Apple

THREE

It has been a few days since the little kiss incident with Layne. And besides spying on him through the living room window, I have not talked to him since. Though he did nicely bring back over our baking supplies and some leftover cookies, Thea did tell me, which I had no problem chowing down. Girl, do you have any shame?

After finishing my shift at the library, I stalk down the street with a crunchy apple in hand. Biting into it, the taste is sickly sweet and sour.

Pausing my steps, I examine the fruit's flesh only to find it still luscious and ripe, mocking me with its juiciness. The sourness spreads through my mouth, and I hurry my pace, throwing caution to the wind as I desperately try to rid myself of the unpleasant taste.

Seeing Chris's records coming into my view, I toss the apple into a nearby trashcan with a sharp flick of the wrist, watching it arch its way toward its final resting place.

As I push open the creaky door to Chris's record store, the pounding rhythm of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir hits me like a sledgehammer to the chest. The bass is so loud that it reverberates through my ribcage, making my heart thud in time with the beat. My eyes widen as I take it all in, my favorite band blasting around me; this place is alive with music.

Chris looks up from behind the counter and grins when he sees me. "Hey, you."

My lips twitch into a smirk as I approach him, feeling energized by screaming guitars and pounding drums.

"Hey, you," I say, mocking him as I look around his store, quickly realizing I'm the only one in the store with him.

"I haven't seen you in a while; where have you been?" he asks as he steps away from the counter and meets me halfway with open arms.

After giving me a hug, Chris takes a step back and looks into my eyes. And I can't help but melt when I realize the intensity of his gaze. Damn, those eyes of his.

I shrug, "In my bed."

"Mmmh, lucky bed," I hear him say under his breath.

Crossing my arms over each other, I roll my eyes and laugh at his comment, but I can't deny the heat that crawls up my neck. I wonder if Layne told him about our kiss...I then wonder as the thought races through my mind. Eh, a grown man like him probably doesn't kiss and tell.

Chris leans his back against the counter, his eyes still flickering over me as if trying to read my thoughts. His eyes then lowers and observe something on my body. "Nice ring," he says. "New?"

I follow his gaze and see that he's looking at the ring Layne gave me on my finger. I feel a rush of warmth spread across my cheeks as I remember the moment.

"Yeah..." His hand reaches out to touch mine, and I flinch, but he doesn't seem to notice. "Anyways," I then say. "Anything new?"

Chris nods, licking his lips. "Actually, yes," he smiles as he leads me to a middle aisle.

"I got some new stuff today, mostly local bands, though," he says as we stop at a section labeled 'Seattle Sound.'

Just as we browse the collection together, the door squeaks again, and two energetic girls stream in.

"Be right back," Chris winks at me before walking over to the two girls standing by the counter, looking at a row of CDs and LPs.

As I flick through the records, I can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy towards the girls as I watch them slyly flirt with him, unable to take their eyes off the gorgeous man Chris is. My heart races and tightens in my chest as I remember the day we met when all I wanted to do was pull his hair behind his ear and tell him how beautiful he was.