Innocent

Chapter 20

James and I didn’t stay in the barn for long. We left before we got caught or before my brother started worrying where we were. I didn’t want him to be getting into a fight with James right here, not in front of millions of people. We went to get something to eat and the entertained ourselves with games and rides. I had to control any temptation I may have when I was with him.

By five o’clock the doors to the barn opened and we went inside as a country music band played. Some people got up and danced while some chose to sit down at tables to eat or talk with others. James and I sat for awhile, watching people dance. Watching them made me want to do the same.

“Let’s dance, James.” I stood up from my seat.

James looks at me with a worried look. “I can’t. I don’t know how to dance.”

“Liar. You can so dance. I have seen you.”

“Yeah, that was in my own home. I don’t like dancing in public.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t like it.”

I grab his hand and pulled him off the seat. “Come on, it’s not that bad. We can just slow dance. That should be easy to do.”

“I guess it is.”

“Later there’s going to be a line dancing contest. I can teach you how to line dance.”

James shook his head. “No. Slow dancing is good.”

I smile at him and then pulled him over to the dance floor where other people were. James put one arm around my waist while he interlaces his other hand with mine. I rest my free hand on his shoulder.

I tried to only make eye contact with James because I knew if I made it with anyone else then there was a chance I would have second thoughts of wanting to dance with James. I especially didn’t want to look around to see where my brother was. He was around here somewhere, probably watching James to make sure he wouldn’t do anything to me. I forced myself to not worry about anyone around me. I needed to stop being afraid of what they might say. Even if no one has figured out who James and I really were, no one was concerned about the past. I pretended it was only James and me dancing, just like the times when we would sometimes dance in his room.

The last time I danced with James was when Mr Waters walked in. But I pushed the memory out of my head. I didn’t have the time to think about it. All of that was in the past. Right now Mr Waters wasn’t here. It was just James and me.

“Stay right here,” James pulls away from me. “I will be right back.”

I listen to him as he suddenly takes off through the crowd to the stage. I see him talking to the singer about something.

“Your brother is really mad at you.”

I turn to face Clara who was standing beside me. She had this expression on her face that I couldn’t quite describe. It was kind of like she was half disappointed in me and half angry or something.

“Why have I made him mad?” I ask even though I knew the answer.

“Don’t play dumb, Ellie,” she says. “You know exactly why he is mad with you.”

“Well, there’s no reason for him to be mad with me.”

“Yes, he does. You’re going to be sorry someday, Ellie.”

Somehow I had a feeling my brother sent her over here. What for? Talk some sense into me about why I’m with James? I wonder if he has proposed to her yet. I don’t see a ring on her finger, so I guess he hasn’t yet. But when he does, I’m going to hate every moment of being Clara’s sister-in-law.