and s tarted chasing them.” My hands started to sweat. “The birds were flying at me . I crashed to the ground and began crying. A few of the birds touched me . I even got scratched from one. It was so terrifying .” The experience was so scary that I ’ m now shaking as if I ’ m reliving the experience.
I look up to see Preston’s face , knowing he ’ ll probably say something sarcastic any time now , and see that he ’ s actually compassionate.
“I’m sorry ,” he says as he puts his hand on my shoulder in a protective manner. “That sounds frightening , and I shouldn’t mak e fun of you .”
My heart starts fluttering as he leans over me and pulls me into a hug. I get ready to say thank you but am silenced by his talking.
“So this , um, incident, how old were you? Four or five years old , I’m guessing ?” He pulls ba ck from the hug looking touched.
“Fifteen ,” I answer quietly before turning the treadmill back on.
His eyes widen in surprise before he starts doubling over in laughter.
“Fifteen? You were fifteen?”
“ It was scary !” I yell in his direction.
“Why were you swinging at fifteen anyway? You should have been, I don’t know , out with your friends getting into trouble , not going with your daddy to the park.”
“It was tradition ,” I snap. “Plus , my dad ’ s dead ,” I add as I continue running, faster this time considering what I just said. I hadn’t talked about my dad in a long time , and it wasn’t Preston ’s fault . Sometimes memories were better left unremembered. He had been gone a while , but the pain sometimes still felt too fresh.
“I’m sorry , Amanda , I didn’t know.” He stops my machine again and genuinely looks upset.
“It’s fine.” I smile trying to hold my tears in. “Actually, I think I’ve had too much exc itement for the night. I’m going to head home.” I stop my machine and head down the stairs feeling Preston’s close proximity behind me.
“Amanda.” He pulls my arm from my side and holds onto my hand before I smile weakly and say goodbye.
It takes exactly three seconds for me to get from the door into my car.
Once I ’ m in my car , I can’t help my self, the tears start and I c ry my eyes out for about ten minutes before I notice that Preston has been standing outside my car door the entire time. He knocks gently on the window as I unlock the doors.
He sits and listens to me cry , hands me a tissue , and leaves.
So maybe he’s not so bad.
But then again, he did get me to snap at him . I guess we will find out in a f ew days once we start our trip.
Chapter Six
Remember w hen I said we ’ d find out if Preston had a heart? He doesn’t ; he absolutely does not have a heart. He is at this moment flirting with the lady at the ticket counter. I think he’s trying to get us bu mped to first class , but s he looks to o smart to fall for it. After all , he ’ s being rather obvious .
Rolling my eyes in irritation , I turn toward Kristin just before I see Preston return to us with a large grin on his face. “Good news . Got us all bumped up to first class .”
“Super ,” I answer. A t least I get to sit next to Kristin while the boys talk shop. Picking up my phone, I decide to check my email while we ’ re waiting in line for security.
To fashionista2005@gmail
From: Firehottie2005@gmail
Hey Amanda,
It’s Bobby . I hope you don’t mind, I Facebooked you and got your email address off your page . I know we haven’t talked in a w hile , but I thought it would be cool for us to hang out , maybe grab a bite to eat or something?
Let me know .
Strange, why is he so interested? Shaking my head , I sm ile to myself as I reply that I ’ ll contact him after my vacation in Hawaii.
“What are you smiling about?” Preston sneaks up behind me and peeks over my shoulder.
“Nothing ,” I snap . “Has anyone ever told you how annoying you can be?”
“I only annoy people that deserve it. I hope
I look up to see Preston’s face , knowing he ’ ll probably say something sarcastic any time now , and see that he ’ s actually compassionate.
“I’m sorry ,” he says as he puts his hand on my shoulder in a protective manner. “That sounds frightening , and I shouldn’t mak e fun of you .”
My heart starts fluttering as he leans over me and pulls me into a hug. I get ready to say thank you but am silenced by his talking.
“So this , um, incident, how old were you? Four or five years old , I’m guessing ?” He pulls ba ck from the hug looking touched.
“Fifteen ,” I answer quietly before turning the treadmill back on.
His eyes widen in surprise before he starts doubling over in laughter.
“Fifteen? You were fifteen?”
“ It was scary !” I yell in his direction.
“Why were you swinging at fifteen anyway? You should have been, I don’t know , out with your friends getting into trouble , not going with your daddy to the park.”
“It was tradition ,” I snap. “Plus , my dad ’ s dead ,” I add as I continue running, faster this time considering what I just said. I hadn’t talked about my dad in a long time , and it wasn’t Preston ’s fault . Sometimes memories were better left unremembered. He had been gone a while , but the pain sometimes still felt too fresh.
“I’m sorry , Amanda , I didn’t know.” He stops my machine again and genuinely looks upset.
“It’s fine.” I smile trying to hold my tears in. “Actually, I think I’ve had too much exc itement for the night. I’m going to head home.” I stop my machine and head down the stairs feeling Preston’s close proximity behind me.
“Amanda.” He pulls my arm from my side and holds onto my hand before I smile weakly and say goodbye.
It takes exactly three seconds for me to get from the door into my car.
Once I ’ m in my car , I can’t help my self, the tears start and I c ry my eyes out for about ten minutes before I notice that Preston has been standing outside my car door the entire time. He knocks gently on the window as I unlock the doors.
He sits and listens to me cry , hands me a tissue , and leaves.
So maybe he’s not so bad.
But then again, he did get me to snap at him . I guess we will find out in a f ew days once we start our trip.
Chapter Six
Remember w hen I said we ’ d find out if Preston had a heart? He doesn’t ; he absolutely does not have a heart. He is at this moment flirting with the lady at the ticket counter. I think he’s trying to get us bu mped to first class , but s he looks to o smart to fall for it. After all , he ’ s being rather obvious .
Rolling my eyes in irritation , I turn toward Kristin just before I see Preston return to us with a large grin on his face. “Good news . Got us all bumped up to first class .”
“Super ,” I answer. A t least I get to sit next to Kristin while the boys talk shop. Picking up my phone, I decide to check my email while we ’ re waiting in line for security.
To fashionista2005@gmail
From: Firehottie2005@gmail
Hey Amanda,
It’s Bobby . I hope you don’t mind, I Facebooked you and got your email address off your page . I know we haven’t talked in a w hile , but I thought it would be cool for us to hang out , maybe grab a bite to eat or something?
Let me know .
Strange, why is he so interested? Shaking my head , I sm ile to myself as I reply that I ’ ll contact him after my vacation in Hawaii.
“What are you smiling about?” Preston sneaks up behind me and peeks over my shoulder.
“Nothing ,” I snap . “Has anyone ever told you how annoying you can be?”
“I only annoy people that deserve it. I hope
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