Free Heart Waves by Danielle Sibarium Page A

beautiful than you, with your blue eyes open wide and the wind whipping through your hair.”
    “I didn’t think you saw anything but the drop.”
    He smiled. The warmth of his eyes and smile traveled instantly through my body. He had a point. The last thing I wanted was to just go with it. I didn’t want to open doors that might leave me exposed. But I could feel he would be worth it. Even if I got hurt in the end.
    Neither of us spoke. We just stared at each other like a pair of love sick teenagers. I didn’t feel uncomfortable the way I usually did when guys stared at me. But he wasn’t just any guy. And he didn’t stare at me like he wanted to ravage me, or with the malice of a conqueror about to covet a prize. He looked at me with adoration.
    “So what now?” I asked.
    “I promise to never lie to you again. You forgive me and make it official,” he said taking my hands again rubbing them gently.
    “Make what official?”
    “Agree to be my girl.”
    I laughed, “Are you asking me to go steady?” I mocked. “What are we, in the nineteen fifties?”
    He looked embarrassed, his eyes dropped and the corners of his mouth turned up just a bit. His normally olive colored cheeks turned pink. “So I’m a little old fashioned, what could I say?”
    I didn’t have a chance to respond before the waiter brought Reece the check. I felt an ache rise in my chest as he paid the bill. I didn’t want to leave. We were only a few minutes from home, and I didn’t want the enchantment of this day to end.
    As that thought ran through my head, it became clear why he wanted to be somewhere other than my backyard. I would never allow myself to be so calm and relaxed with him. I was on high alert there. The thought of Mike and Reece’s other buddies, Brandon in particular, being near enough to see or hear us terrified me.
    And I did feel safe knowing my parents could look out the window at any moment. It kept both the risk factor and expectation level low. On the other hand, it also meant minimal progression for us. Now home lost its appeal and ranked as the last place I wanted to be as I’d fallen completely under his spell.
    After the waiter returned with the change, Reece stood up. I followed his lead, enjoying his chivalrous nature as he held the door open and waited for me to exit. Before I knew it, we were in his car on our way.
    “Why do you look sad?” he asked sounding disappointed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push. We can just take it slow, see what happens.”
    “That’s not it.”
    “It’s not?” he asked in a higher octave than usual.
    “Of course not, silly, I just don’t want this day to end.”
    He put his blinker on, turned to me and smiled, “Well, in that case .   .  . ”
     
     
     

Chapter 11
     
    We pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot. It was crowded, but no more than usual. Again Reece came around, opened my door and took my hand. We walked to the end of the line and stood about five people back from the front.
    He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. I pressed myself up against him. Normally I didn’t like to be touched so much. Mostly, I didn’t appreciate where guys would put their hands when they touched me.
    Reece was different. In every way. He felt like a homecoming. Like I’d been lost for years and didn’t know it, like sleeping in a bed after months on the floor. He felt warm and comfortable, like a best friend, only better. With a best friend you don’t feel giddy from the attraction.
    I’d been trying to control the fluttering in my belly all day. I reminded myself constantly to keep in the moment and not think about the taste or feel of his lips, of how hard his chest felt beneath my fingers but how soft and contoured it felt when I leaned against it. I successfully kept all that at bay, until now.
    I shivered. Thinking I felt cold, Reece pulled me in front of him and leaned his chest against my back with his arms wrapped around my