Free The Grace In Darkness by Melissa Andrea Page B

didn ’ t want to make promises I couldn ’ t keep.
    “ Good-bye, Dr. Rise. ”
     
     

     
     
    There was a loud thud when I pushed open the door, and I gasped when I heard a groan. I couldn ’ t move. I just stood there holding the door as a shield. Hoping and praying I didn ’ t do what I thought I just did. It was a seeing person. Everyone else knew not to walk so close to the walls.
    “ Please, please, please, ” I whispered.
    “ You know that actually hurts as bad as you think it would. ”
    A tiny breath escaped me as I recognized his voice. Shutting the door, I moved toward his familiar shadow.
    “ I ’ m so sorry, Pierce! Are you okay? Is your nose bleeding? Broken? ” I reached out toward him.
    “ If I say yes, will you kiss it better? ”
    I blushed a deep red and pulled back my hand. “ I have a feeling you ’ re just fine. ”
    “ Are you as disappointed about that as I am? ”
    “ If I was, it would probably be for a different reason than you think. ”
    “ I told myself not to flirt with you. ”
    “ I don ’ t think your self is listening. ”
    “ Wouldn ’ t be the first time and probably won ’ t be the last. ”
    “ Do you think your self can behave long enough to walk me to my room? I ’ m supposed to meet Makayla for lunch. ”
    “ That doesn ’ t sound like an invite. ”
    “ That ’ s because it wasn ’ t. ”
    He laughed and we headed off in the direction of my room. It wasn ’ t far and it ’ s not like I couldn ’ t find my way without Pierce. He was a distraction from everything that was running through my head, and I welcomed it.
    When we reached my room, I ’ d forgotten about most of my conversation with Dr. Rise, except for one part.
    “ Thank you for walking me, ” I said, standing in front of my door.
    “ I should be thanking you. ”
    “ Why? ”
    “ Listen, ” he said without answering my question. He tapped twice on the wall. “ Maybe after the recital, when we ’ re not killing ourselves over rehearsals, the three of us can get dinner? ” It was his way of saying it would just be as friends.
    I thought about that one part of my conversation with Dr. Rise before I answered. If I thought I felt the butterflies before, they were full force now.
    “ Or maybe the two of us can. ”
    I knew I ’ d caught him off guard, and I smiled. I didn ’ t know if I was ready or could even handle this, but there was only one way to find out.
     

 
     
    “ D id you see Pierce today? Oh. My. Word! ” Makayla growled.
    “ You remember this is a school for the blind , right? ”
    Was everyone on a Pierce kick today? I wasn ’ t ready to tell Makayla anything that had happened with him yet. It would be the only thing we talked about for weeks to come.
    “ Oh, blindness shmindness, Araya. Stare at Pierce Logan long enough and you will see again. He ’ s that gorgeous. ”
    “ You think every guy is that gorgeous. ” I mocked her.
    “ But I only drop panties for guys like Peirce. ”
    “ Don ’ t be slutty. Don ’ t be that girl. ”
    She laughed and smacked her lips at me. “ Too late! ”
    “ I refuse to believe that. ”
    I rested my hands back on the bed, waiting for Makayla to finish getting ready so we could go eat.
    “ You just refuse to notice anyone! ” She complained. Her voice was muffled as she searched through her closet.
    I shifted to resting on one hand and waved my other hand back and forth across my face. “ Again, I don ’ t think you ’ re grasping the whole blind-girl thing here. ”
    I was hit in the face with a piece of clothing.
    “ Yeah, that ’ s never going to get old. ”
    Sarcasm had become a forte of mine within the past six months. I blamed Mak ’ s bad influence.
    Snatching the fabric off my face, I tossed it aside. “ Doesn ’ t it go against some ethical code of yours to throw things at the seeing impaired? ”
    “ Hmm …” She pretended to think. “ No. Besides, I think only doctors and lawyers have ethical