lips that happened to be entirely too close to his at the moment.
She edged off his leg and back onto the bench, and when she was seated hip to hip with him once more, she chanced a nervous sideways glance to him. He could see her out of his periphery, and rather than look at her, he chuckled quietly. She knew perfectly well he was onto her, and moments later when the game ended in an eruption of cheers and clapping, she was still staring, and he finally did look at her.
Her lips were slightly parted. She was watching in as much a stupor as he was in. They were dwarfed by the crowd around them—all of whom were on their feet, bouncing and cheering as they sat staring at one another. It wasn’t until the crowd started breaking up and slowly moving toward the exit that she shook her head subtly and stood to her feet as he followed. She was quiet and seemed about as confused as he felt around her as they moved down the risers toward the gymnasium floor. When they finally reached the floor, the girls were just exiting the locker room, redressed in street clothes.
Harper came bounding up to Joss, beaming from ear to ear. Natalie, who was smiling too, followed moments later. He missed Nat’s smiles. She used to smile constantly. Of course, she’d had reason to smile back then, but it was a haunting thing seeing that happiness on her face now.
“Good game, Harper.” He stopped her as she and Joss passed by them toward the parking lot.
Harper looked at him nervously for a moment before responding. “Thanks, Mr. Henry. Natalie did great too.” Harper looked at Natalie a bit sheepishly, but she smiled, and Nat did too. But then Harper’s focus caught on a couple other girls nearby, and she instantly waved and bounded off in their direction, leaving Natalie rocking on the outside of her shoes awkwardly.
“You really did well, Natalie.” Joss smiled at Nat and rubbed her shoulder in a casual friendly gesture. Natalie smiled back and thanked her, but it was Isaiah’s own reaction to seeing Joss so friendly to his daughter that left him most confused. His guts twisted in a knot, and he could feel his face following suit. The moment Joss saw the shift in him, she pulled her hand back from Natalie’s shoulder, and her brow furrowed. “Well, goodnight.” Her voice sounded nervous, and he nodded as she turned away.
It wasn’t two seconds after he and Natalie had climbed into his car that she called him out. “She’s pretty. You like her, huh?”
“No!” His overly quick response wasn’t the least bit convincing.
“It’s okay if you do. It’s kinda normal, right?” She cocked her head to the side as she eyed him from the passenger seat. “Harper said the same thing.”
“You two talk? I mean, outside of volleyball?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes. Like, when her friends aren’t around. She’s nice actually.”
“When her friends aren’t around.” He reiterated her words in a mutter.
“Come on, Dad. I get it.” Nat shrugged her shoulders again. “I used to be like that. I always wanted to be nice to everyone, and I would be, but when my friends were there it was just harder. It wasn’t that I was rude to anyone. I was just with my friends.”
He glanced at her quickly, saying nothing. He sometimes forgot she used to be just like Harper. She’d been the popular one. The one with more friends than she could possibly need. Then their lives had been turned upside down, and Natalie had reacted as though her life had been turned upside down. By the time they’d gotten her right side up again, life had left her in the dust, and her so-called friends had abandoned her.
“Anyway, the point is, I like Ms. Verna. She’s friendly. She’s pretty. She’s not—” Nat looked at him, gauging whether she wanted to venture into this territory if he was deciphering her expression correctly. “—sad.” She furrowed her brow as she watched him. She was waiting for a response.
He nodded but said nothing else.
She edged off his leg and back onto the bench, and when she was seated hip to hip with him once more, she chanced a nervous sideways glance to him. He could see her out of his periphery, and rather than look at her, he chuckled quietly. She knew perfectly well he was onto her, and moments later when the game ended in an eruption of cheers and clapping, she was still staring, and he finally did look at her.
Her lips were slightly parted. She was watching in as much a stupor as he was in. They were dwarfed by the crowd around them—all of whom were on their feet, bouncing and cheering as they sat staring at one another. It wasn’t until the crowd started breaking up and slowly moving toward the exit that she shook her head subtly and stood to her feet as he followed. She was quiet and seemed about as confused as he felt around her as they moved down the risers toward the gymnasium floor. When they finally reached the floor, the girls were just exiting the locker room, redressed in street clothes.
Harper came bounding up to Joss, beaming from ear to ear. Natalie, who was smiling too, followed moments later. He missed Nat’s smiles. She used to smile constantly. Of course, she’d had reason to smile back then, but it was a haunting thing seeing that happiness on her face now.
“Good game, Harper.” He stopped her as she and Joss passed by them toward the parking lot.
Harper looked at him nervously for a moment before responding. “Thanks, Mr. Henry. Natalie did great too.” Harper looked at Natalie a bit sheepishly, but she smiled, and Nat did too. But then Harper’s focus caught on a couple other girls nearby, and she instantly waved and bounded off in their direction, leaving Natalie rocking on the outside of her shoes awkwardly.
“You really did well, Natalie.” Joss smiled at Nat and rubbed her shoulder in a casual friendly gesture. Natalie smiled back and thanked her, but it was Isaiah’s own reaction to seeing Joss so friendly to his daughter that left him most confused. His guts twisted in a knot, and he could feel his face following suit. The moment Joss saw the shift in him, she pulled her hand back from Natalie’s shoulder, and her brow furrowed. “Well, goodnight.” Her voice sounded nervous, and he nodded as she turned away.
It wasn’t two seconds after he and Natalie had climbed into his car that she called him out. “She’s pretty. You like her, huh?”
“No!” His overly quick response wasn’t the least bit convincing.
“It’s okay if you do. It’s kinda normal, right?” She cocked her head to the side as she eyed him from the passenger seat. “Harper said the same thing.”
“You two talk? I mean, outside of volleyball?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes. Like, when her friends aren’t around. She’s nice actually.”
“When her friends aren’t around.” He reiterated her words in a mutter.
“Come on, Dad. I get it.” Nat shrugged her shoulders again. “I used to be like that. I always wanted to be nice to everyone, and I would be, but when my friends were there it was just harder. It wasn’t that I was rude to anyone. I was just with my friends.”
He glanced at her quickly, saying nothing. He sometimes forgot she used to be just like Harper. She’d been the popular one. The one with more friends than she could possibly need. Then their lives had been turned upside down, and Natalie had reacted as though her life had been turned upside down. By the time they’d gotten her right side up again, life had left her in the dust, and her so-called friends had abandoned her.
“Anyway, the point is, I like Ms. Verna. She’s friendly. She’s pretty. She’s not—” Nat looked at him, gauging whether she wanted to venture into this territory if he was deciphering her expression correctly. “—sad.” She furrowed her brow as she watched him. She was waiting for a response.
He nodded but said nothing else.
Similar Books
