Free Don't Fall by Rachel Schieffelbein Page B

waited for Shannon to find my requested, but somehow misplaced, book.
    I watched as Zander read the backs. Tap, tap, slide it back on the shelf. Tap, tap, tap, slip it under his arm.
    Once we’d both checked out our books, he carried our library bags to Baby Cakes.
    The whole bakery was decorated in red, white, and blue. Streamers hung from the ceiling; bouquets of white and red carnations had small American flags sticking out of them on the tables. The cupcakes on display had plump red raspberries and dark blue blueberries set on white frosting.
    “Those look good,” I said, eyeing the raspberries, my personal favorite.
    “Yes, we really love our holidays around here,” the woman said proudly.
    “It’s only July first,” Zander said.
    I shot him a dirty look. He responded with a look of complete bafflement. I rolled my eyes, and turned back to the woman behind the counter. “I’d love one, Denise,” I said, noting the name on her pin. She handed it to me with a big smile on her face. The paper was blue with little white stars on it. So cute. Zander took the same, even though he apparently thought it was not right to celebrate the Fourth of July on the first.
    We sat down, and I plucked a raspberry off the top and popped it into my mouth. “Oh, I brought the photographs I took.” I lifted them out of my bag and tried to hand them to him.
    Instead of taking them, he just stared at me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
    “What?” I asked, wiping my mouth with a paper napkin, hoping I wasn’t covered in frosting.
    “Do you ever photograph yourself?”
    “No.”
    “No?” He raised his eyebrows and snickered at me.
    “Nooo,” I said, drawing out the word and shaking my head.
    “Why not?” He put his elbows on the table and leaned toward me, taking my hand that was not holding a cupcake. “I can’t imagine a more beautiful subject.”
    I could feel my cheeks getting warm as I looked down at the pictures in my hand and scoffed.
    “I do not photograph well.”
    “I find that hard to believe.”
    “Well, my mom has plenty of pictures that have been taken over the years to prove me right.”
    “Maybe you just need the right photographer.” He started tracing little lines up and down the side of my hand with his finger, causing goose bumps to run wild up my arm. “I happen to know a young woman who is very talented with a camera.”
    “And how exactly would I accomplish taking my own picture?”
    “I’m sure your camera has a timer on it.”
    I shrugged. He was right, but I had no intention of using it.
    “Or you could let me photograph you.” His dark eyes sparkled with so much mischief, if I hadn’t been blushing before, I was then. I loved the way Zander made me feel, but it scared me some, too. Actually, that was one of the things I loved about it. As much as I’d always enjoyed reading romances, I’d never fully understood them. I thought I had, thought I understood longing. But I was so far off base.
    I longed for Zander in every way. I wanted to be with him all the time. When I was with him, I wanted to be closer to him. And I wanted it to last forever.

Chapter Fourteen
     
    Zander
     
    When we finished our cupcakes, Anya showed her photos to Denise, the bakery owner. She raved over them as Anya beamed, leaving me free to keep my mouth shut. Which was good, because it was hard for me to rave over pictures of cupcakes and table settings. But Denise seemed to be really impressed.
    “I tell you what, Anya, you let me blow these up and display them, and I’ll give you free cupcakes for the rest of the summer.”
    “Oh no, you can just have them.” Anya shook her head, her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink. Denise hugged her, and insisted on the free cupcakes.
    Anya was on cloud nine the whole way back. “I keep telling you, you’re very talented.” I really wasn’t just sweet-talking her. I might not get cupcake pictures, but I could tell she was good.
    “Oh, you only