Page 19 of Fruitbat

He squeezes my hand and the side of his mouth curves. There’s that dimple again.

I dreamily exhale the air from my chest and grin.

“You said you left a party tonight?” Danny asks.

I can feel him relaxing, his hand settling into mine as we walk together. Our shoulders brush and I get a whiff of his scent.Mmm . . . cinnamon.

“My friends never miss a chance to host a gathering.”

“And they forgot it’s your birthday?” he grimaces.

”Grace would have remembered. She always reminded everyone.”

”I think you may need better friends?”

“I think I’ve found one.” The words just fall out of my mouth.

Danny’s middle finger strokes my palm. His tongue slips a glistening trail across his lip and scoops away the dab of dried tomato sauce in the crease of his mouth’s edge.

My eyes are fixed on the sight and I hope I didn’t just whimper aloud.

He smiles and my eyes flick back up to his.

I think I did just whimper out loud.

His finger tickles my palm again, tripping the furnace on, in my belly. Heat rises through my neck and into my cheeks in seconds.

14

Danny

3:33 am

Well, this is new.Why is Si so different? A sudden sadness twists my insides.Why am I just meeting you now?

His whimsical energy whirls up my arm, lifting every hair along the way and wraps me with his brilliance. His sweet face glows, even under the harsh streetlights.

“Someone has been doing some serious baking.” I breathe in peanut butter cookie air. “The city smells so nice right now.” Not the usual spoiled fishy scent that flows with the tainted river.

“I noticed that earlier. I figured it was something in the water?” Si shrugs.

I chuckle. “Definitely not.”

His grip tightens and electricity flits up my skin again. His eyes trigger a deep familiarity.

“My mother used to make amazing peanut butter cookies. The kind you press a fork into and make that crosshatched pattern.” I demonstrate the technique with my free hand. “She used to let me do that part. They were my favorite.” I fill my lungs and savor the air.

“I used to love hanging out in the kitchen with Grace.” Si shares in response. “She’d dance with me while dinner cooked on the stove.”

“That must be where you get those moves?” Heat rushes my face after the words fall from my mouth.Who am I right now?

Si slows to a halt, tugging my arm at the end of his reach. I turn back to find his head tilted and his gaze piercing me.

“Will you kiss me?” he asks, practically pouting..

My jaw hangs while my brain processes the request.I don’t think . . .

His face bows toward the ground. “Sorry. I know that was weird.”

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