feel you,” I admit.
Still, she doesn’t make a sound.
Fine, I’ll find you . I move my hand along the wall, searching for the light switch. The house lights come up and my body jumps. She’s standing right in front of the light switch.
“ Naya,” I gasp, instantly consumed by her pull. She opens her eyes, like a frightened child, but I can do nothing to calm her fears.
I close my eyes and will myself to step back from her. When her pull against me lessens, I stop and open my eyes again.
“ We need to talk,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
“ Fine,” she whispers. “You stay there; I’m going to walk further away so I can think better.”
I nod in agreement. Distance is good.
She walks to the stage, hops up to the lip and sits down, flinching again.
“ Okay. Talk,” she says.
“ You're hurt,” I say. Her eyes get wide for a moment, then narrow.
“ Yeah, I scraped my back on something in my closet.” She's a horrible liar.
“ Oh yeah? Your boyfriend said you pulled a muscle.” Her head whips up to look at me.
“ What do you want?” she hisses. She's covering up for that bastard. My body starts shaking with rage.
Naya
He’s not saying anything. He's just standing there looking all God-like, and asking questions I'm not prepared to answer. So I try to change the subject.
“ Why did you quit the show?” I demand.
He raises his head and glares at me. A look of complete confusion washes over his face.
“ Do you really have to ask?”
“ Apparently, I do.”
He shifts his weight and brings his hands through his thick, dark curls before answering. “Have you been awake the last few days?” His voice is coated with anger. He stands and turns his back to me, like he is trying to reign himself in. “I can’t get near you, Naya,” he says almost in a whimper.
“ Why?” I can’t help wonder aloud, “What's wrong with me? ”
Spinning around, he starts barreling down the aisle toward me, stopping only when he gets about two feet away from me. His face crumples in pain. A small moan escapes his lips.
The need from before returns, begging me to go to him. Officially having lost all control of my limbs, my body pushes itself off the stage, propelling me closer to him.
Our bodies inch cautiously toward the other, stopping just shy of embracing. Even though we aren’t physically touching, I can still feel the heat of his body rolling off him in waves. It is positively hypnotic, and like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
His face leans in toward mine so painfully slow that I’m positive I’ll pass out in anticipation. Etash brings his lips close to my ear; his cheek nearly brushes mine. The current passing through my limbs is electric. My whole body feels like a live wire.
“ This is why I can't be your Romeo,” he whispers softly into my ear. His breath is like fire against my neck. It makes my mouth water. “Can’t you understand that? You steal away my will to do anything but be close to you.”
My entire body is pulsing under my skin at the sound of his voice and my hands begin to tremble. All I have to do is move any part of my body just an inch and I could easily fall into his arms and happily stay there forever.
As though he can sense what I'm thinking, he pulls away from me, and my heart cries out in protest. His eyes are closed as he clenches his teeth together. Then, without warning, he turns and is gone.
At the sound of the door closing, my knees buckle and I hit the floor, further bruising my back, but I don’t care. Succumbing to the emptiness that now floods into my chest, I close my eyes. Etash is right. We could not get close to each other. It is far too dangerous, for both of us.
Chapter 8
Etash
As I run out of the theatre, my limbs are shaking and my insides ache. Fighting the screaming voices in
Still, she doesn’t make a sound.
Fine, I’ll find you . I move my hand along the wall, searching for the light switch. The house lights come up and my body jumps. She’s standing right in front of the light switch.
“ Naya,” I gasp, instantly consumed by her pull. She opens her eyes, like a frightened child, but I can do nothing to calm her fears.
I close my eyes and will myself to step back from her. When her pull against me lessens, I stop and open my eyes again.
“ We need to talk,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
“ Fine,” she whispers. “You stay there; I’m going to walk further away so I can think better.”
I nod in agreement. Distance is good.
She walks to the stage, hops up to the lip and sits down, flinching again.
“ Okay. Talk,” she says.
“ You're hurt,” I say. Her eyes get wide for a moment, then narrow.
“ Yeah, I scraped my back on something in my closet.” She's a horrible liar.
“ Oh yeah? Your boyfriend said you pulled a muscle.” Her head whips up to look at me.
“ What do you want?” she hisses. She's covering up for that bastard. My body starts shaking with rage.
Naya
He’s not saying anything. He's just standing there looking all God-like, and asking questions I'm not prepared to answer. So I try to change the subject.
“ Why did you quit the show?” I demand.
He raises his head and glares at me. A look of complete confusion washes over his face.
“ Do you really have to ask?”
“ Apparently, I do.”
He shifts his weight and brings his hands through his thick, dark curls before answering. “Have you been awake the last few days?” His voice is coated with anger. He stands and turns his back to me, like he is trying to reign himself in. “I can’t get near you, Naya,” he says almost in a whimper.
“ Why?” I can’t help wonder aloud, “What's wrong with me? ”
Spinning around, he starts barreling down the aisle toward me, stopping only when he gets about two feet away from me. His face crumples in pain. A small moan escapes his lips.
The need from before returns, begging me to go to him. Officially having lost all control of my limbs, my body pushes itself off the stage, propelling me closer to him.
Our bodies inch cautiously toward the other, stopping just shy of embracing. Even though we aren’t physically touching, I can still feel the heat of his body rolling off him in waves. It is positively hypnotic, and like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
His face leans in toward mine so painfully slow that I’m positive I’ll pass out in anticipation. Etash brings his lips close to my ear; his cheek nearly brushes mine. The current passing through my limbs is electric. My whole body feels like a live wire.
“ This is why I can't be your Romeo,” he whispers softly into my ear. His breath is like fire against my neck. It makes my mouth water. “Can’t you understand that? You steal away my will to do anything but be close to you.”
My entire body is pulsing under my skin at the sound of his voice and my hands begin to tremble. All I have to do is move any part of my body just an inch and I could easily fall into his arms and happily stay there forever.
As though he can sense what I'm thinking, he pulls away from me, and my heart cries out in protest. His eyes are closed as he clenches his teeth together. Then, without warning, he turns and is gone.
At the sound of the door closing, my knees buckle and I hit the floor, further bruising my back, but I don’t care. Succumbing to the emptiness that now floods into my chest, I close my eyes. Etash is right. We could not get close to each other. It is far too dangerous, for both of us.
Chapter 8
Etash
As I run out of the theatre, my limbs are shaking and my insides ache. Fighting the screaming voices in
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