I avoided every last attempt they made at eye contact as I quickly departed from the room. I even held my breath. All until I was declared in a safe zone.
That meant the hallway.
I stopped just outside the door to breathe.
Closing my eyes, I placed a hand over my pounding heart. Not a moment later, I checked my face too. Yup. I was probably as red as I was imagining. Those cheeks of mine were pretty warm to the touch.
I slapped my cheeks lightly and shook my head.
“Hold it together, Elizabeth. It’s just Fallyn.”
But that was the problem. It was Fallyn. The problem was even greater though, because now he wasn’t just Fallyn either. Not now, not anymore, not ever again. He was Fallyn, my true mate.
And I was barely containing myself from jumping at him or drooling over his handsome face. I’d been a short trip away from letting go of all sanity. Stupid jawline and soft looking hair… and pretty eyes… and that smile…
I barely snapped out of it as I felt myself drift back toward the doorway for a peek.
No.
No way!
Ugh. It was totally unfair. Nobody’s face should be that pretty!
I rushed down the hallway, closing my eyes to try and block it all out, only to have rising frustration within me as his face popped into my mind.
Seriously?!
I didn’t even get to eat my food, and now I have to deal with mental torture?!
Three hours later…
I stared up at my ceiling, wishing I’d just stuck it out through the embarrassment. I was hungry, really stinking hungry.
Not to mention, thinking of Fallyn was just spending more time and calories.
I’d paced for an hour. And then I attempted to listen to music, only to find that I was zoning it out after only one song. I even tried to pick up a book, only to stare at the same page, the words not even visible beyond my thoughts.
Now, I’d just given up.
If I starved from missing one meal, then I starved.
It was my own fault.
And if I left my room, I had a feeling, just this huge looming feeling that the second I walked out my door I would run into him and turn into a bubbling mess of a person in front of him…
Again.
It was fine.
Maybe I should take a note from Jane’s book and get a midnight snack… though, how could I be sure he wouldn’t? Dad would’ve shown him around earlier so he’d know where–
I sat up straight with a gasp.
Did he come by the kitchen without me realizing?! What if he came by when I face-planted into the flour on the table in frustration? I didn’t see them stop by at all, but they had to have passed through at some point.
“Ugh…”
Head in my hands, I flopped back down onto my bed, curling up into a fetal position. Was this embarrassing nightmare ever going to end?!
And my parents! Why didn’t they tell me he was coming? They could’ve mentioned it at any point. They had the time.
I peeked out between my fingers and glared off at the wall.
Really this whole thing just had the worst timing of–
Knock-knock.
Eh?
I sat up in bed.
Someone was at my door?
I glanced out the window. It was totally dark outside. Why would anyone be coming to find me at this hour?
Unless…
Food.
I didn’t eat much. My parents would know that.
Scrambling to my feet, I walked over to the door. I threw open the door, begging for there to be any kind of food on the other side. It could be cookies and I’d be happy.
Was mom bringing me–
I froze when I saw who it was.
My gaze travelled up to their face.
Not mom.
That was not my mom.
Apparently, I didn’t need to leave my room to run into him. Because he was here. At my door. Holding…
Cookies?
Oh my gosh they smelled good.
He moved them closer to me, for me to take. And yes, yes I took. I took that whole plate with my eyes as round as those cookies.
It took me a second to realize he was still there. He looked like he was waiting.
What was I supposed to do?
Thank you?
Did he want something other than a thank you?
Maybe he wanted to talk?
Talk…
Here?
Now?
Dear goodness. Hospitality. Don't just stand and stare.
I swallowed through the tightness in my throat to give me an extra second of time.
“Uh… come – come in? I guess…”
He stepped in, curiously gazing around my room.
My… room…
I hadn’t even checked to see if it was a mess or not before I invited him in! ARGH! I gazed around secretly going over every inch of the place.
Well. I’m saved. It wasn’t too big of a–
He stopped in place, gazing over at something on the bookcase for a moment before turning to the rest of the room.
“Nice room.”
My face was almost instantly warm at those words. There wasn’t sarcasm. The curiosity wasn’t feigned. He thought… my room was nice?
Well, it wasn’t perfect, was it?
Nope.
“I wasn’t sure if the shelf behind the bed was going to work, or, um, or the desk and the bench. Just ignore – just–” Oh my gosh, so much for it being presentable. I spotted how close he was to the bean bags at the foot of the bed, strewn a little haphazardly. Scrambling over, I kept the plate in one hand and tried to shove the bean bags closer together and toward my bed with my other. “Please, ignore these–”
They weren’t moving. I was struggling. Geez, I was weak in that arm.
He put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back upright, his other hand catching the plate of mouth-watering cookies that I nearly dropped, and looked right at me.
Our gazes locked.
“You don’t have to be nervous, Elizabeth,” he whispered, his eyes flicking back and forth between mine.
“But, you’re… we’re…”
He used his long arms to set the plate of cookies down on the table near the door.
“It’s just me.”
Just him. Fallyn. Fallyn… Fallyn?
Just him?
He couldn’t get it because he couldn’t read my mind. He didn’t know the scrambled thoughts that ran through my head, all related to him. He couldn’t see who exactly he’d become in my eyes.
“That’s the whole thing,” I stated plainly, sounding much calmer over the hammering of my heart. “It’s you.”
I gestured at the whole of him with my hands.
You.
Yes, you.
That was everything, you incredible tall person. You were a lot to take in, Fallyn.
And I was stinking nervous to even be in your presence.
It wasn’t like I was nine anymore.
We were both adults… and that was maybe scarier than it should’ve been.
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