below the bands on her wrist. She scratches at the skin, seeming anxious and out of her element. “And it’s like a weeklong event or something.”
“It could be fun.” I stuff my wallet into the back pocket of my jeans. “You should go.”
“Yeah… Delilah keeps pushing, but like I said, I’m not really a fan of concerts anymore.”
“Because they’re too noisy?”
She nods as she coils a strand of her hair around her finger. “Plus, I’d be there with Dylan and Delilah and sharing a tent with them and they’d probably want to do stuff… They wouldn’t even care that I could hear them.”
“Isn’t Tristan going?” I ask, grabbing my watch off the bed. “You could share a tent with him.”
“Yeah, but… I don’t know. It’d be weird with just the two of us.” By the way she says it, I suspect she knows Tristan has a thing for her and that she doesn’t like it. She unravels her hair from her finger and then stands up straight. “You could go, too, and then I wouldn’t have to share a tent alone with Tristan.”
I fasten the buckle on my leather band watch. “But why would you want to share a tent with me, too? You barely know me.”
She skims my body and then steadily maintains my gaze, even though her hands are trembling at her side. I feel very vulnerable, as if she’s reading me like an open book. It’s like she’s been hiding this fiery personality from me, and it’s starting to show. I’m not sure if I like it or hate it or if I should even be analyzing it. “That’s okay. Then I can get to know you,” she says.
“You don’t want to do that,” I assure her, doing her a huge favor. I start to step around her, but she matches my movement, cutting me off.
“Please.” Her tone carries a silent plea. I have no idea where it stems from, but I get the feeling it has nothing to do with me. But I know I should say no, because I promised Lexi that no matter what, I would never forget her, and Nova seems like the kind of girl a lot of guys could get caught up in: sad, vulnerable, determined. And those goddamn big blue eyes of hers… they’re seriously getting to me. I rub my hand across my face, preparing to turn her down, but when I open my mouth my answer completely contradicts my thoughts.
“Okay,” I tell her and my hand falls to my side. I’m stunned and thoroughly pissed off at myself. I’m about to tell her I didn’t mean it, but her eyes light up.
“Good,” she says and then she takes a step forward, lifting her hands up. I have no idea what the hell she’s doing and she looks as baffled as I feel. And terrified. Then all of a sudden she’s wrapping her arms around me and giving me a hug. Her heart is knocking in her chest, going about as fast as mine.
I tense, unsure what to do. Then I start to pull back, but like a moron, gravity pulls me forward and I fold my arms around her waist, giving her a hug back, feeling guilty from the gratifying contact, but completely consumed by it at the same time. I blame it on the weed still lingering in my system, because I’m normally more careful than this. I’ve become a pro at pushing people away, and now suddenly I’m fucking careless—it has to be the weed.
“Look… Nova…” My eyes shut as I inhale in the sweet scent of her. “I don’t think—”
She rapidly pulls away. “So I think Dylan or Delilah will drive. Or maybe Tristan. I think everyone’s still deciding who’s driving.”
Does she know what she’s doing? Does she know that I don’t want to go, so she keeps talking so I can’t get out of it? “I’m not a fan of road trips,” I lie in a lame attempt to get out of it without making a big deal.
A smile accentuates her lips, and it enhances the green specks in her eyes. “Neither am I, but it’s only like a four-hour drive.” She playfully pinches my arm, stunning me, and I flinch. “And you can sit by me.” Before I can even begin to respond to her extreme flip of attitude, she turns
“It could be fun.” I stuff my wallet into the back pocket of my jeans. “You should go.”
“Yeah… Delilah keeps pushing, but like I said, I’m not really a fan of concerts anymore.”
“Because they’re too noisy?”
She nods as she coils a strand of her hair around her finger. “Plus, I’d be there with Dylan and Delilah and sharing a tent with them and they’d probably want to do stuff… They wouldn’t even care that I could hear them.”
“Isn’t Tristan going?” I ask, grabbing my watch off the bed. “You could share a tent with him.”
“Yeah, but… I don’t know. It’d be weird with just the two of us.” By the way she says it, I suspect she knows Tristan has a thing for her and that she doesn’t like it. She unravels her hair from her finger and then stands up straight. “You could go, too, and then I wouldn’t have to share a tent alone with Tristan.”
I fasten the buckle on my leather band watch. “But why would you want to share a tent with me, too? You barely know me.”
She skims my body and then steadily maintains my gaze, even though her hands are trembling at her side. I feel very vulnerable, as if she’s reading me like an open book. It’s like she’s been hiding this fiery personality from me, and it’s starting to show. I’m not sure if I like it or hate it or if I should even be analyzing it. “That’s okay. Then I can get to know you,” she says.
“You don’t want to do that,” I assure her, doing her a huge favor. I start to step around her, but she matches my movement, cutting me off.
“Please.” Her tone carries a silent plea. I have no idea where it stems from, but I get the feeling it has nothing to do with me. But I know I should say no, because I promised Lexi that no matter what, I would never forget her, and Nova seems like the kind of girl a lot of guys could get caught up in: sad, vulnerable, determined. And those goddamn big blue eyes of hers… they’re seriously getting to me. I rub my hand across my face, preparing to turn her down, but when I open my mouth my answer completely contradicts my thoughts.
“Okay,” I tell her and my hand falls to my side. I’m stunned and thoroughly pissed off at myself. I’m about to tell her I didn’t mean it, but her eyes light up.
“Good,” she says and then she takes a step forward, lifting her hands up. I have no idea what the hell she’s doing and she looks as baffled as I feel. And terrified. Then all of a sudden she’s wrapping her arms around me and giving me a hug. Her heart is knocking in her chest, going about as fast as mine.
I tense, unsure what to do. Then I start to pull back, but like a moron, gravity pulls me forward and I fold my arms around her waist, giving her a hug back, feeling guilty from the gratifying contact, but completely consumed by it at the same time. I blame it on the weed still lingering in my system, because I’m normally more careful than this. I’ve become a pro at pushing people away, and now suddenly I’m fucking careless—it has to be the weed.
“Look… Nova…” My eyes shut as I inhale in the sweet scent of her. “I don’t think—”
She rapidly pulls away. “So I think Dylan or Delilah will drive. Or maybe Tristan. I think everyone’s still deciding who’s driving.”
Does she know what she’s doing? Does she know that I don’t want to go, so she keeps talking so I can’t get out of it? “I’m not a fan of road trips,” I lie in a lame attempt to get out of it without making a big deal.
A smile accentuates her lips, and it enhances the green specks in her eyes. “Neither am I, but it’s only like a four-hour drive.” She playfully pinches my arm, stunning me, and I flinch. “And you can sit by me.” Before I can even begin to respond to her extreme flip of attitude, she turns
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