Page 14 of Surprised By Her

Her jaw clenched just a little. “Yes.”

“Sorry, we got a little off track. I think you wanted to talk about things other than where we’re from,” I said.

“I just wanted to apologize to you for what happened at the store. I have no idea what came over me, I’m not normally like that at all,” she said.

“Me neither,” I said. “I don’t normally make out with strangers that I’ve just spilled coffee on. You didn’t have any burns, did you?”

She shook her head. “No. My skin was a little red, but no permanent damage done.”

“Good,” I said, letting out a breath. “I’m really sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. I’m sorry about the kiss,” she said.

It was on the edge of my tongue to say I’m not, but I managed to keep my mouth shut.

“It’s okay. You made the day more exciting, that’s for sure,” I said with a laugh.

“That’s something,” she said, looking down at her hands. Her fingers were long and sprinkled with just a few freckles. There was a simple black metallic ring on her right ring finger. Nothing on her left. Not that I was looking.

“How long are you staying in Arrowbridge?” I asked.

“For the summer. I needed a change,” she said.

“A change from…” I said, trailing off.

She turned to look at me again. “Everything.”

I nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I moved here for a new start.” I didn’t tell everyone that I still lived with my parents, because sometimes they got a little weird about it. They’d also ask further questions about why I wasn’t out on my own and I didn’t like to get into my anxiety stuff right off the bat.

“How is it going?” she asked, finally turning to really face me.

I laughed. “It’s going. Sorry, I should have lied.”

“No, I prefer honesty to fake sentiment,” she said.

“I agree,” I said.

This time, my heart beat faster not because of a panic attack. Being with Ryan affected my body, but in the opposite way as my anxiety. Warmth washed through me and my skin tingled as if in anticipation and I couldn’t help but lean closer to her, inhaling her scent.

I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly Ryan smelled like, but I could sum it up in one word: expensive.

Ryan swallowed and then closed her eyes for a second. “We should get back.”

“Of course,” I said. I had no idea how long we’d been gone. She stood up and so did I.

“You’re really tall,” I blurted out.

“I am,” she said. “And you’re sized just right.”

Something about the way she said it coupled with the way she looked down at me made my blood warm and race.

“Am I?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

She let out a breath that was almost a sigh. “You are.”

The moment shattered at the sound of a phone going off. Ryan pulled a phone out of her pocket, her eyes reading the message.

“We should get back to the party,” she said, stepping around me and opening the door.

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