AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“As glad as I am that you’re jealous, I’m also not trying to die.”
“Then get down. That thing is going to break.” I yell.
He shakes his head, a bead of sweat runs down his forehead. “Not until you say you’ll come out and talk. Otherwise, you’ll have to live with the knowledge that you were responsible for the broken leg that ended my basketball career.”
“You shouldn’t joke like that.” I glower at him.
“I’m not. This thing is flimsy.” He glances down nervously.
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’ve got five minutes.” By the time I’ve started to drop the blinds, he’s gone.
I slip my feet into my docksiders and run down the stairs.
“He made it up, I take it?” my mom yells as I run past her office. I come to a skidding stop and walk back toward the office. I stick my head in the door. She’s got her glasses in her hand, a stack of papers in front of her.
“Yeah…” I say uncertainly.
“I told him to go home. I guess he doesn’t listen any better than you,” she says, her voice drips with disapproval.
“You think I shouldn’t go talk to him?” I ask her even though I can see the answer in her eyes.
“You want to talk to him?” She quirks an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” I answer with no hesitation. I’ve been wanting to all week.
“Then it doesn’t matter what I say. Just… whatever he says, Kal. Make him prove it.” She looks at me meaningfully. “You’re worth the work.”
I run into the room, circle her desk and throw my arms around her neck and hug the woman who is responsible for all of this.
“I love you.” I know she doesn’t love hugs, but sometimes, I just need to give her one.
She always lets me.
And then she shrugs me off.
“Don’t stay out there too long,” she calls after me as I head back out of the door.
I run across the long black-and-white tiled floor. As soon as I pull the front door open, Remi’s standing there. He’s wearing jeans, his white T-shirt is smudged with dirt and torn on the right shoulder.
“I can’t believe you climbed that thing.” I shake my head at him in disbelief, but a smile has worked its way on my face and it’s so wide my cheeks hurt.
“I had to get to you.” He says, his smile is just as wide, but his eyes are smoldering. “Hey, Will.” He says huskily.
“Hey.” I’m nervous suddenly. I didn’t expect him to really show up.
“Can we sit?” He nods at the swing seat where I sit to write every night.
“Sure.” He grabs my hand and links our fingers. It feels so good. I fold my fingers over his hands and hold on, too.
As soon as we sit down, he lifts our joined hands to his lips and presses a kiss to mine. His touch burns in the best way; a jolt of sweet heat runs up my arm and I wish he’d do it again. He lifts his dark, normally so hard to read eyes, and he looks at me through the lush dark sweep of his lashes.
“Joni and I—”
I bristle at the mention of her name. “We’re just friends, Remi. You don’t have to explain.”
He grabs my other hand; his expression grows intent.
“We’re not just friends, Kalilah.” The timbre in his voice, him using my full name, the look in his eyes, makes my heart race.
