Page 21 of Promise Yule Be Mine
"Oh." I shook my head, forcing myself back to reality, and picked one of the sticks.
"Pink, huh? My favorite color," he said.
I looked at my hand. I hadn't even realized what I'd chosen. I'd been too busy staring at him, trying to will down those…butterflies that seemed to awake again under his scrutiny.
I shrugged.
"It's a nice color," I said.
"Oh, I know. I love pink. Although to be fair, I love all the colors of the rainbow. Can't you tell?" He ran a hand over his glowing rainbow of a necklace and smiled.
"So you're telling me you're indecisive and can't pick just one color to like?"
Nova gasped. "Uhm…excuse you. We just met. How do you know? That'sexactlythe kind of person I am."
The short-lived panic in the pit of my stomach born out of fear of insulting him turned into a belly laugh.
"What's so funny?" Nikita asked.
I composed myself and shook my head, turning my attention to the parade.
"Just being silly," Nova told him. "Here. Let me help."
Before I knew what was happening, Nova grabbed my hand and helped me put the glow stick around my wrist. I had no idea how he'd even seen my poor attempts but as I stood there, watching him hold my hand so softly, so delicately, I definitely forgot how to breathe.
It lasted a second or two longer than necessary, or maybe it was all in my head, but when he patted my wrist and said: "There. See?" I froze again.
I needed to get this behavior under control. What was happening to me? Why couldn't I function like a normal human being around him? I'd never even been like that with any of my exes. It was weird. It was foolish. It was inappropriate.
But maybe that was exactly why it felt so good.
Or maybe when you know, you know and my body was trying to confirm what I knew in my heart.
That Nova was my person.
Too bad I was spoken for and had made a promise I could never break.
"Awww, don't you look cute in pink?" Jenna exclaimed and I was finally able to breathe as she came to stand between me and her best friend. "I'm afraid I've got some not-so-great news."
"What is it? Is everything okay?" Nova asked her.
"Oh, yeah. But I've been called in to pick up a few flights this week so I'll be gone for a few days. Do you guys think you can take care of things on your own while I'm away?"
I frowned.
Did that mean I'd have to spend even more time with Nova? Alone time? Was that wise?
"Of course. Don't worry, Jen-Jen. That's what I'm here for. Go. Do what you need to do. I've got it all under control," Nova said and I took a deep breath.
If only that were true.
I didn't have myself under control. I most certainly didn't and I didn't know how to. Especially not where Nova was concerned.
This supernova of a man was certainly an explosion of epic proportions and I had no way to escape it.
And did I even want to?
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