Page 34 of What Is Love
The things I wanted him to do with me in this very public space still urged me to close the distance between us, to ignore how much of a bad idea that would be. I forced myself to consider if he even wanted to take part in what I wanted from him. He was giving off signals like he wanted to kiss me, but I could have read him wrong. Embarrassment and guilt eddied inmy stomach. “I shouldn’t have…”Crap. How do I say I shouldn’t have acted like I’m hormone-ruled and tried to come onto him?
“Shouldn’t what?” he asked. “Shouldn’t because ofhimor because you think I’m not interested?”
“Are you interested?” That question took flight before I could even finish processing everything he’d said. I shouldn’t have asked. It was wrong.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “That doesn’t exactly answer my question.”
I ran a hand down the front of my uniform, smoothing away nonexistent wrinkles. “It’s a given I shouldn’t be around you because of him. Yet here I am.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I pointed out.
He still didn’t. Instead, he held his hand out to me. “We better go before someone sees us.”
I didn’t demand he answer. It felt like we were playing a game to see who would be the first to admit the truth. I pushed off the door and slid my hand into his. It was a tame act, yet it felt very intimate.
He laced his fingers with mine and took the lead once again. We snuck through the school until he brought me down the small pathway behind the football field’s bleachers. It was off season. So the field was empty. It was quiet and isolated.
As we walked behind the bleachers, heading toward an equipment shed, I took in the chain-link fence that walled the edge of the school’s property. It was so close, I was tempted to run my fingers over it as we walked.
“Why did you bring me all the way out here?” I asked.
Roe opened the equipment shed’s door. I found it odd it was unlocked. When I was able to peek inside and saw that it was pretty much empty, I understood why.
Roe pulled out a folded-up chair. It was the only one in there. As he unfolded it, he said, “I come here when I want to get away from everyone.” He gestured for me to sit.
I hesitated for a second but sat down. It reminded me of a camping chair. “It’s a long walk.”
“But it’s worth it when you want to hide and be alone.”
I stared up at him from my seat. “Are you offering your hiding spot to me?”
He shrugged. “If the library doesn’t work out anymore, you can come here.”
“Then you won’t get to be alone,” I pointed out.
He smirked. “I don’t think I’ll mind being alone with you.”
There was so much to take away from his words that it made my mind race as much as my heart.
I stood. “The lunch hour is almost over.”
“Why don’t you head back first?” he said, and as I went to walk by him, his hand grabbed mine again. “Do you have your phone?”
I pulled it from my blazer’s pocket. He took it and sent a text before pulling out his own phone from his pants pocket and looking it over. He handed my phone back to me. “You have my number now.”
I stared down at the simple emoji he had sent himself.
“Is that another real smile?” he asked.
The corners of my mouth quickly dropped and made me aware that I had, indeed, been smiling.
He looked like he was trying not to laugh as he watched me. “Maybe next time I’ll get you to smile at me.”
I put my phone back in my pocket. Just before turning to leave, I said, “I’ll enjoy watching you try.”
Chapter Nine
