Dare to Breathe by M. Homer Page B

Beth tells her, waving her arms around theatrically, her strawberry tendrils falling out of her clips and bouncing around her head.
    “What? I have been fine. I don’t know what or who you are talking about.”
    I puff past them and slam another dish into the dishwasher. Stupid Jane, with her stupid hair and stupid talking .
    “Sam, honey we have been around awhile. We happen to be experts in the game of love,” Sally says, coming towards me and carefully pulling me away from the dishwasher which I am prodding and punching.
    “Yeah, men are stupid,” Beth chips in.
    “Well, thanks ladies,” I snap. “When I decide to turn gay and fall in love with women, you two will be the first to know.”
    Both women are stunned silent and I feel guilty until I hear them snicker. They start laughing hysterically and I feel myself loosen up. It’s not their fault I am an emotional cripple. I guess I have been a teeny, tiny bit crazy tonight. I look around the kitchen which has been cleaned to within an inch of its life. Well, at least something good came out of being annoyed.
    When they finally calm down, Sally looks over at me and says, “Just play it cool. He came in here to see you, you know?”
    What? “What are you talking about?”
    “It’s true. The second you left the front and came in here, I saw him sit up straight so he could try and see you in the kitchen and he practically ignored that girl with him for the rest of the time they were here.”
    “That’s crap,” I say, but secretly, I am thrilled!
    “I’m telling you, that boy was trying to make you jealous and there has to be a reason for it,” Sally says, smiling.
    I wonder if Sally is right? I try not to let her words affect my feelings too much but I can’t help it. Their kindness, their obvious support of me and the vague (even if tiny) possibility that Nathan may feel something more for me than friendship has me silently dancing around the kitchen.

Chapter Thirteen
    That night I hear Nathan, and who I can only assume is Jane upstairs in his room. It drives me crazy hearing her moaning and his soft deep voice coming through my ceiling. I want to crawl into a ball and hide under my bed, but instead I just throw the covers over my head and place my hands over my ears. I fall asleep huddled in my cocoon.
    Damn Sally and her misguided hope.
    I wake up much later as familiar hands reach out to me and hold me still once again. I feel my screams slow down as my brain connects with reality. This time, he doesn’t even bother to turn on the lights; he just lays me back down, whispers calming words in my ear and lays his warm body next to mine, barely touching me, while I gather myself.
    I fall asleep again quickly, beyond exhausted, wondering in the back of my mind where Jane is right at this minute.
    When I wake up, I realize with a fright that he is still here in my bed. Rationally I know I should be freaked out, but this is Nathan, the one person who seems to have gotten under my defenses. I sneak a look at him while he is still asleep. He lies on his front and I see the muscles in his back move as he gently snores. He has one arm draped over my body, almost possessively. He feels so warm. I try and wiggle away but this wakes him up.
    “Um…morning,” he says with a yawn when he notices my eyes staring openly at him. “Are you checking me out?” He smirks as he sees me blush.
    “Morning,” I whisper back, embarrassed. “Duh; of course not!”
    He rolls over onto his back and stretches while chuckling at me. “You know if we keep doing this, you are going to have to get a bigger bed.” He rubs his neck as if in pain.
    This is beyond awkward. “Nathan, I am so sorry,” I begin but he just waves my words away. I decide to change direction. “Um, what happened to Jane?”
    He turns to me with a scowl. “How did you know she was here?”
    I look up at the ceiling and his eyes follow my gaze. Comprehension dawns on him as he looks at the white