AllFreeNovel
Share Us
During lunch the other day, one of his friends cracked a joke at his expense and instead of blowing up, he laughed it off. Yesterday, he showed up at my house before school with a cup of my favorite coffee and a scone from a little shop in town.
Had he behaved like this during our relationship, we probably wouldn’t be breaking up. But as pleasant as he’s being, it doesn’t alter my decision. Once Sunday morning rolls around, we’re parting ways.
Even though he hasn’t mentioned anything, I suspect he’s trying to win me over.
Why else would he be so nice?
As I turn the corner and the copy room comes into view, my pace automatically slows. A tiny part of me is concerned that I’ll stumble across Mom and Mr. Pembroke making out again.
After our awkward conversation Saturday morning, neither of us has brought up the subject. Mom’s pretending like it never happened, which is annoying. I get that she’s embarrassed, but maybe she needs to think about the reason for that. She shouldn’t be sleeping with her boss who is a married man.
It’s just…wrong.
No matter what her excuse, my stance won’t change.
I stare at the door that’s been left slightly ajar. It’s like my feet are frozen in place as the sound of my heartbeat thumps in my ears until it’s as loud as the roar of the ocean. When everything remains silent, I force myself to press against the thick wood and push it open. The creaking of the hinges has me jumping before I cautiously peek inside.
Air rushes from my lungs and my body deflates when I find the space empty. I didn’t realize how anxious I’d become until this moment.
Normally, I’m happy to run into Mom at school.
Unfortunately, what I caught a glimpse of last week is still there, buzzing around in the back of my head. It’s going to take a while for me to forget about it.
If that’s even possible.
My muscles loosen now that I know I’m not walking into an embarrassing situation. I step inside the room before glancing at the digital clock on the wall. There’s less than twenty minutes for me to get all this done. Standing at the machine, I set the number of copies that are needed before feeding the first page. A loud humming noise fills the space before duplicates are spit into the tray. After a neat stack forms, I start the second sheet. I’ve done this so many times that I could probably do it with my eyes closed.
It doesn’t take long for my mind to wander and my thoughts to drift to Austin. My belly trembles as I replay our conversation from Friday night in my head. As much as I hate it, I’m back to keeping my distance. I promised Jasper I wouldn’t tell anyone we’d secretly broken up.
I’ve never been one to go back on my word.
And I won’t start now.
Even if it’s to him.
But I feel terrible. Anytime our gazes collide across a crowded room, I see the confusion flickering in Austin’s green-flecked eyes. He doesn’t understand why I’ve pulled back.
Five more days and I’ll be able to tell him everything.
Hopefully then…I don’t know.
Maybe we can go out?
Spend more time together?
I’m unsure what the future holds for us, but I’m excited to find out.
I’m halfway through the stack of copies when the fine hair at the nape of my neck prickles with awareness and I swing around, only to find the very person dominating my thoughts leaning against the doorjamb, silently watching me.
“Hi.” My voice comes out sounding breathy, even to my own ears. It’s tempting to press my palm against my lower abdomen to quell the nerves that flutter around like a horde of butterflies.
“Hey.” Almost casually, he pushes away from the doorframe and stalks closer. That’s exactly what it feels like…being stalked.
His movements are lazy and graceful, as if he has all the time in the world. The moment he steps inside the space, it shrinks around him, making the room feel more cramped than usual.
That’s all it takes for my heartbeat to pick up speed and pound a steady tempo that vibrates throughout my body. When he’s no more than a few feet away, I take a hasty step in retreat until my spine hits the wall. The intensity lurking in his eyes makes me feel as if I’m prey trying to evade a predator.
The difference is that I don’t want to escape him.
