When Robyn gets stranded in the woods one day with none other than her high-school crush, the last thing on her mind is coming face-to-face with who he might be beneath the skin.
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For two years Robyn Hale successfully managed to hide her inexpli...
He glanced back at the shop, seeing Ray's tall, lean figure pulling the shutter down over the shop window.
"You coming with me? Or..."
"Yes, I am," she didn't think twice, her arms folded across her chest.
Rick smiled and nodded, leading the way to the bus stop. Robyn checked the time, tapping her foot on the pavement. In the next second, their bus rounded the corner. Her hand flew out, waving up and down as if that would make the bus reach faster. In its sweet time, the tires rolled to a stop and the doors swung in. At the same time, Ray jogged up behind her.
She walked in briskly, flashing her pass to the driver and went straight for the back end. Most of the seats were already taken by students from her school. The bus would be packed by the time they would reach.
She plopped down on the seat next to the aisle. Since the coach incident Robyn never sat next to the window--ever. She gave room for Rick to squeeze past to his seat next to her by the window.
The seconds that followed blended into a dejavu. Ray's heavy footsteps, his silhouette against the windscreen, the way everyone hushed and followed him with their eyes as he walked down the narrow aisle, to the back where Robyn was. Their eyes met, he looked down his nose at her and Robyn tilted her head up.
"No seat for me?" He questioned, his voice smooth, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.
She just shook her head and looked away, her arms folding tighter in her body.
From the corner of her eye, she saw his hand slide in his trouser pocket and his other arm reaching up to hold the strap for balance. He stood there, right next to her face. The bus started and his hips swayed back and forth.
Feeling her cheeks burn Robyn stood up, catching both him and Rick by surprise.
"Actually, you can sit here," she grabbed a pole and walked to the front before Ray would see her face. Robyn plugged her earphones in and played her songs on shuffle, never looking back at him through the rest of the ride.
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"Ugh, why am I being so petty?"
Robyn let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back in her chair. She was in the art room, lucky to be there by herself. No one else would be comfortable listening in on her self-talk.
She was supposed to be with her class in another art room, but she insisted with her teacher to let her work in solitude. She didn't actually want to work alone, she just wanted to be by herself so she could talk through all her thoughts and emotions.
Her lesson would last another ten minutes before it would be lunch time. And then she would have to see him. She wasn't certain she was being or feeling normal yet to speak to him.
"Why does he have to be so--so--" Robyn rested her cheek on her palm, trying to grasp the right word. The way he smiles and looks at you, the way he talks, the way he carries himself, why did he have to be like that?
