“It’ll be worth it though; tonight is going to be epic.” Nyla opened her mouth to say something else, but Ethan stood and held out his hand to her.
“Let’s dance.” She took his hand and stood, still glaring at Jamison. She followed him to the dance floor. He swept her in his arms and they began rocking back and forth in time with the bluesy tune. This time he kept in step with the beat.
“Don’t think about those losers,” Ethan encouraged her. She looked up at him, still scowling. He lifted his finger to smooth the crinkled skin between her eyes.
“They’re not losers.” She looked back over at the table where Lee was talking to Jamison. He only nodded; his eyes were glued to Nyla’s. She looked away, back at Ethan. “They’re just stupid, I guess.” Ethan laughed at that. They danced the rest of the song, and each time Nyla looked at Jamison, he was watching them. Knowing he was paying that much attention to them made her anxious. She stepped on Ethan’s toes, and her face flushed. Lee had made his way to the bar and was talking to two girls. She looked back at Ethan, who was humming along with the song.
“Despite being invaded by the ever-present roomy, I’m glad I came out with you tonight.” She smiled shyly.
“Yeah?” He nervously ran his fingers through his hair before returning it to her waist.
“Yeah,” she said softly as she leaned her head on his shoulder again. Jamison still sat on the edge of her peripheral vision, still watching them closely.
On the walk home she laced her fingers through his. He smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He walked her up to the front door. She turned and smiled at him.
“I had fun; thanks for dragging me out.” She gently tugged on his hand and made him step closer to her.
“Me too,” he said, as she stepped into him and closed the distance between them. He hesitantly leaned into her, his soft lips barely touching hers. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her and kissed him. It wasn’t a mind-blowing kiss, but it took her mind off Jamison. Finally, they broke apart, and he smiled dreamily. “Wow,” he whispered.
Chapter 6
Jamison couldn’t take his eyes off Nyla and Ethan as they danced. He still didn’t understand why she dominated his thoughts, but he watched her in her dark jeans and flowing blouse. Her long brown hair swayed down her back but found a way to glisten in the dim light. He wondered where they went when they left. Did they go her apartment? Did she show him her hidden bedroom, or other secrets? Finally, after he’d had enough of his overactive imagination, he ditched his friends and left. He wandered home and went straight to his room. He didn’t want to come between Nyla and her happiness, but he also didn’t want to see her with safe, boring Ethan. Nyla couldn’t blossom with someone like Ethan; she needed someone to challenge her. As he drifted off to sleep, his last thought was that Nyla deserved someone better than boring old Ethan.
Over the course of the next few weeks, they all fell into a rhythm. Jamison was now part of Nyla’s life, and she was accepting it. She sat in the library at an old, dark cherry table with Maddie and Jamison getting in a final cram session before their first test. In the beginning, Jamison sat listening to music with headphones on as he studied quietly. He felt a little left out as they quizzed each other. When Maddie and Nyla began chatting, Jamison turned down his music but still pretended to be studying.
“So have you guys kissed yet?” Maddie prodded, leaning in to her.
“Yes, it was OK.” Nyla’s smile hid something in it. Was there a spark there or not, Jamison wondered. He looked down at his book.
“Have you guys, you know, done it yet?” Maddie’s eyes widened. Jamison began bouncing his leg in anticipation.
“No, that’s not going to happen for a while.” Nyla was resolute. Jamison let out the breath he was holding, and the girls
“Let’s dance.” She took his hand and stood, still glaring at Jamison. She followed him to the dance floor. He swept her in his arms and they began rocking back and forth in time with the bluesy tune. This time he kept in step with the beat.
“Don’t think about those losers,” Ethan encouraged her. She looked up at him, still scowling. He lifted his finger to smooth the crinkled skin between her eyes.
“They’re not losers.” She looked back over at the table where Lee was talking to Jamison. He only nodded; his eyes were glued to Nyla’s. She looked away, back at Ethan. “They’re just stupid, I guess.” Ethan laughed at that. They danced the rest of the song, and each time Nyla looked at Jamison, he was watching them. Knowing he was paying that much attention to them made her anxious. She stepped on Ethan’s toes, and her face flushed. Lee had made his way to the bar and was talking to two girls. She looked back at Ethan, who was humming along with the song.
“Despite being invaded by the ever-present roomy, I’m glad I came out with you tonight.” She smiled shyly.
“Yeah?” He nervously ran his fingers through his hair before returning it to her waist.
“Yeah,” she said softly as she leaned her head on his shoulder again. Jamison still sat on the edge of her peripheral vision, still watching them closely.
On the walk home she laced her fingers through his. He smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He walked her up to the front door. She turned and smiled at him.
“I had fun; thanks for dragging me out.” She gently tugged on his hand and made him step closer to her.
“Me too,” he said, as she stepped into him and closed the distance between them. He hesitantly leaned into her, his soft lips barely touching hers. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her and kissed him. It wasn’t a mind-blowing kiss, but it took her mind off Jamison. Finally, they broke apart, and he smiled dreamily. “Wow,” he whispered.
Chapter 6
Jamison couldn’t take his eyes off Nyla and Ethan as they danced. He still didn’t understand why she dominated his thoughts, but he watched her in her dark jeans and flowing blouse. Her long brown hair swayed down her back but found a way to glisten in the dim light. He wondered where they went when they left. Did they go her apartment? Did she show him her hidden bedroom, or other secrets? Finally, after he’d had enough of his overactive imagination, he ditched his friends and left. He wandered home and went straight to his room. He didn’t want to come between Nyla and her happiness, but he also didn’t want to see her with safe, boring Ethan. Nyla couldn’t blossom with someone like Ethan; she needed someone to challenge her. As he drifted off to sleep, his last thought was that Nyla deserved someone better than boring old Ethan.
Over the course of the next few weeks, they all fell into a rhythm. Jamison was now part of Nyla’s life, and she was accepting it. She sat in the library at an old, dark cherry table with Maddie and Jamison getting in a final cram session before their first test. In the beginning, Jamison sat listening to music with headphones on as he studied quietly. He felt a little left out as they quizzed each other. When Maddie and Nyla began chatting, Jamison turned down his music but still pretended to be studying.
“So have you guys kissed yet?” Maddie prodded, leaning in to her.
“Yes, it was OK.” Nyla’s smile hid something in it. Was there a spark there or not, Jamison wondered. He looked down at his book.
“Have you guys, you know, done it yet?” Maddie’s eyes widened. Jamison began bouncing his leg in anticipation.
“No, that’s not going to happen for a while.” Nyla was resolute. Jamison let out the breath he was holding, and the girls
Similar Books
