On His Face - Tabatha Kiss Page 0,4
“Algebra? Really?”
“I’m not a numbers guy,” he says. “I’m more of an idea man.”
“My dad is a mathematician, so I could count to a thousand before I knew my ABCs.”
“And how does he feel about you taking art classes?”
“Denial,” I answer. He laughs. “Loads of it.”
“My parents told me to follow my dreams.” Again, he stares at the little canvas in his hands. “Never figured out exactly what that means.”
I’m not sure what to say, so I stay quiet. It’s better to do that than it is to say something stupid to the insanely cute boy hanging out in my bedroom.
Oh, good lord, there’s an insanely cute boy hanging out in my bedroom.
I should say something.
No, don’t.
Just stay quiet.
Don’t move.
It’ll all be over soon.
“You okay?” he asks, staring right at me now.
I blink. “Eh?”
“You seem pensive.”
And he uses words like pensive.
Be still, my heart.
“I’m fine,” I squeak.
He shifts slightly in my direction as he pivots to drop the canvas on my desk behind us. “So, have you made any progress on your goals?” he asks.
“Well...” I stall, ashamed. “It’s only a few weeks into the semester, so… no, I haven’t.”
His gaze drifts down my face. “Are you sure?”
“Actually, I made a car payment the other day, now that I think about it. One down, a... couple hundred to go,” I add with a laugh.
He doesn’t laugh. He stands there beside me, his lips gently curled. “No ink?” he asks.
“Oh, no.” I shake my head. “No. Pain and I don’t mesh well.”
He bites his lower lip with his eyes focused on mine. “Let me know if you change your mind,” he says. “I know a guy. He does good work.”
I nod. “Okay...”
My heart pounds in my chest, an aching reminder of how many seconds keep passing by while I stand here like an idiot. This was not what I expected to happen tonight when I sprinted across the parking lot in the pouring rain. I would get home, peel my wet clothes off, take a hot shower, wrap up in fleece with my Kindle, and get a good night’s sleep.
“Any strangers catch your eye?” he asks.
I notice that he’s looking at my lips again. “No,” I say, but my voice barely comes out. I clear my throat. “No. No time for strangers.”
He raises an amused brow. “Is that right?”
“I’m just busy as a bee, you know?” I hold my breath. “Buzzing and... buzzing...”
I blink, and he’s an inch closer. Another and he licks his lips, giving them the lightest sheen.
Is he going to kiss me?
Here? Now? Unsupervised?
Unsupervised?
Heidi, seriously? You’re a college girl now. You’re eighteen. You have a job. You pay rent.
Focus!
My entire body tenses. My pulse pounds and my spine erupts with chills. A wave courses through me as he drifts even closer to reach my lips. I stay still. I don’t breathe. I don’t think. I feel the wave coming up again and... Oh, no.
No.
Not now.
I can’t hold it.
I sneeze.
I sneeze right on his face.
I recoil backward and cover my nose. He shifts two steps back and turns his head, his expression blank.
Dead.
I’m dead.
“Uh...” He discreetly wipes his own nose and mouth with the towel. “Bless you.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to do that...”
“No, it’s okay...”
“My allergies always act up when it rains.”
He continues looking away. “Happens to the best of us.”
“I’m really sorry,” I say again.
“It’s all right.” He nods as he shifts farther away from me. “So, no new skills yet, huh?”
“Nope,” I squeak.
“It’s only been a few weeks,” he says with a positive smile. “Keep your eyes open. It’s college. You’re bound to learn something eventually.”
Oh, I’ve learned something tonight, all right.
To never, ever, do something like this ever again.
He clears his throat. “Well, I think I’m gonna take off,” he says, pointing toward the door. “I forgot that I have a… thing.”
“Me, too,” I lie, too.
He slides the towel off and hands it to me. “I’ll see you around.”
I nod, dead inside. “Yeah, I’ll see you around,” I repeat.
He walks to the door, keeping a wide birth from me as he goes. I guess I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to be within a foot of me right now, either...
His pace quickens as he reaches the hallway. I follow the sound of him to the front door and he walks right on through it. The door closes behind him. I walk to my window and watch as he enters his car and drives right on out of my life. Forever.
I fall