Read Online The Woodlands by Lauren Nicolle Taylor - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Nicolle Taylor
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getting too worked up.
“ No,” he laughed, “nothing like that. One day we were playing in the backyard. He was getting me to catch a ball. I wasn’t watching what I was doing and I ran straight into the fence. I broke my nose,” he touched it lightly, “here. And I broke my tooth. The nerve is dead inside it.”
I laughed too. The idea of Joseph being uncoordinated enough to run into a fence was hilarious to me. He was so physically capable and athletic. I laughed until I realized how different we were. I mean, I knew we were different in personality and looks, but we also came from such different places. He had parents who loved him, who actually played with him. What a different life that must have been. I felt an overwhelming sadness for what he was going to lose.
It was stupid , but I took his head in my hands impulsively and kissed him. He didn’t move at first, but then he pulled me closer and kissed me back. He held me so tight I felt like I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t care. If I could have got closer to him, I would have. My body flooded with warmth, liquid gold running from the tips of my toes to the ends of my fingers. His chest pressed up against me, my heart punching through mine. But it only lasted for a moment before he pulled away.
“ You don’t want this, Rosa,” he said, sensibly shuffling away from me subtly. I let out a short sigh. I was surprised that he was being the voice of reason here. The roles were reversed.
“ I don’t understand, I thought...” I don’t know what I thought. I knew he was right. This was only going to create more heartache for the both us. But a big part of me didn’t care at all. It was too late. That kiss was going to derail me. I felt it changing me from the inside out, causing pain and warmth at the same time.
His blonde hair flopped in his face as he bowed his head and exhaled deeply , like he was sorting through something in his head. He lifted both his hands in exasperation, pulling his hair back and looking at me with searching eyes. I bit my lip and held my breath. I knew I wasn’t going to like what he said.
“ I think you should stay. Spend some time with your mother. Talk to your stepfather. It’s painful, I know, but it’s good to have a family. It’s good to have people in your life that care about you.”
“ You care about me. That can be enough,” I said, sounding like a spoiled child.
“ I’ll be gone soon; I don’t want you to be alone.” His anguish was clear but his words made no sense. Whatever he did, whatever I chose to do, we would both be alone. Be apart. That was certain.
“ I’m sorry,” he said. He turned and walked away, crashing into things in his haste to escape me. I stood there like an idiot waiting for him to turn around, for him to change his mind. But he never did. He walked out, closing the door behind him.
Kissing Joseph was by far the stupidest thing I had ever done. Worse than gluing the teacher’s butt to her chair. Stupider than putting laxatives in the teacher’s lounge coffee machine. I just wish that I could have stopped myself from taking it too far. But I never could. I resolved to talk to him the next day. He was right. Being friends was best. I could hold the memory of a friend in my heart without it tearing in two.
It was a naive thought that things could so simply go back to the way they were.
The next day I went to the gate, same as always. I waited, but Joseph never showed.
He was gone.
I went back to the factory hoping he would be there, which was ridiculous, but in the back of my mind a little spark kept flashing. He kissed me back, even if it was only for a second, he definitely kissed me back.
I sat there waiting all day , feeling frantic. Disliking myself more and more. I didn’t want to feel this way.
I started to get angry , imagining somehow Joseph had tricked me into feeling like this. It wasn’t like me and I tried to pull it out of me like a choked-on strand of
“ No,” he laughed, “nothing like that. One day we were playing in the backyard. He was getting me to catch a ball. I wasn’t watching what I was doing and I ran straight into the fence. I broke my nose,” he touched it lightly, “here. And I broke my tooth. The nerve is dead inside it.”
I laughed too. The idea of Joseph being uncoordinated enough to run into a fence was hilarious to me. He was so physically capable and athletic. I laughed until I realized how different we were. I mean, I knew we were different in personality and looks, but we also came from such different places. He had parents who loved him, who actually played with him. What a different life that must have been. I felt an overwhelming sadness for what he was going to lose.
It was stupid , but I took his head in my hands impulsively and kissed him. He didn’t move at first, but then he pulled me closer and kissed me back. He held me so tight I felt like I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t care. If I could have got closer to him, I would have. My body flooded with warmth, liquid gold running from the tips of my toes to the ends of my fingers. His chest pressed up against me, my heart punching through mine. But it only lasted for a moment before he pulled away.
“ You don’t want this, Rosa,” he said, sensibly shuffling away from me subtly. I let out a short sigh. I was surprised that he was being the voice of reason here. The roles were reversed.
“ I don’t understand, I thought...” I don’t know what I thought. I knew he was right. This was only going to create more heartache for the both us. But a big part of me didn’t care at all. It was too late. That kiss was going to derail me. I felt it changing me from the inside out, causing pain and warmth at the same time.
His blonde hair flopped in his face as he bowed his head and exhaled deeply , like he was sorting through something in his head. He lifted both his hands in exasperation, pulling his hair back and looking at me with searching eyes. I bit my lip and held my breath. I knew I wasn’t going to like what he said.
“ I think you should stay. Spend some time with your mother. Talk to your stepfather. It’s painful, I know, but it’s good to have a family. It’s good to have people in your life that care about you.”
“ You care about me. That can be enough,” I said, sounding like a spoiled child.
“ I’ll be gone soon; I don’t want you to be alone.” His anguish was clear but his words made no sense. Whatever he did, whatever I chose to do, we would both be alone. Be apart. That was certain.
“ I’m sorry,” he said. He turned and walked away, crashing into things in his haste to escape me. I stood there like an idiot waiting for him to turn around, for him to change his mind. But he never did. He walked out, closing the door behind him.
Kissing Joseph was by far the stupidest thing I had ever done. Worse than gluing the teacher’s butt to her chair. Stupider than putting laxatives in the teacher’s lounge coffee machine. I just wish that I could have stopped myself from taking it too far. But I never could. I resolved to talk to him the next day. He was right. Being friends was best. I could hold the memory of a friend in my heart without it tearing in two.
It was a naive thought that things could so simply go back to the way they were.
The next day I went to the gate, same as always. I waited, but Joseph never showed.
He was gone.
I went back to the factory hoping he would be there, which was ridiculous, but in the back of my mind a little spark kept flashing. He kissed me back, even if it was only for a second, he definitely kissed me back.
I sat there waiting all day , feeling frantic. Disliking myself more and more. I didn’t want to feel this way.
I started to get angry , imagining somehow Joseph had tricked me into feeling like this. It wasn’t like me and I tried to pull it out of me like a choked-on strand of
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