Awakened

Twenty-Nine

My hand hovered over the knob, and I continued to second guess all of my decisions when it came to this boy. A ding from my phone startled me, and I walk across the bedroom to the dresser where it sits.

Beau: It sure is nice out.

Dammit.

My hand finds the knob again, but this time I don't hesitate. I step out into the cool summer air and finally let out the breath I'd been holding when I saw him.

"How was dinner?" he asked flatly.

"It was nice." I answered, my voice much quieter than I anticipated.

I saw him tense his jaw again, and it sent a spark through my body. His chiseled jaw was already one of my favorite things about his face, but seeing it tense like that did things to me.

"How was your trip?" I asked, trying to drive the conversation away from my dinner with his brother.

"Good, water was perfect. They were decent company." He had absolutely no interest in this subject change.

There was silence after that, and it seemed to stretch on for far too long. The tension was getting thicker and thicker, and I felt like I was going to combust.

"That dress was something else, I wasn't expecting to see you in something like that." He said, and his voice mimicked that low growl from earlier at Giovanni's.

"It's not like anything I've ever worn before, but your mother- she insisted that I let her get me something. She's amazing, she really is. I'm not sure it's very 'me', but it will be fun to play dress up for a night." I gushed.

"Oh, it was you alright. It fit you like a glove." His gaze lasers in on me, and I bite my lip again.

"Uh, th- thanks." I say, my voice breathy.

"So my brother likes you." He says flatly.

I nod, "Yes, he does."

He laughs, "Good for him."

What? I wasn't sure how to react to that, but I did not like the way it made me feel.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, surprised at the sharpness of my tone.

He shrugs, "Nothing really, it's whatever."

Okay. It's whatever. I turned on my heel and immediately went back inside. As soon as I went to shut the door I heard his voice.

"What the hell?"

There is no way he is really that clueless.

"It's whatever, right?" I say flatly. His face looks truly stunned, and I don't even care.

"What do you want me to say Kat?"

What did I want him to say? That's a good question. I have no clue what I expected him to say, but it wasn't it's whatever.

"I don't think I care anymore what you have to say. I think I just now realized that it was just all in good fun for you. I thought I could be okay with whatever that was... But after seeing what it looks like when someone really likes you and isn't afraid to be seen with you... I know I like that better."

Beau looked at me, the look of confusion stamped across his face.

"I don't know why I react so... strongly to you. I can only assume it has something to do with you being my first- well my first kiss. It should fade soon, right? I'd be an idiot to give up what he offers me to what- hide in the shadows when you feel like paying attention to me?"