AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He studied me a moment and tipped his head. “What’s with the comic-book references?”
I nibbled my lip. “You read comics, and it’s easier to learn things when the subject is interesting.”
“How do you know I read comics?”
“Because I do too. I noticed them in your locker.”
He rolled his pencil between his fingers, his dark eyes so intense I had to glance down.
“So”—he scooted his chair closer to mine—“Spider-Man and the Flash and velocity. Please help me make sense of this madness.”
I helped him that day and fell harder every time we saw each and spoke.
Until I overheard him telling his friends he would only touch me if I had a paper bag over my head.
I sit on the edge of his exam table now, dangling my legs over the edge, needing more. A better understanding of why I’ve never been able to kick thoughts of Avett, good or bad. “Were you serious before? You didn’t actually say those things about me?”
He puts the last of his supplies away, methodical as ever, wiping the surfaces and lining up containers. Slowly, he walks over to me and places his hands on either side of my thighs, caging me in. “I was serious about that. And the other part.”
My breath stutters in my lungs. “What other part?”
He moves his right hand, just enough for his thumb to cover my pinky finger. “I was crazy about you in high school.”
God. My stomach dips, and I press my thighs together. I’m clearly still attracted to Avett. Probably more so with our daily banter. I love to hate this man, and judging by the way his attention keeps dropping to my mouth, I’d say he loves to hate me too.
Our bodies are so close, the quiet soquiet, the heavy air between us thickening with what I believe is sexual tension. But the party last year, the things he said to Ricky, not knowing I was behind them to hear…
His broad chest swells, pushing at the fabric of his work shirt. I avert my gaze, but I can’t keep from glancing back. The intensity of Avett’s attention has heat flaring behind my ribs.
“You were at Andrew Chan’s party last fall,” I say.
He frowns and slowly stands back. “The one in his backyard?”
I nod. “You were talking to Ricky by the fire.”
“Okay,” he says slowly. He rubs his brow then nods. “You were wearing the purple sweater with the square neckline.”
I startle. “How do you remember what I was wearing?”
He licks his lips. “How do you know which shirts I wear which days?”
We stare at each other as our breaths deepen and our awareness grows. We’ve been very attuned to each other for a long time.
But that’s not why I brought this up. “I was talking to Maggie,” I go on. “I was behind you and Ricky, and he made a joke about you and me in the coffee line. How much we love riling each other up.”
His brows pinch, his eyes darting like he’s racking his brains for memories. Then he stills. “Yeah, okay. I vaguely remember.”
I swallow hard. “You told him I was a shrew who was reckless and shouldn’t be near kids let alone teach them. YousaidI would die single and alone, since no one on this planet would be able to tolerate me.”
He closes his eyes and mouths a soft “Fuck.”
Tears sting my eyes. I don’t know why. I was there. This is old news.
“Naomi.” His voice is plaintive, as his expression. “I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know why I said that stuff. We just…”
He trails off, and I wait. I want to know why he said such hurtful things. Maybe understand why I was so affected by his words, when I already believed Avett didn’t like me.
“Actually, that’s bullshit.” He rubs his chest and sets his jaw. “I know exactly why I said that shit to Ricky. You’d been on a date that week with Eric Ackerman, and I was jealous.”
