I deadpanned. That cop had to know how unfair this was. Couldn’t he stop it? I was flabbergasted, and said, “Yeah, I would.”
Jerking his head toward the house with one swift motion, he said, “You can go inside.”
I glanced toward my house. My parents would hate this, but I didn’t care what they thought. Everything they were doing was wrong. I looked back at the cop. “Just one moment.” I rushed through the door of his grandmother’s house until I found Graham raiding the cupboards in the kitchen, stuffing the unopened boxes of snack food into his already crammed backpack. Not knowing what to say, as nothing in life should ever be this hard, I blurted out, “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” He offered me a weak smile. We both knew it was a fake smile, and I hated him for pretending.
“I mean, I’m sorry about everything,” I rambled with tear-stained words. “Your mom, your school, your grandma, people. Mostly the people who suck.”
“I know.” His tongue rolled over his bottom lip. “I’m sorry about the kids at your school, too. Though I have a feeling it’ll turn around for you soon.”
I blinked back angry tears.How was he getting sent away?Worse yet, he was using this time to console me. If I were in his position, I would be crying and screaming, and at the very least, breaking a few things. I felt my brow bend down.
Our time was up.
I searched my brain for the right words to say. Something witty to leave him with but I had nothing. My word box was empty.
His beautiful sapphire eyes trapped mine. I didn’t move. I was left with a feeling I had never had before—the feeling of wanting to kiss him. I only had another second or two. My dad wouldn’t tolerate us being here together. Although I wanted to kiss him,I froze because I didn’t know how. I had never wanted to kiss a boy before, let alone actually do it. My mind pulled back to the memory of Bre reading that magazine about kissing rules. Check your breath.It’s too late for that. Morning breath it is.
Lean forward.
I licked my lips and slowly raised my chin, leaning closer to him, and he didn’t flinch. His eyes stayed locked in communion with mine, and his irises softened. When he leaned forward too, I knew he had the same thought I did.
Now what?
Close my eyes.
Now I can’t see.
Was that step out of order, because it seems a little hard to navigate things now?
His hand found my chin, causing my breath to hitch in my already tightened chest. He was kissing-close.
Now what?
Something so we don’t bump noses. Turn my head?
I didn’t have time to think about the last rule, because it was happening so fast. I felt his light touch guide my chin, and I freaked in panic and turned my head, and his lips dampened my ear lobe.
I had messed up!
Jerking back, my eyes snapped open, knowing my face was every shade of embarrassed. “Sorry,” I murmured and took a broken-hearted step back.
He didn’t resist a humored chuckle. Even though I had messed up our kiss, it had meant something—to both of us. Reaching out he cupped his hand on my cheek. For a moment, I thought he was going to try to kiss me again, but instead he whispered, “I won’t forget about you, Chatterbox.”
It stung.
I’d only known him a couple of months, and he was heading back to Oregon. I lived in Florida, and we were both a couple of kids. My heart constricted. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I hydrated my lips by swiping my tongue over them. “I won’t forget you either.”
With nothing left to do, we sulked back out of the house, standing shoulder to shoulder. I held my breath while the cop put his arm around Graham. “Come on, son.”
Graham climbed into the back seat of the cop car like a criminal. As the cop car drove away, I whispered under my breath, “I’ll never forget you.” I fought back every tear because my dad didn’t deserve to see me cry even though Dad avoided me as if he was disappointed in me. If he only knew I was more disappointed in him.
I was young. Sixteen. Part of my heart went dark when I saw that cop car take him away, knowing how unfair this had all been.Life was a jerk.
five
Elinora
