Devour by Shelly Crane Page A

open my door. I took his offered hand and let him pull me up but after he shut the door he stopped. He looked at me and his face almost looked regretful as he pushed my hair back from my face. He leaned closer, putting his hands on the car on either side of me, and hovered there, just beyond my lips. His eyes pleaded with me. He was waiting for me…to inch forward and meet him, to say I understood even though there was no reason for me to trust him.
     
    I lifted up on my toes and bunched his shirt front to steady myself as I pressed my lips to his. He hesitated at first, waiting to see if I was just humoring him or if I was for real. After feeling his warm lips on mine, I was definitely for real. I felt too warm all of a sudden and opened my mouth under his. That was what he was waiting for and he leaned against me, kissing me deeper. I felt his small groan as his hand moved to my cheek and my pulse banged behind my ribs. My breaths were practically non-existent by this point.
     
    I pushed him gently away to catch my breath and his lips released me but barely. I could feel his breath on my face as he pressed his forehead to mine.
     
    “Clara.” He released a ragged sigh. “You’re too much,” he groaned.
     
    “What?” I whispered.
     
    “You’re just so...” He shook his head. “You’re everything that I...” He sighed harshly and leaned away from me, holding his hand out to me. “Come on. Let me buy you a pizza.”
     
    I went willingly and followed him to a table. He ordered us a large pineapple and ham because I told him that was my favorite.
     
    “So...you don’t have any other family other than a sister?” he asked.
     
    “Well, I have a couple uncles. Why?”
     
    “I just wondered why you lived with the Pastor and his family instead of your own family.”
     
    “Well, for one thing I didn’t want to change schools my senior year but also, neither of my uncles wanted to live with a teenage girl so...the Pastor came and asked if I wanted to stay with them until I graduated. So they are my foster family I guess.”
     
    “They seem nice.”
     
    “They are,” I agreed and swirled the ice in my cola. “They’re really great.”
     
    “What are you going to do after school?”
     
    “No idea. You?”
     
    “Depends on some things,” he said vaguely.
     
    “What things?”
     
    “Are you gonna eat that?” he asked and grabbed the rest of my second piece, taking a big bite of it.
     
    “You are such an avoider,” I accused and he laughed. “I don’t get it. You won’t tell me anything? Why?”
     
    “I don’t want to scare you yet with that answer.”
     
    “Ok. Well let’s go then because I’m so very ready to understand what’s going on with you.”
     
    “Ok.”
     
    I heard the excitement and the reluctance in his voice. I followed him to the car and he drove to his house. It was a huge blue house that had been vacant for some time. I loved it because the yard was full of flowers and big green bushes and trees. The owners must have had someone taking care of the yard while they were trying to sell it. The house used to be a bed and breakfast but now...
     
    Once again he opened my door for me and led me up the walkway to the door. I was getting antsy, excited and a little frightened by what he might have to say. He stopped in the doorway, his hand jammed in the doorframe.
     
    “Clara, I told you not to be scared,” he said hoarsely as his mouth opened and he licked his bottom lip.
     
    I looked at him questioningly.
     
    “How do you know I’m scared.”
     
    “I just do. Please don’t.” He took a cautious step towards me. “All this is going to be hard enough and I won’t be able to handle it if you’re going to be frightened of me.”
     
    “You’re not really helping by saying things like that.”
     
    “I know, just please try to keep calm.”
     
    “Ok,” I promised. “I’ll try.”
     
    I saw a cage in the corner with a huge blue and green McCaw