I can spare a few minutes to check on her so I get back inside the car, drive around the woods and pull up in front of the church. One of the brown wooden doors is slightly ajar.
What the hell am I doing? If Nor is in there, she definitely doesn’t need me invading her space.
Nevertheless, I find myself stepping out of the car. My feet lead the way toward the concrete path, flanked with shrubs and flowers on either side. I pause when I reach the top of the stairs, reading the notice behind the glass board.
Confessions are in session.
I remove the beanie from my head and duck through the door, squinting in the softly lit interior. The church is deserted, save for Nor. She’s sitting on the pew in the first row. Her head is arched back as if she’s focusing on the ceiling. My heart twists inside my chest as I watch her lonesome figure. Everything inside me tells me to go to her, overruling the promise I made to myself not so long ago to stay away from her. Her shoulders visibly loosen as if a weight has been lifted off of them. I give in to the urge to walk inside.
When I reach the front row, I sit down on the bench and scoot toward her. She doesn’t move. In fact, nothing about her indicates she knows I’m here. Her gaze is focused on the altar a few feet away. She blinks, lowers her head and I notice her lips moving but I can’t understand what she is saying. She turns her head to look at me and her eyes widen. I feel as if I’ve been punched in the gut. Gone is the fire that momentarily flashed in her eyes when we first meet, it’s been replaced by a sadness so deep, I’m fighting hard to not look away. I just want to put my arms around her and comfort her. My fingers itch to trace the gentle curve of her jaw.
Shit. My emotions are all over the place, sitting next to this girl.
I take a deep breath. Big mistake. Her scent—a mixture of sweat, a subtle hint of vanilla and sweet almonds—seduces my senses, causing a growl to rise up my throat.
Nor jerks a little, her gaze moving to my mouth.
Shit. I need to learn to control myself around her.
I clear my throat, and her eyes find mine again.
“Sorry,” she says. “I asked you something. I forgot about your. . .” she trails off, a flush spreading across her cheeks, and points to her ears. She takes a deep breath and exhales. When she bites her bottom lip between her teeth, that little dimple on her cheek appears.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, her fingers clenched around the Bible, the sharp corner pressed with force on her thigh, given the indent on her skin.
Isn’t she feeling any pain?
“You left your house running like a bat from hell and I got curious.”
“So you followed me?”
“Yes,” I say, my gaze wandering to the book in her hands and then back to her, starting to feel worried. Maybe she has that condition where people are immune to pain? I nod to her lap. “I think the Bible needs a breather,” I tease, hoping to invoke a smile from her and hopefully see that little dimple again.
Her gaze drops to her lap and her jaw tightens as if in pain. Did she just wince?
Raising my hand, I curl it on top of hers and the second our skin touches something like fire charges through my veins and down my spine, jolting me upright. I snatch my hand away from hers at the same time Nor startles and swings her gaze back to mine, her eyes wider than before and her mouth parts. The Bible slips from her hand and drops to the floor.
Holy shit! What was that?
She shoots to her feet and tugs the edge of her T-shirt down, looking everywhere but at me. Confused as fuck, I stand and walk out in the aisle before turning to face her. She leans down, grabs the Bible from the floor and places it on the pew in front of her.
“Hey. Would you like me to drop you somewhere?” I ask.
Her fingers stop fidgeting with her T-shirt and her head snaps up in my direction. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to. . .um. . .wherever you go every morning?”
My eyebrows shoot up and my gaze sharpens on her, taking in every little detail of her face.
“It’s just a passing observation,” she says, raising her chin defiantly, which is cute as shit.
My lips twitch, fighting a smile. Oh, little Miss Freckled Nose has been watching me just like I’ve been watching her.
“It’s not important.” The lie slips from my mouth so easily it gives me pause.
The look in her eyes fades a little, replaced by a spark I can’t put my finger on, until I see her lips quirk in a soft smile. “I’m low on energy, considering I was running like a bat from hell. I could use a lift.”
Her smile. . .Jesus. If that smile makes me feel like I’m high, I wonder what seeing her laugh would do to me. Oh wait. I already did. But she was laughing with Josh. I kind of want her to laugh with me, no matter how lame the joke might be.
Dude, cool it. Take her home and stop all this sappiness.