When We Collide by A. L. Jackson Page B

couldn’t stand.
    Attempting to force the foolish notion aside, I
turned my attention to an old friend sitting beside me and tried to
listen to him recount the story of a bar fight he’d seen the
weekend before, but my ear was captured by the sound of a gentle
voice, no more than a whisper, a soft blanket of warmth.
    I was helpless to do anything but give in, and I
tipped my beer to my mouth and stole a sideways glance in her
direction. She sat on the ground close to the fire. Her knees were
pulled to her chest, her movements slow and rhythmic as she rocked
herself and talked quietly with the girl next to her.
    Troy sat on the log behind her with his legs
possessively stretched out on either side of her.
    I had to look away from the two of them to deflect
the jab of envy that sliced into my chest. I went for my third
beer, wondering what the hell had gotten into me.
    Time wore on and everyone seemed to become lulled by
fire. Voices lowered, the atmosphere tempered, and spirits
mellowed. The fire popped and cracked, spewed sparks into the air
as the logs burned, crumbled to coal, glowed red embers.
    From across the fire, Blake and Grace were wrapped
up in each other again, lingering kisses and whispered words, as if
everyone there had evaporated and they were the only two who
remained.
    A pang of jealousy flared.
    The shake of my head was almost imperceptible as I
chugged the last of my beer, thinking maybe—maybe I was ready for
it.
    With that realization, I involuntarily looked at
her, drawn for the first time in my life. Of course I’d been
attracted to girls before, but this was different. Stronger.
Something I didn’t entirely understand.
    Like the rest, she was mesmerized, silent as she
stared unseeing into the fire. Flames licked up toward the sky,
casting glinting shadows against her eyes. They lit and danced—a
slow dance that burned with the intensity and sadness of someone
many years older than the girl I guessed she must be.
    Stupid , I thought again. But I couldn’t help
but think she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.
    Her eyes flicked up from under her hair, and she
caught me staring. She dropped her gaze and hugged her knees
closer, although she couldn’t hide the shy smile ridging the edge
of her mouth and the redness that tinted her cheeks before she
sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and ducked her head.
    Oh God, I hadn’t even gotten a good look at her
face, and all I could think about was what it’d feel like to kiss
her.
    What the hell was she doing with an asshole like
Troy? The guy was a complete fake. I’d seen over the years how he’d
tried chum up with my brother and his friends, acting the cool guy,
but he was always the first to start a fight. He was trouble. How
could she not see through his bullshit?
    Exhaling, I forced myself to stop staring at her.
Instead, I closed my eyes and let the fire warm my face while I
gave in and relished in the prickle of nerves I felt across my skin
every time she shifted.
    A barking laugh cut into the peace, as offensive as
it was vile.
    My eyes flew open.
    I didn’t know what he’d said, but I could only
imagine it was disgusting as Troy mumbled something to the guy next
to him as he wound his hand in the thick locks of the girl’s hair
and yanked her back.
    She cried out, then quickly suppressed the sound as
she cringed and blinked, reaching back to rub the spot on her head.
I watched her attempt to scoot forward, but Troy only tugged her
back, laughed again as he placed his slimy mouth on her cheek.
    She pinched her eyes shut.
    “Troy…stop it…please,” she whisper-pled. Her
shoulders fell, and she hugged her knees closer. I got the distinct
feeling she was trying to hide again.
    I’d never felt this way before, the frisson of
protectiveness that swept like wildfire through my veins and
dripped from my pores.
    “What? Are you deaf and dumb?” I spat the
words, unable to hold them back. Not sure I wanted to.
    Troy jerked his