Free Changing Forever by Lisa de Jong Page B

set,” I say, eyeing her carefully.
    “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but do you really think that’s enough?”
    “I guess we’ll just have to see who can be more convincing,” I say, twirling my pen between my fingers.
    “You’re on. I’m going to get a book so I can get started,” she announces, rising from the table.
    After I watch her disappear into the rows of books, I pull my laptop from my bag and make a few notes. This assignment isn’t going to be easy, but I have a feeling we’re going to pull it off just fine.
    That’s what teams do.
    To an extent, Emery has a point about nature, but for me, I think that’s only good as long as someone is nurturing it. If my dad were still around guiding me, I’d probably be a whole lot like him. Maybe I’m a little bit like him now, but it’s hard to say because some days, it’s hard to remember what he was like. I remember football, and the last day we spent together, but no matter how hard I try, anything beyond that is difficult. It would have been helpful if my mom could have at least talked to me about him, but she rarely says his name at all.
    When Emery isn’t back a few minutes later, I go looking for her, weaving in and out of bookshelves. I’m not a fan of libraries, and she’s the only thing that makes it halfway tolerable to be here. I actually look forward to seeing her in class these days; last night and today was just an added bonus. I’ll never tell her this, but she’s making today the best worst day of the year just by spending some of her time with me. It’s kept my mind off things at least temporarily.
    I finally spot her when I round the corner to the history section, literally running into her. She startles, covering her chest with her hand.
    “Hey,” I say, gripping her upper arms to hold her steady. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    Her dark brown eyes look up, and something shifts inside of me. Maybe it’s the way the front of our bodies touch, or the way her sweet smell invades my senses. Something has been pulling me toward her the last couple times I’ve seen her, and being like this makes it hard to ignore.
    “It’s okay. I should probably stop running into you like this.” Her heart is beating against my chest, heightening all the feelings I’ve been trying to bury.
    The longer we stay locked in a staring contest, the more I realize this moment was inevitable. I haven’t been honest with myself because it’s always been easier for me to live in my make-believe world. Drake’s world.
    I hate these emotions, but yet there’s something that feels so damn good about having her this close to me. My heart is begging me to take a chance with the one person who hasn’t asked me for anything. The one person who’s taken my shit and thrown it right back at me.
    Before I even realize what’s happening, my lips inch closer to hers. I don’t have any control. Or maybe I don’t want to have it anymore, because I’m passing the ball to her. My hands slide up her arms, cupping her cheeks, but my eyes never leave hers. I’m waiting for her to stop me. We’ve gone ten rounds since I’ve met her, and I never thought it would lead to this.
    This isn’t supposed to happen, I think to myself as I feel her warm breath against my skin. So close. “Emery,” I whisper, my voice desperate.
    “Drake,” she says quietly, pulling some of the fabric from my t-shirt between her fingers. She has no idea what her touch is doing to me. No fucking idea.
    “Can I help you two find anything?” Shit .
    I pinch my eyes closed to regain some of my composure. “No, I was just getting ready to leave.”
    Dropping my hands, I glare at the librarian, silently begging her to walk away.
    “That sounds like a good idea,” she says, glancing back and forth between Emery and me before disappearing around the corner again.
    This suddenly doesn’t feel right. I shouldn’t be doing this with Emery … she deserves so much