Page 17 of Rome: The Ballerina

Sac had lived a good life. A comfortable life at minimum. His arm was free of scarring. He’d spent most of his childhood inside. Possibly getting his schooling. Possibly on a basketball court. Possibly behind a computer learning code.

“Black–” I cleared my throat. “Your favorite color is black and your birthday is in May.”

He stopped in his tracks, turning back. His orbs were on me. The muscles in his face were working overtime. Baffled, he failed to produce words.

“The twenty-eighth. You’re a gemini.”

“Hmph,” he scoffed, pushing out fresh air.

His stomach caved as he did so. It was ridiculous. He was ridiculous. His features were painted so perfectly on his framethat he looked unreal. Like art that you kept under your watchful eye but never touched because you’d smear its beauty.

“A medium?”

I shook my head.

“Just a girl, Sac.”

“Doesn’t feel like it, Rome.”

My right shoulder lifted and fell as I shook my head.

“I’m just a girl.”

“A very interesting, very captivating girl.”

“Sa–”

“Do they ever stop?”

“I don’t follow,” I admitted.

“The pleasant surprises. Do they ever stop?”

My nostrils widened shamelessly as my lips spread across my face. The inevitable was happening. The smile. The shake of my head. The rolling of my eyes. The butterflies in my stomach. The thudding of my heart. The yearning of my soul. The secretion of my walls.

“I’m not sure they do.”

“I suppose I’ll have to stick around to find out.”

“I suppose,” I responded, allowing our connection to end.

I headed toward the door of the coffee shop, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Without question, I knew they were on me. So were his eyes.

Sac didn’t spend too much time away. As I reached the entrance, he reached me. His back pressed against the door, disabling me completely. My hand fell by my side, colliding with my thigh.

Seconds elapsed with his eyes on me. My eyes on him. The sunlight filled the space between us. I inhaled deeply, unsure what was happening internally. The gravitational pull summoned me closer to him. However, I stayed grounded, planting my feet on the concrete.

“I don’t take likely to insults, Rome,” he explained, finally speaking after he’d quietly ripped away at my sanity.

“Have I insulted you?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Any time you reach for a door in my presence you’re insulting me. Don’t do that, again, Ms. Mellow. Understood?”

His eyes were bright. So was the smile on his face. Even with his firm, sharp words cutting away at my heartstrings, his reassuring posture sewed them back together, one by one.

“Understood.” I nodded.

Sac leaned forward, taking my hand into his. He pressed the backside up to his lips. They were soft, even softer than his hands. And, moist. And, smooth.

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