love you, Amber! Oh, god, how I love you! I’m going to cum, Baby! Oh! Fuck! Here it comes, Sis! Shit! I’m Cuuuuummminnnnng!” I moaned out loudly as I spurted shot after shot of my hot salty load into her mouth and down her throat while she kept bobbing on me.

My legs trembled as the last couple of drops were sucked hard from me, and I slid down limply to the bottom of the tub. It hurt like crazy, but I felt light-headed, no pun intended, and I had to sit down if I didn’t want to faint. Amber caught me around my waist and helped to make sure that I didn’t bang myself upon the edge of the tub.

“Are you okay, Baby?” my sister asked with concern in her eyes.

She was clearly worried that she might have done too much with me; it was written all over her face.

“Yeah, my Peach. I’m a mixed bag of nuts right now. I just couldn’t stand up anymore. Sorry, Babe. Between the coma and the pain I’m in, plus having zero energy, it’s no wonder, really. I figure that my body is starving for fuel too. I didn’t ask, but I would guess that all they fed me for a week was sugar water through the I.V.

“That blow job, though. Wow! That honestly was the best one I’ve had so far, Amb. I mean it. It was so damn good that I wish I could’ve lasted a Hell of a lot longer. I dunno if it’s because I almost died or whatnot, but shit, Amber, that was crazy good,” I said quietly as I lay panting on the bottom of the shower enjoying the water splashing over me.

“Ah, shit, Davey! I’m so sorry, Bro! I should have realized! I should have sucked you in bed so that you could’ve stayed lying down. I didn’t mean to hurt you! Please forgive me, Honey?” she asked, almost as if she was about to cry.

“Whoa, Baby! Don’t be upset! Please! You’ll make me sad if you get sad. Do you know how happy I am to be here in the shower with you? I didn’t think that I would have a problem standing up through a BJ any more than you did. Don’t worry about that! I just had the most amazing cum, and I absolutely love it when you swallow me like that!” I told her sincerely with my eyes locked to hers. “Amber, I gotta tell you something, something very important, okay?” I said, trying to change the subject so that she didn’t dwell on my pain.

“Okay, Davey. What is it? Something bad?” she asked with a bit of trepidation showing on her face.

“Bad? What? Oh! No, no my, Honey Peach! This shit isn’t bad at all. I just wanted to tell you that the coma changed me, but nothing major and only in a good way. It made me realize that I love you even more than I had thought I did before. And before, well, I had already loved you more than anything else in this world already. I was searching for you while I was in that coma, Amber. I couldn’t tell you everything in the hospital, and I was so desperate to share this with you,” I said with the passion for her apparent in my voice.

“Tell me, lover. Tell me what you saw and felt in there. I wanna know, Davey,” Amber breathed as her eyes shone with her love for me.

“I kept wondering where you were. Sure I wondered where Mom and Dad were too a little, and I did wonder where CC was as well. But those were fleeting thoughts. You though, Amber. Well, I never stopped thinking about you, not once. I dreamt or lived old memories of us, even one that I had never remembered until I was in the coma,” I said while gazing up at her naked body as she crouched down over my legs.

“Really? Wow, that’s so cool, Davey. What was the old memory about?” she asked as she fixated on what I was sharing with her.

I took a moment before I started to tell her. I just wanted to look at how gorgeous she was. Her pussy was split apart by the way that she was hovering above me, and her ass was right above my thighs. I wanted to taste her very badly, I realized. I wanted to lick up the juices that I saw glistening there. She stared at me while she waited patiently for me to answer her and to continue with my story. She reached down and started to play with my spent cock, and a small crooked smile appeared on her face as she did so.

“Sorry, I was momentarily distracted by just how sexy you are, Sis. I was thinking about how much I want to taste you,” I said as my eyes traveled from her face down to her spread nether lips.

“Later, Davey. Please, keep telling me about your dreams. What was the old memory?” she asked as she kept rubbing me.

“It was when Mom and Dad first introduced me to you. They had laid you down all swaddled up in a pink and white blanket on the rug. I wasn’t walking yet. I was still crawling, and they had told me that I had a beautiful new sister named Amber. I didn’t understand what that meant at first.

“When they had placed you on the floor, I raced over on my hands and knees as fast as I could crawl and stopped only when my face was right above yours, Sis. As soon as I saw your eyes, I just knew that I loved you. It was like Bam! It just hit me like a thunderbolt! I can remember it now like it was yesterday. A memory from when I was eleven months old. I didn’t even think that was possible,” I said with my eyes wide at my own wonderment.

“Wow, that’s so cool, Davey!” Amber told me, looking fascinated as she studied my face.

“Yeah, it really is. I remember thinking that you had hair; it struck me as amazing that you did. Plus your nose, I thought it was like mine, and I loved mine because Mom used to pretend to bite it, which really made me laugh. I tried to do that to you, but all I did was cover your tiny nose with my mouth. Mom thought that I was trying to kiss you, and she had gotten all excited with Dad.

“You wiggled your head and babbled when I did it, and you gave me the biggest smile. Your green eyes sparkled up at me with laughter, and right then, I was hooked. I honestly remember thinking that your eyes were the prettiest things that I had ever seen, even prettier than Moms. That was my exact thought, and I still do,” I said wistfully at the happy memory that I was reliving with her.

“Seriously? You thought that all the way back then!? I thought that it was me who loved you first, but I can only remember back until I was two. My earliest memory of you, Davey, is when we were running in circles in the living room. I was chasing you, and we were both laughing our heads off.

“I remember tripping and falling hard and hitting my chin on the floor. It hurt, and I started to cry, but before Mom or Dad could even come to see what was wrong, you had sat down next to me. You tried to pick me up as best as you could at three years old, and you had my head cradled to your chubby chest.

“All I remember then is staring up into your eyes, Bro. You rocked me and kissed me over and over again, telling me that I would be okay ‘cause you had me. I felt so safe, Davey. I felt so much love for you, and I stopped crying because I knew that you had me, that you wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me ever. Mom found us like that as she had come to see what happened, and she praised you for being such a good brother and taking care of me.

“It was true then, and it’s true now. You’ve always been an amazing brother. That’s a big part of why I love YOU so much, and now I get to take care of you too. I love you with every fiber of my being, David. My soul loves you, Baby, and I want to have your babies someday. I only wish that we could get married like other couples.

“Sometimes I think that it’s just not fair that we have to be related and that we can’t be like normal people. Then other times, I just get so pissed off, like who cares if we’re brother and sister. It doesn’t hurt anyone else, and it’s nobody’s fucking business who I fuck or not, or who I love or not. But you know what, Davey? None of that will ever stop me. I WILL have OUR babies one day. I’m going to be with you until we die, brother,” Amber vowed as she bent over to kiss me.

“Your memory is like mine, Amb. That’s so cool! You know whenever you talk about having my babies, you make me so bloody horny!” I growled with lust as my cock had hardened in her hand as she kept stroking it.

“Hmm, maybe it won’t hurt you if I do this, Davey. You just don’t move at all. Seriously, Bro, stay still. No hip thrusting, or I’ll stop!” Amber commanded as she lowered her sopping wet pussy down onto my cock.

We both groaned as she sank herself onto me until almost my full shaft was buried inside of her tightness. I still couldn’t believe how tight she actually was. It was like putting my cock into a vice and then screwing it shut. It felt like I was floating on a cloud of ecstasy every time I was inside her. Just like the blow job, this felt better than it ever had before too.

“I ... fuck you feel good ... I dreamt about our wedding ... Oh, Fuck! Shit, your pussy is so tight on me, Amb! It was so real, too,” I grunted out as my hand gripped her thigh.

“Uggnh ... Shit, I really missed your cock inside me, Bro! Seriously? Our wedding?” Amber panted as she raised herself up and down again.

“Oh damn, Honey, yeah, go like that. Uggnngh ... Deeper ... Oh shit ... You feel so damn good, Sis! Yeah, it was so real. CC was your Maid of Honor along with Kim, and Stewart and Andy were my best men. Fuck. Go slower. Yeah, like that, it feels so good. I don’t wanna cum too fast, Amber,” I moaned.

She was raising her pussy up and down upon my cock super slowly. Letting us both feel it push and pull as she gripped me. Her hands were on the bottom of the tub next to my shoulders, and her face hovered above mine by about six inches. We stared into each other’s eyes as she brought us both euphoric pleasure.

“Tell me more,” she demanded breathlessly.

“I was standing on the dais waiting for you to walk down the aisle, and Mom was in the front row crying happy tears as she beamed up at me...”

“Mom was there?” Amber gasped as she took me a little deeper.

“Yeah. CC looked over at me and blew me a kiss, and in my dream, I had blasted a load of cum in her pussy earlier that morning because she wanted to be standing up there full of me,” I said while grunting in pleasure.

“Oh fuck, that’s hot!” Amber moaned while starting to move on me a little faster.

“Yeah, I thought so too. Wait until you hear the next part. This is what I wanted to tell you yesterday in the hospital when you asked me why I was laughing. When the wedding march started, and you appeared down the aisle, it was Dad that was giving you away!”

She humped me deeper, her mons coming into full contact with my pubis as she took every inch that I could give her. Finally, after having gotten my whole cock stuffed deep inside her slick tunnel, she bottomed out and ground her clit on me, shuddering with a small climax. She started to ride me in a variety of ways, changing up her pace and method every few moments.

“What ... Uggggnh ... Cumming, Baby! Oh fuck, I needed that! Dad gave me away to you? Ugggnh ... Even in a dream ... that ... is too funny! Damn, your cock feeeeeels sooooooo goooood right now, big brother! Dad would give ... give me up for adoption before that ... would ever happen!” she said while gasping and grunting as she worked my cock with her pussy.

I could feel my balls starting to tighten up with the roiling feeling that I always got right before I came.

“I’m going to cum soon, Amber! Fuck me, Baby! Fuck me!” I gasped as I willed myself to stay still and not thrust up into her.

“Oh, yes! Fill me up! Fill me! Cum inside me, Davey! I’m going to cum too! Uggggnnnnngghh!” Amber cried out as she bit her lip and came hard, her juices spewing out all over my crotch.

“Cuming now ... Uggnnngghh! Fuck, that feels so good, my Peach!” I gasped out as I blasted my second load of the morning into my baby sister.

“I love you so very much, Davey. I really needed that! A week without my brother’s big cock in me is just way too long!”

“I agree, it was way too long, Amb. Shit, the water’s getting cold. Think you can help me up? I don’t trust myself,” I asked her with a rueful grin.

“Here, Babe. Take my hand,” Amber said as she stood up and reached down.

I grunted in agony as I stood up, even though I could tell that the Dilaudid was starting to kick in. Amber washed me fast but gently, including around my stitches. She then insisted on washing herself, saying that she could do it much quicker than I would be able to if I tried to do it for her. She was right, of course. So I just fondled her tits to both of our amusement.

She helped me out and then dried me off. I sat on the toilet as she dried herself, afterward she had me stand again, and she re-wrapped my ribs and took the plastic off my cast. It was my first day home, and I already realized just how much work I was going to be for my poor sister. I was seriously impressed with her, though. She was very good at taking care of me; she was a natural Nurse.

“You know, Amb. I was just thinking about how much trouble I’m going to be for you. For you to have to take care of me until my ribs and arm heal up, well, it sucks. I’m really sorry you have to do all this,” I said earnestly.

“Nonsense, Davey. I love you, and it makes me happy to take care of my Baby!”

“Yeah, but Honey Peach. It’s a lot of wor...”

Amber grabbed my chin and made me look right into her eyes as she stepped up so that we were face to face. Her green eyes were smoldering with love, and they searched mine intensely.

“Listen here, Davey. You are the single most important person in the world to me. I thought that not just one life was over but three last week...”

“Three?” I asked, puzzled.

“Yes, three. Yours, ours, and mine. I really thought that you were going to die on me. You have no clue what the doctors were telling us in the beginning. I think that they were preparing us for the worse, but one thing that they made very, very clear to us, Davey, was that brain injuries are a complete unknown. It’s a lot of guesswork, and they just do their best to give a patient the best odds that they can. At least that’s how Dr. Rossenberg explained it. So what do you think would have happened if you had died on me, my love?” she asked softly.

“You would have been devastated. I can’t even begin to imagine if it was you, Babe,” I replied with a shudder.

“Yeah, I understand. Well, I know exactly what would have happened, Davey. You die; our relationship dies. That counts as a life because our relationship has a life of its own. It’s a combination of the two of us together. Then eventually I die too, Davey,” she whispered while her eyes still searched mine intently.

“Oh ... Yeah, I understand ... I would too...”

“So, do you still think that I find taking care of the one thing that makes my life worth living a burden?” she inquired as she arched an eyebrow at me.

“No, not anymore. Not when you explain it like that, Amb. That actually reminds me of what I was trying to tell you before in the shower. After the coma and all the dreaming I did while trying to find you. Well, I feel like I am even more in love with you than I had thought was Humanly possible, Amber.

“Look, I can’t explain it, really. Words are so inadequate sometimes, and it’s all very frustrating. But I feel more love for everyone now, well I take that back, not everyone, certain people. Mom, Dad, CC, and especially you, like ten times more now. That is the frustrating part, Sis. I already loved you more than life itself before, so how do I explain what I’m feeling now?

“It’s ... it’s ... damn ... okay lemme try this. It’s like you’ve been woven under my skin, like our souls, which were just entwined before, have now been sewn together like Peter Pan did with his shadow. It almost feels as if I could close my eyes and know where you are at all times. You saved my life, Amber. I truly believe that. Without your voice acting as a beacon for me, I never would have made it home,” I said as my eyes got watery with the emotion that I was struggling to try and get Amber to understand.

“Oh, Davey! I’m so glad that you’re here and back home too! I am so very glad that you found your way,” she said as tears formed in her eyes in response to mine.

“Amber, I don’t mean this home, not the one we’re standing in. I meant that I found my way HOME. YOU are my HOME. Nothing else matters to me. Well, I don’t mean it exactly like that, not quite. It’s so hard finding the right words sometimes. Look, I love Mom and Dad a lot. I love CC even more, and I really do too. I sincerely hope that the three of us work out forever, Babe.

“But none of that means anything without you. If you asked me to leave to go to Timbuktu with you tomorrow, well I would. I hope that wouldn’t actually ever happen, though, ‘cause I have no idea where that place actually is, and it sounds far!” I laughed, trying to bring some levity to our conversation.

“So ... do you still want us to be with CC?” Amber asked as her forehead crinkled cutely in a slight frown.

“Yes, I do. I just said that I love her even more now than I did before the coma. I truly meant that, and I really do love her. So I hope that you want us to be with her forever too. What I am trying to tell you, though. Is that if you ever changed your mind about that or anything, that you’re all that I will ever truly need. You are my home, Amber. I wish I could somehow play all my dreams back to you, inside your own head, so you could see what I saw.

“What I watched in there, in my coma, was the story of us, replayed over and over. Every image, every memory, even ones that I had forgotten about were there and a part of me,” I told her quietly, my eyes feverish with my desire for her to understand.

“Wow! I wish I could see all that, Davey,” my sister stated in awe.

“You know how they say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes?” I asked her.

“Yeah, I’ve seen that said in lots of places,” she replied.

“Well, what I saw was YOU flash before my eyes. There were some cameos of Mom and Dad and CC, but you were the star and focus of the film of my life. You Amber, my sister, my lover, my soulmate, YOU! I ... I just needed you to understand that, to understand what I went through on my side. To understand how much more you mean to me than even I knew before,” I said as tears now spilled over and streaked down my cheeks.

“Oh my god, Davey! You are the best thing in my life, and I feel that our souls are stitched together too! You just described how I’ve been feeling since forever, and I’ve never been able to even understand it myself, Baby! That’s how I’ve been feeling since I turned twelve!” she exclaimed as she launched herself at me, kissing me as fiercely as she could manage while still trying not to aggravate my injuries.

I was forced to break the kiss off sooner than I would have liked. I was feeling light-headed, and I probably needed a good amount of food in my belly.

“I need to lay down, my Peach,” I said while getting a little woozy.

Amber put her arm around my waist and helped me back to bed. CC was in the same position that we had left her in, and her ass looked just as inviting as it had when I had left. The clock said that it was 8:54 as I glanced at it while trying to get comfortable.

“You lay there and relax, Davey. You should cuddle up to our girlfriend and feel her nice firm titties or something. I’m going to go make us some coffee and get you some breakfast in bed, loverboy. How’s that sound? You down for some bacon and eggs, Bro?” Amber asked while giving me a 20-000 watt smile that instantly had my heart skipping beats.