you on.”
“ You don’t have a cell phone?” I
asked. Everyone had a cell phone.
“ Nope, sure don’t.”
“ What? Why?” I asked, unable to
accept that fact.
A slow smile crept across his face as though he
found my questions to be cute in some way. “Because... once a
person gets one, it’s like it rules their whole life or something.
Think about it. People feel naked if they leave the thing at home.
Oh, and the whole text messaging thing—very impersonal.” He paused
to smile wider, maybe due to the sheer shock his words caused me.
“Besides, if I want to talk to you I’ll find you, because there’s
never a time when I just want to talk to you. I want to see you, too. I like seeing your expressions and gazing into
your beautiful eyes. It’s all more intimate .”
“ Oh,” I said like an idiot, my
cheeks flushing through twenty shades of red.
Jace licked his lips and leaned in closer toward me.
My eyes focused on his lips as I watched them grow closer and
closer with each thumping of my heart. I closed my eyes just before
they brushed across mine. Bursts of tingling warmth flowed from his
lips to mine and my heart picked up its pace. I’d forgotten how
good his kisses could feel.
Without warning Jace pulled away, leaving me dazed,
like I’d just been ripped from the most amazing dream imaginable. I
followed his stare through the French doors. A light flicked on in
the dining room and my mother walked in pretending to search for
something, but it was obvious she was only checking up on us. I let
out a sigh once she’d left the room and flicked the light back
off.
“ I think I should go,” Jace said,
standing.
“ Okay.” I shrugged, hoping any hint
of the disappointment I’d felt hadn’t leaked into my voice. After
all, he’d just got here. I dropped my eyes to a tiny hole in the
knee of my sweatpants.
“ You still want to have that date
we never got a chance to have?”
I nodded and stood up. “Sure.”
“ Tomorrow night?” he asked, raising
an eyebrow.
“ I work, but I get off at
9:30.”
“ I’ll see you afterward?” He bent
down and gave me another peck across the lips.
“ After work,” I agreed.
* * *
After I’d walked Jace to his bike and said
goodnight, I came back inside to find mom waiting on me in the
hall.
“ What happened to Sam? The two of
you never worked things out?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
“ Well, when did you meet this Jace
guy?”
“ A few weeks ago at the diner.”
Part lie, part truth. I had met him at the diner, but mom didn’t
really need to know how long ago because then she’d have more
questions she’d want answered and I was not willing to go there
right now. If ever.
Mom crossed her arms over her chest. “He looks a
little older than you. Is he?”
“ Not by much, only three years.
He’s twenty-one and I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks,” I said
defensively. Was she about to tell me that I couldn’t date
him?
I held her gaze, wishing she’d just say whatever was
on her mind and get it over with. Desperation soon entered her
steady stare and I didn’t know the reason for it.
“ Be careful, Tessa. He’ll break
your heart,” she whispered.
I didn’t respond right away. I just stood there,
gaping at her. I’d never seen my mother seem so worried and
heartbroken, especially not over a boy I was dating.
“ Mom—I,” I started, but she’d
already began walking back toward the living room.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
My entire Saturday passed at an impossibly slow
speed due to my excitement for the night—my date with Jace. By 9:15
pm my insides felt like they might burst with the anticipation of
knowing I’d be able to see him soon.
I clocked out at 9:30 on the dot and darted toward
my car for the change of clothes I’d tossed in the passenger seat.
My cell buzzed in my pocket before I’d made it back to the diner
door. It was Rachel.
Wanna come bowling with Kyle and me?
Can’t. I’m meeting Jace. ~
“ You don’t have a cell phone?” I
asked. Everyone had a cell phone.
“ Nope, sure don’t.”
“ What? Why?” I asked, unable to
accept that fact.
A slow smile crept across his face as though he
found my questions to be cute in some way. “Because... once a
person gets one, it’s like it rules their whole life or something.
Think about it. People feel naked if they leave the thing at home.
Oh, and the whole text messaging thing—very impersonal.” He paused
to smile wider, maybe due to the sheer shock his words caused me.
“Besides, if I want to talk to you I’ll find you, because there’s
never a time when I just want to talk to you. I want to see you, too. I like seeing your expressions and gazing into
your beautiful eyes. It’s all more intimate .”
“ Oh,” I said like an idiot, my
cheeks flushing through twenty shades of red.
Jace licked his lips and leaned in closer toward me.
My eyes focused on his lips as I watched them grow closer and
closer with each thumping of my heart. I closed my eyes just before
they brushed across mine. Bursts of tingling warmth flowed from his
lips to mine and my heart picked up its pace. I’d forgotten how
good his kisses could feel.
Without warning Jace pulled away, leaving me dazed,
like I’d just been ripped from the most amazing dream imaginable. I
followed his stare through the French doors. A light flicked on in
the dining room and my mother walked in pretending to search for
something, but it was obvious she was only checking up on us. I let
out a sigh once she’d left the room and flicked the light back
off.
“ I think I should go,” Jace said,
standing.
“ Okay.” I shrugged, hoping any hint
of the disappointment I’d felt hadn’t leaked into my voice. After
all, he’d just got here. I dropped my eyes to a tiny hole in the
knee of my sweatpants.
“ You still want to have that date
we never got a chance to have?”
I nodded and stood up. “Sure.”
“ Tomorrow night?” he asked, raising
an eyebrow.
“ I work, but I get off at
9:30.”
“ I’ll see you afterward?” He bent
down and gave me another peck across the lips.
“ After work,” I agreed.
* * *
After I’d walked Jace to his bike and said
goodnight, I came back inside to find mom waiting on me in the
hall.
“ What happened to Sam? The two of
you never worked things out?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
“ Well, when did you meet this Jace
guy?”
“ A few weeks ago at the diner.”
Part lie, part truth. I had met him at the diner, but mom didn’t
really need to know how long ago because then she’d have more
questions she’d want answered and I was not willing to go there
right now. If ever.
Mom crossed her arms over her chest. “He looks a
little older than you. Is he?”
“ Not by much, only three years.
He’s twenty-one and I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks,” I said
defensively. Was she about to tell me that I couldn’t date
him?
I held her gaze, wishing she’d just say whatever was
on her mind and get it over with. Desperation soon entered her
steady stare and I didn’t know the reason for it.
“ Be careful, Tessa. He’ll break
your heart,” she whispered.
I didn’t respond right away. I just stood there,
gaping at her. I’d never seen my mother seem so worried and
heartbroken, especially not over a boy I was dating.
“ Mom—I,” I started, but she’d
already began walking back toward the living room.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
My entire Saturday passed at an impossibly slow
speed due to my excitement for the night—my date with Jace. By 9:15
pm my insides felt like they might burst with the anticipation of
knowing I’d be able to see him soon.
I clocked out at 9:30 on the dot and darted toward
my car for the change of clothes I’d tossed in the passenger seat.
My cell buzzed in my pocket before I’d made it back to the diner
door. It was Rachel.
Wanna come bowling with Kyle and me?
Can’t. I’m meeting Jace. ~
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