tilts her head in disbelief.
“Not even a minute, I swear.” My jaw drops, maintaining a little smile.
“Mhm.” She starts to smile, showing me her perfect teeth.
I extend my hand for hers, suddenly pulling her into me. I bring it over my shoulder and mirroring it with her other one.
“Dance with me,” I say, not giving her an option. I secure my arms around her petite waist, swaying us.
“Oh—okay.” She looks scatterbrained for a second before complying and looking up at me.
My lips fall to her head, closing my eyes now that I can finally rest my chin on her delicate, little head.
“Are you okay? You seem…off. Then you never texted back,”
she says, laying her cheek on my chest.
“Eh. I will be. As soon as I get far away from here.” I move a hand to her hair, stroking at the back of her head.
“Away from your dad?” she asks, striking me off guard. Yet that was becoming the truth.
“I don’t want to say it’s that yet,” I say.
“Well, are you at least looking forward to law school?” She lifts her head to look at me.
My chin rises from its place and I look back at her. “Uh…” I pull my hood down, getting stuck with no answer.
Her eyes begin batting at me, getting me even more choked up.
“Why? I thought this was good?” she questions me.
“I don’t know, Paisley. I’m getting nervous and I’m only thinking about it.” Our swaying subsides, and I bite my lip.
“What if I’m not lucky enough to be good at this?”
She scoffs quicker than she can take in my words and walks 322
A LITTLE MORE TIME
A LITTLE MORE TIME
over to her speaker, turning it down. With it quieter, she turns and grabs my arm on the way to the bed, forcing me to sit on it. “Josh, listen to me. And listen real good, alright?”
She leans
down, getting as close to my face as possible.
“Listening.” I inhale, sinking my head into my shoulders.
“Your success story isn’t based on luck. You’re smart.
Handsome as hell. Funny. Sweet. All these things that make up a capable, outstanding human being. Not on the surface, but in the soul.” She looks my face up and down, stopping at my lips for some seconds and bringing them back to my eyes.
“Good people who do good deeds are served good rewards.
Vermont chose you, Joshua. That’s your reward. So take it.”
I was almost foaming at the mouth at her assertion. Each compliment is like another reason to take her down and love all over her right here. She easily counts as one of those rewards. No questions asked. I’m so fucked when she leaves.
