want to think about it—I didn’t want to trigger the memory—but I still wanted her to know. I didn’t know why I wanted her to know, only that I did.
“She hit a tree,” I said through clenched teeth. I didn’t look at her—I just kept staring at the water and listening to it cascade over the rocks. My head was really throbbing, and the effort to keep the scenes out of my conscious mind was excruciating.
I felt a cool touch against my arm and glanced down to see Nicole’s fingers slowly running up and down my forearm. The muscles in my arm were hard and tense as I squeezed the railing, but as she touched me, my grip loosened and I started to relax. I watched her slender fingers as they brushed over the hairs on the top of my hand.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” her soft voice sang up to me. I shook my head slightly, unable to find any words. She must have misunderstood, because she pulled her hand back, running it nervously down her side.
I didn’t want her to let go of me.
I wanted her to touch me again because the pain in my head was gone, and the memories weren’t still trying to push through. I wanted to touch her to see if her skin was really as soft as it looked. I wanted to feel the coolness of her hands, still moist from the condensation of her glass in contrast to the warmth of her body.
Inside, music began to play as couples joined on the dance floor.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked her suddenly.
“Dance?” She took a step back. “Ah…I don’t dance.”
“Why not?”
“Um…I don’t know how?” Her words came out as a question.
“You don’t need to know how,” I told her. “I’ll show you.”
“I don’t think—”
“Please?” I asked as I held out my hand. I just wanted to touch her again…just for a few minutes.
“Okay,” she finally said as she placed her hand in mine. I led her out to the dance floor and placed my hand at her waist.
“Put your hand on my shoulder,” I instructed, and she complied. I took her other hand in mine, feeling the coolness of her fingers. “That’s it.”
She was tense at first, stumbling a little, but it was only a few measures before she relaxed, allowed me to lead, and really began to look stunningly graceful as I twirled her around. She smiled up at me, and then her eyes went abruptly dark.
“What’s the deal, Malone?” she asked suddenly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…are you even the same guy I’ve seen at school?”
“Well…yes, obviously!” I laughed.
“You are going to make my head explode,” she mumbled.
“Excuse me?” I questioned back.
“You are a total jerk at school,” she pointed out.
I laughed through my nose.
“Don’t hold back,” I advised. “It’ll give you ulcers.”
“You are an ass on the field.”
“That’s a whole different costume,” I replied without thinking.
“Costume?” Nicole stopped her rant long enough to look up at me with her brow furrowed.
I glanced down and tapped the lapel of my tuxedo jacket with my thumb.
“This is a whole different costume from my team uniform,” I explained.
“So what,” she exclaimed, “you become a whole other person because you are in a different… costume ?”
The Bard’s words rolled off my tongue without permission.
“All the world’s a stage, Rumple,” I said with a wink.
“And all the men and women merely players,” she continued. She smiled and raised her eyebrows at me.
I spun her around in a slow circle and then brought her back close.
“They have their exits and their entrances,” I quoted. “And one man in his time plays many parts.”
Her smile broadened, and she was stunning. My chest clenched, and breathing became more difficult. I lost my step in the dance.
I wanted to know her.
I wanted her to know me.
Not the jerk at school.
Not the guy in the tux.
Not the goalie on the field.
Just me .
But I didn’t know who that was.
As my mind raced, the idea of spending more time with her and
“She hit a tree,” I said through clenched teeth. I didn’t look at her—I just kept staring at the water and listening to it cascade over the rocks. My head was really throbbing, and the effort to keep the scenes out of my conscious mind was excruciating.
I felt a cool touch against my arm and glanced down to see Nicole’s fingers slowly running up and down my forearm. The muscles in my arm were hard and tense as I squeezed the railing, but as she touched me, my grip loosened and I started to relax. I watched her slender fingers as they brushed over the hairs on the top of my hand.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” her soft voice sang up to me. I shook my head slightly, unable to find any words. She must have misunderstood, because she pulled her hand back, running it nervously down her side.
I didn’t want her to let go of me.
I wanted her to touch me again because the pain in my head was gone, and the memories weren’t still trying to push through. I wanted to touch her to see if her skin was really as soft as it looked. I wanted to feel the coolness of her hands, still moist from the condensation of her glass in contrast to the warmth of her body.
Inside, music began to play as couples joined on the dance floor.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked her suddenly.
“Dance?” She took a step back. “Ah…I don’t dance.”
“Why not?”
“Um…I don’t know how?” Her words came out as a question.
“You don’t need to know how,” I told her. “I’ll show you.”
“I don’t think—”
“Please?” I asked as I held out my hand. I just wanted to touch her again…just for a few minutes.
“Okay,” she finally said as she placed her hand in mine. I led her out to the dance floor and placed my hand at her waist.
“Put your hand on my shoulder,” I instructed, and she complied. I took her other hand in mine, feeling the coolness of her fingers. “That’s it.”
She was tense at first, stumbling a little, but it was only a few measures before she relaxed, allowed me to lead, and really began to look stunningly graceful as I twirled her around. She smiled up at me, and then her eyes went abruptly dark.
“What’s the deal, Malone?” she asked suddenly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…are you even the same guy I’ve seen at school?”
“Well…yes, obviously!” I laughed.
“You are going to make my head explode,” she mumbled.
“Excuse me?” I questioned back.
“You are a total jerk at school,” she pointed out.
I laughed through my nose.
“Don’t hold back,” I advised. “It’ll give you ulcers.”
“You are an ass on the field.”
“That’s a whole different costume,” I replied without thinking.
“Costume?” Nicole stopped her rant long enough to look up at me with her brow furrowed.
I glanced down and tapped the lapel of my tuxedo jacket with my thumb.
“This is a whole different costume from my team uniform,” I explained.
“So what,” she exclaimed, “you become a whole other person because you are in a different… costume ?”
The Bard’s words rolled off my tongue without permission.
“All the world’s a stage, Rumple,” I said with a wink.
“And all the men and women merely players,” she continued. She smiled and raised her eyebrows at me.
I spun her around in a slow circle and then brought her back close.
“They have their exits and their entrances,” I quoted. “And one man in his time plays many parts.”
Her smile broadened, and she was stunning. My chest clenched, and breathing became more difficult. I lost my step in the dance.
I wanted to know her.
I wanted her to know me.
Not the jerk at school.
Not the guy in the tux.
Not the goalie on the field.
Just me .
But I didn’t know who that was.
As my mind raced, the idea of spending more time with her and
Similar Books
