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He pushed the book back between the others, the edges of the pages making a satisfying sound as it slid into place. “I used to. I used to read a lot, actually. Don’t really get much time to lately, though.”
I couldn’t help but notice something in his eyes. Sadness?
“Well, you should make more time. Here.” I stretched up on my toes, pulling down one of my favorites before turning back to him. “You can borrow this one. I think you’d like it. Just promise you’ll return it in one piece. Don’t let Barrett draw in it or anything.”
Perhaps he needed the escape these pages offered just as much as I did.
He smiled down at me, his eyes moving over my face, and he snickered. “You missed a spot.”
His thumb brushed over my jaw, wiping away the remnants of charcoal I’d missed, and I scrunched my face as he wiped it away. The strange sensation I’d felt the first time we touched seeped into me where his fingers met my skin. My heart raced at the delicate touch, and he slowly grew closer. God, he was so close, our breathes mingling.
“You’re always smiling. But I can’t help but feel like there’s something else behind those eyes. I can’t figure it out, but it almost seems... sad.” His voice was low, his eyes dancing across my face as he took all that I was into him through that gaze. I couldn’t focus on what he said, my heart and mind flying into a frenzy.
“No matter what I do though, no matter whether I should stay away or not. I can’t stop myself. You’re too irresistible...” His hand lingered against my skin, and it slid along my chin, tilting my face up. His voice dropped to a low whisper as he leaned into me, lips hovering inches from my own. “So, fuckin’ irresistible.”
His lips brushed against mine, like a whisper. For a moment I was lost in the sensation, so lost that my hand fell to my side, the book slipping from my grasp and narrowly missing my foot as it clunked to the floor.
I gasped, breaking the kiss. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry.”
A low, deep laugh rumbled from his chest, and he ducked to grab the book from the floor. “I promise not to let Barrett ruin your book.”
I smiled, my cheeks and ears hot. “Cross your heart?”
“Cross my heart.”
6
Iwalked silently down the pathway near the admissions building, wrapped tightly in my jacket, shielding myself from the cold morning air. Students passed, taking no notice of my presence as they talked in their groups. The hum of voices and noises of the student body didn’t bother me as much as it had when I first started at UPJ.
Two weeks had passed since my run in with Marcus, and while time helped, what little sleep I got had been filled with nightmares of him. Thankfully, it no longer felt as fresh, but I never knew when the memory would randomly arise again, triggering a panic attack. I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone about it, outside of Damien and his friends who already knew.
It was too scary to think of what the repercussions could be if I told anyone what happened. My parents may pull me from school, the only place I could feel some sense of normalcy. The only place that gave me an excuse to see Damien.
We hadn’t made any other moves toward each other, past the kiss we shared at my house that night. I wasn’t sure if the kiss was part of the distraction, or if it was a sign of feelings he might have. We hadn’t had a chance to be alone since then, and there was no way I was having that conversation around the others. It would just give Barrett more things to tease me about.
“I know the semester only just started, but I’m already ready for it to be over,” Cody whined as I found him and Kat at our regular picnic bench.
Kat settled into Cody’s lap. “Speak for yourself. My professors this semester are actually really cool!”
Cody snorted in disagreement. “Of course,youwould think your professors are cool, Kat. Not everyone is a shining star in the classroom.”
Kat rolled her eyes and changed the subject. “I heard they finally caught the person involved in the disappearances. We should start our pizza dates back up.”
Cody gave me a wink before pulling Kat against him. “Pizza date? I don’t know, babe. You get any curvier and I won’t be able to resist a slice of you.”
Kat’s cheeks turned a bright red. “Cody!”
"What babe? I love your curves. Just thought I’d give you a fair warning."
I chuckled, shaking my head as I pulled out my pad of paper to sketch. He loved nothing more than teasing her, and it was growing more difficult to watch them together lately. It was selfish and stupid of me, and I was furious with myself for feeling like that. Kat was happy though, and I was happy for her. It was just a constant reminder of my loneliness. It baffled me, how I could have such wonderful friends, and yet feel so alone.
“I’m gonna go see Damien. I’ll see you guys at lunch.”
“Alright, love.” She smiled and proceeded to wrestle with Cody.
Over the last couple of weeks, as Damien and I’d grown closer, Kat had come to accept our friendship. After what I’d told her about him, her suspicions seemed to settle. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to tell her about Marcus. It would only give her a reason to worry. I was ok though, so there was no reason to tell her. It wasn’t as if anything happened in the end.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
