The Streets Of New York

Prologue

Laughing in response, I smack his arm playfully before picking up my tank top. Just as I grasp the material, I let out a yelp when he grabs my wrist and pulls me in for a slow kiss, his lips moving with mine longingly. I smile into the gentle kiss, opening my eyes to find his deep brown eyes intent on my face as I pull apart slightly. Even though we have a lot of differences that keep us from fully committing to each other, the feeling of love is enough to keep us coming back for more and through his gaze I can tell that he loves being in my presence just as much as I do.

I break eye contact, ravenous butterflies scattering around in my stomach.

It's almost comical how confident I can be, yet when he solely stares at me with those intense cavernous eyes, it is enough to grant emancipation to the zoo in my insides.

"What is this?" He leans forward as he scans a picture on my locker door. I lean past him to have a look at what picture he is referring to as I pull the top over my head and fix it on my figure.

"Oh, that," I smile softly as I tighten the bow on my head, "it's the picture of us from the club we met at, remember?"

He nods slowly as he takes the picture in his hand and lets his eyes rake it, a satisfied smile spreading on his face. His expression almost looks victorious as he stares at our smiling faces as if he has achieved something he has been yearning for a while. After a moment, he looks away from the picture and glances at me, the smile still present.

"Come with me to the beach? Or an ice cream store?"

I send him a look as I pick up my white sneakers- deciding to change shoes in the gymnasium since I am tardy already. "I have cheer, Nath."

He nods as his eyes roam over my figure, now fully clad in my cheer-leading uniform, my heart jumping when I see him bite his bottom lip from the corner of my eye. "Right," he replies with a sigh, "it's important to you," he smiles in acceptance. "What about after? I can stay over for the night but I will need to leave early in the morning because I have a few classes."

I turn my head to him abruptly when he mentions his classes, "how is college going, by the way?"

He shakes his head in amusement, "don't change the subject." He opens the door for me as I strut in front of him towards the gymnasium. "I'll tell you all about it when we go out somewhere."

Frowning, I turn to him as I walk, "sorry, I already have plans for later..."

He furrows his eyebrows, "plans? What plans? It better not be with—"

"Shawn?" I complete his sentence absent-mindedly, "it's not. I'm going to the mall with the girls."

When he doesn't respond immediately, I turn to look at him, only to find him standing in place with his mouth agape and his intense eyes smoldering with fury.

"To go to the mall?" he muses, astonished. "Really?"

"Nath, babe, you know my parent's big event is coming soon and I desperately need—"

"To what?" he folds his arms and looks at me pointedly, "to impress some man?"

"Of course not! You know I don't need to go to such lengths to impress a man, anyw—"

His eyes cloud over and his posture stiffens, "Are you being serious right now?"

Sensing his accumulating anger, I groan in annoyance, "what is your problem, Nathan?"

"My problem?" he raises his voice, taking two steps forward, "my problem is that I came all the way here to spend time with you even though I have plenty of things to do and now you tell me you can't because you need to go to the mall! The mall can wait, I can't!"