Her hand is warm in mine as we lock our palms together. I step back onto solid ground, groaning at the squish of my wet socks.
“That wasn’t at all embarrassing.”
“Are you okay?” Ellie’s still holding my hand, waiting to make sure I’ve found my footing. “Your hands are freezing.”
“Sure.” I let go and straighten out my shirt, which had ridden up beneath my jacket. All I can think about is how badly I need to take off these drenched socks. That, and about the fact that Ellie is standing incredibly close to me.
She pulls a small twig off my coat. Tossing it off to the side, she looks back up at me. Her dark eyes linger, peering into mine. She exhales, and her breath billows up in the cold air, tangling with my own.
“Thanks,” I mumble.
Ellie reaches forward, her hands wrapped into the sleeves of her sweatshirt as she takes hold of my fingers. “Seriously, you’re frozen.” She gives a small squeeze. “Are you sure you’re not too cold?”
That isnotthe temperature I’m feeling right now, since a warmth is creeping up my chest. I’m really glad I ran into Ellie this morning. Though my heart rate is beating faster now than it did running the course earlier.
Ellie watches my lips, waiting for me to speak. “I’m not cold,” I say, fudging the truth as I slightly lift our joined hands. “Are you?”
“Maybe a little…”
Still holding on to me, she pulls me toward her a smidge. I don’t lose my balance again, but I am leaning into her.
Isshemoving toward me?
Then a loud bird squawks somewhere in the trees above us. I jump a little and glance up to make sure it isn’t swooping down on us.
Ellie takes a step back, too. Though the sound must not have fallen on her radar.
It’s like we snapped back to reality. I don’t know how to close the distance between us again. My hands are cooling back down fast with the absence of hers.
I awkwardly point up, wishing I could undo the last few seconds. “I heard a bird or something…”
Shit.Had that been a moment?
I usually have a better read on things. Like, I very clearly understood when my homecoming date leaned forward during the slow dance. Or my first girlfriend stared at me during a movie. But with Ellie, I don’t have anything figured out.
Is she just tolerating my presence? It really could just be that I’m the only senior friend she’s made so far. We’re friends at least, I think. I don’t want to overstep. But there was something about the way she took my hands and looked up at me.
Did she want me to kiss her?
She starts to laugh again, using her hands to sign and visually recreate my fall. I chuckle, finding her amusement endearing.
“Definitely an interesting path to take,” she says. She gestures to the forest around us. “A lot of pretty things to see.”
Even though I don’t want to, we need to get moving again. My toes are at risk of frostbite if I don’t get out of these wet socks soon. Ellie takes the lead, so I follow her toward the opposite side of the park, back to the 5K course.
“Yeah, beautiful,” I say, watching her walk ahead, knowing she didn’t hear a word I said.
Chapter Thirteen
Ellie
Following an interestingshortcut through the woods, Jackson and I dip back onto the course among the walkers and make it to the finish line in no time. Okay, I need to be real with myself—did I come here hoping I’d see Jackson? He’s Mr. Every Extracurricular under the Sun, so there’s no way he wouldn’t be at the race. I barely spent time with Shay, which was my plan, so what am I doing running off with Jackson?
And I think I almost kissed him?
He couldn’t have leapt away fast enough, making up something about a bird, and I almost ruined things with my only friend at this school.
We stand around after passing the finish line. Jackson shuffles his feet and looks down, clearly uncomfortable. After whatever happened in the forest, things are awkward now. At least he isn’t running away from me. “What do you have going on after this?” he asks.
