Page 24 of Werewolf Heart

“Yeah, you’re pretty terrifying.”

“Rob—”

“I always thought— What if I’m seeing things? What if I’m wrong? What if she changes her mind and we break up and I lose not only a girlfriend but also my best friend? Yeah, that is fucking scary, Sara.”

Her lips turn sour. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, this is a really awful way to go about it.”

“No! For once, I’m putting all the cards on the table. I— I like you, Sara. A whole fucking lot. I’ve liked you since— God, this is embarrassing. I think I fell for you the first time we met.”

Sara blinks. And blinks. And blinks some more. “What?”

“You remember? We were at school, but we didn’t know each other that well. I’d seen you before, in the halls and out in the yard with your friends, you always wore bright green socks with your uniform and painted your nails even when teachers yelled at you to wash it off. The day we met… It was after lunch, some guys took me out back because a nasty prick wanted to kick me in the balls for looking at him funny, or was it because I laughed too loud? Can’t recall. Anyway, they dragged me outside and had my arms pinned, the bastard was saying some really obnoxious shit, that I was a cunt, a loser, that sort of thing. When, out the corner of my eye, something came flying down. It hit him and three other guys in the head, ruining their uniforms. Bright pink paint covered them from head to toe. It was so funny. God, he acted like it was the end of the world. He screamed at the top of his lungs and I think I even saw tears? So I look up, and there you are, smirking down at them with an empty bucket in your hands. You called them—”

“Fucking wankers. Yeah, I remember. I wanted to test out a few British insults and I saw the perfect opportunity right in front of me. I never thanked you for that. I got detention but it was so worth it.”

“Yeah, you were amazing.” He blushes. “You are amazing.”

Sara chuckles, cautiously reaching forward.

“So, what, you had a huge crush on me but you kept your mouth shut because… I scared you on an emotional level?”

“Something like that.”

She makes a face that turns his stomach into a thousand kind of knots. “You’re such an idiot."

“That’s true.”

"Well, I'm an idiot too," she admits, almost smiling. “If I'd confessed sooner, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“I understand why you didn’t. I did the same thing.”

Sara doesn't respond to him initially, choosing to pick at her nails and stare at nothing on the wall. Robert waits with great patience. A few minutes pass by before she finally gives him some sort of response. Sara exhales a long heavy sigh, then turns her gaze in his direction. She shows off her true smile, wide and bright and sweet. It's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He feels like the protagonist of a cheesy romance novel. It’s amazing.

“So, you like like me?” She teases.

“Yes, I do,” he says, with all his heart.

“Fuck. That’s— You’re being way too sexy without trying.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m a nervous wreck right now.” He is. His whole body’s on fire, tingles going up and down his limbs. He can’t stop staring at her face, her eyes, her nose, her lips.

“I can see,” she says, coming closer. “You’re blushing bright red.”

“Shit, sorry.” He tries to duck his head but Sara stops him with a hand on his chin. It makes him feel something alright.

“Oh, no, it’s endearing! A full redhead, from head to toe.” She touches his shoulder, caresses it. “I wonder if it goes all the way down?”

He smirks, but he bets it’s awkward. Robert hasn’t flirted in a long, long time. He tries anyway.

“Wanna find out?” He says, then takes his shirt off.

“Wow, okay,” Sara says, surprised. She touches his chest. “Somebody has been working out.”

“Actually, side effect.”

“Sorry?”

“I was already fit before. But now, I’m— I guess I burn more body fat now? I really don’t know how all this werewolf stuff works, to be honest.”

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