I give Ryan an awkward smile. “We can wait until the next one.”
He faces me, inching closer. “I promised I’d dance the next one with you, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but…”
He places his hands on my waist and my breath hitches. His touch is feather-like, so soft and gentle it sends goosebumps all over my skin.
His eyes are so clear and blue as they gaze into mine. “This okay?” he asks.
I just nod because I can’t talk. I can’t even breathe. He’stouchingme, and it feels like the most amazing thing in the world. No guy has ever touched me like this.
He takes my arms and gently tugs them around his neck, forcing me to squeeze my body closer to his. My gaze never leaves his.
“I’ve never done this before,” I say before I can stop myself.
He doesn’t respond, doesn’t release his hold from my eyes. It’s like he’s entrapped by them.
We move, not to the beat of the music, but to our own sound. Everyone else fades away and it’s just the two of us.
Ryan looks different up close, and I don’t mean physically. There’s just something about him, something I can’t pinpoint exactly. Maybe I can see into his soul, how pure but tortured it is. And I feel like he can see all of me now, my thoughts and dreams and hopes.
Someone crashes into me and the moment is broken. Ryan blinks, scanning around like he has no idea where he is or how he got here.
Then his eyes pin on me and whatever I saw in there is gone, like it never existed. His face hardens before he whirls around and stalks to the drink table, where he downs two cups of punch.
I watch him for a little bit, trying to read him, but it’s impossible. Why did he ask me to the dance if he’s being so cold and distant?
I inch closer to him. It’s been driving me insane why he moved in with his grandma. No one knows anything about him, not even where he lived before he came here.
Why am I so curious? Why do I care so much?
“Hey,” I say as I come to stand next to him. “Is everything okay?”
He turns to me, another cup of punch in his hand. “Fine. Told you dancing isn’t really my thing.”
I grab a cup and fill it with punch. “But you had fun, right?” I gulp the drink down.
He doesn’t say anything, his focus on the dancing kids. Vice Principal Miller is weaving through them, yanking those who are too close apart. He probably missed us, because I’m pretty sure Ryan and I were super close. I can still feel his warm fingers resting on my waist, his deep eyes boring into mine. It sends a shiver down my spine.
“I had fun,” I tell him after a few seconds of silence. “Thanks for asking me here. Wait, I already thanked you, didn’t I?”
“You’re welcome.”
He still won’t look at me. I shift in my place. “Um…why did you ask me?”
He slowly turns to face me, but doesn’t say anything. His expression, like usual, isunreadable.
“I mean, you ignored me every time I tried to talk to you this past week.”
His eyebrows furrow. “I ignored you?”
“Yeah, every time I called your name you pretended like I didn’t exist.”
He’s quiet for a little bit before saying, “It wasn’t on purpose. Sorry.”
With that, he turns away again. I don’t know what I was expecting. For him to tell me he’s got a major crush on me, too? Of course he doesn’t. And he still never answered my question about why he asked me to the dance.
“Art!” a voice calls before hands grab mine. Jenna bounces in place. My brother stands behind her, a smile on his face. “I’m having so much fun. Are you?” Her eyes dart in my date’s direction.
