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Would my friends say anything? Navin hadn’t said a word since he told me he saw us. As far as I knew, he hadn’t told anyone else.
I ground my teeth and jammed my thumbs around the straps of my backpack as I walked down the hall. Usually, I would be more of a ball of sunshine, greeting people and telling them to have a great day, all with a huge smile on my face.
Not today, though. I attempted to be as focused as possible today. The team had to dress up, since the game was tomorrow, meaning casual suits. My black pants and jacket made me sweat.
At least the tie was optional.
I took out my phone to send Una a text, when suddenly a hand appeared out of nowhere, pulling me to the side, sending me stumbling through the door of an empty classroom.
Mostly empty, anyway.
Once I cleared the doorway, Una shut it behind me, putting her back to it to make sure it stayed closed.
“What is going on?” I said in an excited whisper. I had reached out and grabbed her arm to steady myself as I fell.
I didn’t remove it.
Una shrugged. The expression on her face was hard to read. She didn’t have on her usual serious business look. She wasn’t smiling either. It was a bit… blank.
“I think I’m going insane.”
I blinked. Then blinked again. “Um… why?”
That got a raised eyebrow and a smirk. I stood up straight, trailing the hand on her arm down to her fingers, intertwining mine with them, and grabbing her other hand too. We were only about a foot apart, but it felt like a mile and an inch at the same time.
“Because of you,” she answered, staring at our hands. My brows furrowed, a frown deepening on my face. “I’m nervous for you. For the game. I’m upset that you’re upset about Navin. If you’re even still upset about that. I don’t even know. I’m worried you don’t want to hang out anymore. I have no idea what the heck is going on with me and it’s driving me crazy. It’s a mess. Everything is a mess. This is why I don’t get invol—”
I couldn’t let her finish that sentence. Because everything she said before it? Sent my heartsoaring. I dropped her hands and wound an arm around her back, pulling her lips to mine, and kissing away every single worry she had in her mind.
At first, she froze for a second, but after a moment, she softened, placing her hands on my waist, rising on her tiptoes to get closer.
Thiswas the real Una Nielsen. The vulnerable one. The girl behind the mask, behind the business, behind the façade. This Una had finally learned what it meant to care for someone in an all-consuming way.
Una Nielsen was falling in love.
“Did that help calm your mind?” I asked a minute later, after pulling away.
Her dark eyelashes fluttered, her cheeks reddening with the smallest hint of a blush.
“A little.”
I sighed a breath of relief and hugged her, drawing her as close to my chest as possible. She wound her arms around my back and rested her head on my shoulder. I placed my chin against her head and held tight.
“Being in a relationship is tricky, Una,” I muttered just loud enough for her to hear me. “There are a lot of emotions. A lot of problems. But there’s also a lot of fun. Happiness. Joy. It’s tough to balance, but that’s why you learn to rely on the other person to get you through it. You don’t have to go alone.”
I paused, not sure how she would respond me mentioning the word relationship. Though I said it rather vaguely, I knew she heard the meaning behind it.
“So every time my mind is running sprints, you’ll just kiss me?” She leaned back and looked up at me. “That doesn’t seem like a solution—”
I dipped down and captured her mouth in mine once again, a smile crossing my lips as I did. She let out a laugh, sending straight chills down my spine.
“I was being serious,” she whispered.
I let her go, resigning to holding her hands in between the two of us. Some part of me had to be touching her at this moment or I’d go crazy.
“Me too,” I answered. “Any time you’re freaking out, I’ll kiss you. It makes it better.”
“Temporarily.” She smirked at me, as if she were posing a challenge.
