Free Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

opposite the bed.
    Hannah craned her neck back, but all she could see out the window were trees and gray sky. “Colin?” she murmured.
    He looked down at her as if surprised to see her there. “Hmm?”
    “Are you okay?” she asked carefully.
    He shook his head a little and blinked. “Of course.” But he rolled over to one side.
    Hannah raised herself up on an elbow and looked around. There wasn’t much to see. Books stacked beside the bed: some Jane Austen and a dictionary. A closed closet door. The white bedspread. That was all.
    “Was this your parents’ room?” she asked.
    Colin shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess so. I already told you like six hundred times, Han, I don’t remember this place. Okay?”
    Hannah sighed. “Sorry. I’m just curious, and I don’t have anyone else to ask.”
    “Okay, let’s forget it.” Colin smiled his easy grin. “You’re so gorgeous on that white quilt. Hang on.” He climbed off the bed and disappeared down the hall for a moment, returning with his camera in his hand.
    “Okay, let’s see it,” he said, his camera already at his eye. Hannah grinned and scooted backward on the bed until she was half propped against the pillows. She struck a pose, arms behind her head, hips twisted to the side.
    “Nice.” Colin snapped a few shots. “Very Hollywood bombshell.”
    Hannah snorted and flipped onto her stomach. “All us bombshells wear jeans and T-shirts with”—she looked down at the words on her shirt—“Reider High Mathlympics on them.” She sucked in her cheeks and aimed a sultry look at the camera.
    Colin zoomed in, the camera clicking in an insectile manner.
    “Hey, not too close!” Hannah protested, holding her hands up in front of her face.
    “What do you mean ‘not too close’? Like this?” Colin put a knee up on the bed and leaned over. Hannah giggled a little as he advanced closer, still holding the camera. He clicked off another shot and moved closer. She pressed herself back against the pillows and reached for him.
    Colin shoved the camera to one side and bent over her. She closed her eyes, relishing the hot, insistent pressure of his lips on hers. Before Colin, she didn’t even know what a kiss was. Howard Mortenson freshman year didn’t count. Kissing him was like having someone toilet plunge her mouth. And after that, no one … until Colin.
    Too soon, Colin drew his head back. He stretched out on his side next to her, propping his head up with his hand. His blue eyes were soft and sparkling. The sun must have come outbecause a dapple of sunlight played on the wall behind him. “Are you happy we came up here?” he asked.
    She nodded, rolling a little closer to him. “Yeah. I can’t believe we made it, but I’m really happy.” She burrowed her face into the hard muscles of his chest. She could hear his heart beating slow, strong thuds. Her muscles felt limp, as if her body were filled with honey. She gazed into Colin’s face, lazily stroking the side of his stubbly cheek with the tips of her fingers, smiling. This felt good. It felt right, finally, after all the angst from earlier.
    Colin moved an inch closer. “Han …” His breath blew softly against her cheek. “I …”
    She felt herself tighten up. No. Not yet. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready right now. She rolled away from Colin and slid off the bed. He sighed and flopped back on the pillows, staring up at the ceiling.
    Hannah stood at the edge of the bed, trying to gauge his level of frustration, chewing her lip. A little moment of silence stretched out—familiar silence. This was the silence they’d been inhabiting since he first spoke those three words graduation night. “You want to get something to eat?” she offered after a long moment. She tried a little smile.
    “Sure.” He sighed and shoved himself off the bed.
    Just a little more time. That was all she needed, she told herself as she followed Colin down the hallway.

CHAPTER 9
     
    The light was