You’re in every song
You’re in every word I sing
A constellation of
And my constellation
And my star in the dark
I frowned. The poem was somehow familiar, but also not quite right. I stared at the lines until I recognized the words for what they were—song lyrics. And it wasn’t just any song. This was part of the chorus to the Heartbreakers most recent hit, “Astrophil.”
“Found it!” Alec called, pulling me away from my discovery.
He trotted back into view with a satisfied smile and a paperback clutched in one hand. When he reached the window seat, he sat beside me, his shoulder bumping into mine. In comparison to the first few times we’d sat together, when Alec was careful to put a respectable distance between us, his current ease was so startling that it took me a few seconds to recognize the title.
“Oliver’s uncle is more of a nonfiction guy, but I figured he’d have the classics,” he said, thumbing throughTo Kill a Mockingbird. “I’ve been meaning to read it ever since you loaned it to me, but”—he hesitated, lips pressed together to suppress a guilty grin—“last week was a little hectic. Wanna start?”
“You mean like right now?” Weren’t we supposed to be watchinga movie? Everyone was probably already in the kitchen waiting for us.
“Is that okay?” Alec asked. “Knowing Oliver, he’s picked out a James Bond film, and I’m not in the mood.”
“Well, you already know I’m more of aMission: Impossiblekind of girl,” I said. “Although, I’m not one for reading out loud. Maybe we can just read together silently?”
“That’s fine,” Alec said and turned to the first page.
I looked down and squinted, trying to focus on the opening sentence. It was one of those beautiful first lines, both ominous and deceptive in its simplicity, and if I hadn’t already known it by heart, I wouldn’t have been able to make out the small font. Alec was sitting inches from me, but I scooted closer until our legs were pressed together.
I felt him look at me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, my cheeks prickling with warmth. “I couldn’t see.”
Alec cleared his throat. “Here.” He pressed the book into my hands and moved his arm out of the way, slipping it behind my back and tugging me against him. “That better?”
My body went stiff at the contact. “I… Yeah,” I choked out, almost too flustered to speak. A few seconds slipped by, and I relaxed into his side.
Then we read.
Or, in my case, attempted to.
All I could think about was Alec: the way his arm felt wrapped around me, the smell of his cologne, the warmth of his breath onmy neck. I willed myself to focus on the book, but it was no use. At my side, Alec’s fingers played with the hem of my camisole, and each gentle brush sent a shiver up my back. This went on for a couple of minutes until suddenly his fingers stopped. I tilted my head back to see what was wrong and found him watching me. His sharp eyes searched my own, and I lost myself in their color: stone gray, rain blue, and lightning. I’d never seen a more captivating pair of eyes in my life.
“What do you think?” I spoke each word carefully, so I didn’t sound rattled or out of breath, and was relieved when my voice sounded somewhat normal.
His fingers started up again, this time stroking the inside of my wrist, and the simple action made my whole body tremble. “About what?”
“The book.”
Alec paused, and I thought he was trying to come up with a polite way to tell me he hated it. “I haven’t been able to get much reading done,” he admitted.
“Why not?”
“Because of you.” He said this plainly and without any reservation, making my heart skip a beat.
I held my breath as he lowered his face toward mine. His eyes fluttered closed, but just before our lips brushed, he pulled back.
“May I?” he asked.
Dear God, yes please!“Mmm-hmm.”
