Free Pieces of Me by Ann Garner

seat.”
    There’s
only a full size bed and a small sitting chair. I opt for the sitting chair. I
don't think my frazzled nerves can take to much more.
    Cole
goes over to the closet and opens the door. There’s a mini fridge hidden
inside, which he pulls a bottle of water from. He crosses back and sits on the
end of the bed, directly in front of me. Twisting off the cap on the water
bottle he hands it to me. I know he sees my hands shake as I reach out to grab
it.
    “Jesus,
Del, you're white as a ghost.”
    He
leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees, watching me take several
gulps of the water.
    “Where
is Grace?”
    I
blink. He sounds angry. “Oh, uh, Grant showed up and the two of them were
dancing.” I shrug my shoulders. “I just wanted to get out of the crowd of
people for a minute.”
    I
bring the bottle of water back to my lips. I’m not thirsty anymore, but it
gives me something to do.
    “Thank
you.” I finally say. “For helping me out. I just.. He surprised me.” I finish
lamely. I make myself laugh and then wince at how forced it sounds.
    “You
were terrified.”
    “Oh,
no,” I insist. “I told you no one’s ever hit on me before. It just surprised
me. That's all.”
I meet his gaze head on now, trying to look more confident than I feel.
    “The
guys in Oregon must be fucking morons,” he finally mutters. He runs his hand
through his hair, and I watch the curls dance and shift and am surprised to
find that I want to run my hands through them. I lean forward a little in the
chair.
    “So,
uh, you don't like these parties?” I ask hesitantly.
    Cole
turns his gaze back to me. “I don't mind a drink every now and then, but
drinking just to get wasted and laid, which is pretty much the purpose of these
parties, has never been my idea of a good time. If I'm going to hook up with a
girl, I don't need alcohol to make it happen.”
    “Oh.”
I set the empty water bottle on the floor and twist my hands together in my
lap. “So you came to check on Grace?”
    There’s
something in his eyes, and I'm pretty sure I know what it is, and it should
terrify me. But it doesn't.
    And
that terrifies me.
    “No.”
    My
tongue slips out to lick my suddenly dry lips and his eyes follow the movement.
“Oh.” I know how lame I sound, but I can't help but wonder why he was there if
he hated the parties and didn't come to check on Grace.
    Had
he been looking for me?
    But
why would he?
    I
had turned him down; he was seeing Red Nail Polish Beth.
    Wasn't
he?
    The
chair creaks as I shift a little closer to the edge. With the way we’re both sitting
there's barely a foot of space between us.
    “Thanks,”
I whisper.
    “You
already said that,” he replies softly. His eyes haven't left my mouth and for
the first time in four years, I'm wondering what it would be like to have
someone kiss me.
    No,
I think, not someone.
    It
has to be Cole.
    I
feel myself sway just a little closer to him. There are mere inches between us
now. He could easily lean forward to kiss me, and for a second I think he's
going to, and I think I'm going to let him. I lean forward just a little more,
just enough, I hope, to let him know what I’m looking for.
    Abruptly
he pulls back.
    I
blink in surprise and jerk upright in the chair. I know I'm blushing again
because I'm embarrassed. I feel the heat race up my neck and over my face. Had
he not felt what I had?
    “We
should go find Grace.” He stands up quickly, shoving his hands in the pockets
of the shorts he’s wearing.
    “She's
probably looking for you.”

Chapter
Nine
     
    I
skip U.S. History on Monday. Then again on Wednesday. I hide in the safety of
my dorm room, thankful that Grace also has a class during this time, and I call
the professor and tell him I have the flu.
    I'm
so far ahead in the class it isn't going to make a difference that I skip the
classes, and thankfully my professor realizes this and tells me not to come on
Friday either. He doesn't want to risk anyone else