“Take risks. Keep your head up and keep going, right?” He advises.
“Right.” I bound down the stairs, his words filling my head. I wave to my parents, who are sitting in the living room, working on a crossword puzzle. Seconds later, my feet are carrying me across the lawn and to the fence that separates our houses. I leap over it and jog toward the white ladder on the side. I grab it with clammy fingers, my heart racing in my chest at the thought of being near her again.
Christ. I need to calm down.
Taking a few calming breaths, I grab the top rung of the ladder and climb the rest of the way to the roof. She doesn’t stir and I’m not sure if she heard my footsteps or sensed my presence. I shuffle ahead, stop and lie down next to her.
Then I let out the breath trapped in my chest.
The air around me shifts, like atoms rearranging themselves to accommodate a potent, powerful entity. My eyes snap open. I swing my head around to my right and there, lying next to me calmly as though it’s something completely normal, is Cole Holloway.
I bolt upright and turn to face him. “How did you get up here?” He doesn’t respond. Then I remember that he can’t hear me. I touch his arm, making sure he can see my lips. Thank goodness the moon is full tonight. He tilts his head to the side to look at me. “How did you get up here?”
He points to the side of the building. I follow his finger and see the white ladder poking at the roof. Ah, I’d completely forgotten about it.
He turns his head and faces the sky. Holding my breath, I study his profile; his sharp nose and angular jaw. A faint scent of musk cologne drifts toward me, making the hair on the nape of my neck stand on end.
Dragging my gaze from his face, I look up at the infinite dark sky and I smile. Every part of me is centered on him. His movements. Every rise and fall of his chest doubles my heart beat until the only sound that fills my senses is my pulse pounding in my ears.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Seconds, minutes, probably hours go by. Centuries could pass. Seasons could come and go, but I wouldn’t notice, because this is the most spellbinding moment I’ve ever experienced in my seventeen years on this earth.
Something fleetingly touches the back of my hand, startling me.
There it is again. A soft touch along the side of my pinkie. My skin is on fire now. My heart is in my throat and my lungs are nowhere near working right. The touch is firm now. Deliberate. He hooks his pinkie around mine and tugs gently. Then he exhales hard, and I swear the roof moves beneath our bodies. Suddenly, the finger uncoils from mine, leaving me cold. I blink several times before twisting, turning my head to the side to look at him.
Did I imagine that touch?
I glance down and see that his hand is curled into a fist at his side. He sits up, then turns slightly to the side to face me. His face is framed in shadows so I can’t see it clearly. A shiver skitters down my back as he leans forward without warning until I feel his quick breath fan my lips, his eyes on my mouth the entire time. He takes a tendril of the hair fanned around my head and rubs it between his fingers, his eyes not leaving mine. I’m captivated by his eyes, his overwhelming presence. I should scold him for being too forward and getting into my space, but I can’t. I’m mesmerized by the inhales and exhales passing through his parted lips.
He lets go of my hair and climbs to his feet with the agility and swiftness of a panther. Between one breath and the next, he’s gone, disappearing into the night as quietly as he came. Taking with him a tiny piece of my heart. As odd as it sounds, I feel a certain connection to this quiet boy.
I attempt to prop my upper body on my elbows so I can watch him as he walks back to his house, but they feel too jelly-like. I settle back on the roof, grinning and listening to the muffled crunch of his shoes on the grass until it fades.
IT HAS BEEN THREE DAYS since I first joined Nor on the roof. I’ve been going every night ever since.
I step from the bathroom, while ruffling my wet hair with one hand and head to my room. After grabbing a T-shirt from the dresser, I slip it on and stride to the window. I’d never given star-gazing a thought until after the night I lay next to Nor on the roof of her house. It was an eye-opening moment, especially when I took a chance to touch her. I wanted to see if that connection between us was still there. I wasn’t disappointed. Now, I can’t seem to stop invading her space every night.