Page 61 of Icy Heart, Empty Chest
He chuckled. “A few. Something more recent? I was at the cafe when that frog-faced gnome was bothering Marie. You let her handle it until he grabbed her hand. I had barely gotten up when you came over with a fresh pot of coffee and put it down on the counter. You broke his hold on her and put his arm down, told him in an even voice that you had no issues giving him scald burns in exchange for assaulting your coworker. He had a choice of leaving now and never returning, or, if he did decide to come back, that you had the means to haunt him all over city.”
“I didn’t even know you were there. I just kind of saw red. She’s a kid; she needs to be protected.” I remember that time, spring last year.
“It was a weird little wake up call for me. You were always kind of shy and unassuming and then bam, mother bear instincts.” He leaned back and slung his arm around the couch, looking entirely indecent in the lower light of night time.
I smiled. “Backbones can be grown.”
“It was kinda hot, actually. You didn’t yell or anything. You were calm but anyone there could see you were dead serious,” he remarked.
“If he had said another word to her, I probably would have thrown the coffee on him.” In the last few years, my patience for anyone disrespecting the underdog had disappeared.
“I was impressed, truly.”
“You thought that was hot?” I cocked my head to the side.
“Of course. Your turn, little nymph. Truth or dare?” His eyes betrayed a wickedness that I wasn’t used to.
“Truth,” I answered. I was starting to grow warmer.
“Did you ever think about calling or texting me after all that?” he asked hesitantly.
“So many times I lost count,” I expressed miserably. How stupid I’d been. “Like you said, pride got in the way, Dae. Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” he said.
“Did you ever, even in its slightest moment think of us more than just friends?” I asked tentatively.
Dae paled a bit. “So many times I lost count,” he said slowly, echoing my answer. “I wanted to.” He scratched behind his head and lay his jittery hands in his lap. “But with my dad and your dad…it never seemed the right time. Then we stopped talking.” He looked up into my eyes and I felt a pang. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” We seemed to have to have a theme going.
“Did you ever find me attractive, little nymph?” He looked unusually shy.
“Are you kidding me?” I was incredulous at his obliviousness. “You’re insanely beautiful. Like I said, it’s almost unfair to the rest of us.” Not sure that he realized that when he’s in the room, people flock to him, orbit him, like a planet.
He shook his head, smiling. “That’s what my answer would have been.”
I stopped, heart fluttering wildly. “You think I’m pretty?”
“No, the exact words were insanely beautiful. Your own, I believe.” He reached out to pick up a lock of my hair, twirling it around a finger. “You grew up, my nymph. The first time I saw you in the cafe nearly bowled me over. Not to put too fine a point on it but your body is spectacular.”
I blushed so deep I may have turned purple. We’d had some flirty moments in the last week or so but that was pre heart. Post heart, he was honest, open. No secrets.He thought I was beautiful.I wasn’t sure if my face betrayed the happy dance my organs were doing. I took off my sweatshirt to reveal my thin T-shirt, still not wearing a bra. I was aching to touch him at that point.
“Truth or dare, Damien.”
“Dare.” He moved closer. My heart jumped higher into my throat. If he was being bold then so was I.
“Kiss me. Kiss me now.”
He didn’t hesitate and inclined his head toward mine lightly. It was soft and sweet, a tentative meeting of lips, slow, achingly, until I tugged his head forward for more. I needed more, and harder. After that, it’s an avalanche down a mountain, utterly unstoppable.
“Tell me,” he demanded, in between kisses. “Tell me you want this, you want me.”
“Dae,” I groaned as he moved to kiss down my neck. I threw my arms around his neck. “I never stopped.”
“What do you mean?” He stopped and cradled my head. I blushed and looked down. “I’ve always had a crush on you. Even since we were little. I thought you just wanted to be my friend.”
He looked into my eyes deeply. “My sweet nymph…it was always just you.”
