Love Within

Chapter 7 - Connor

I ran my fingers through my mussed hair, even though I knew it was impossible to do anything about it. No amount of hair gel or hair spray or combing would ever tame it. Instead, I straightened my shirt and dusted off the front of my pants, standing in front of my house with my hands jammed in the pockets of my jacket. My father had left a single coat of his--a black, worn leather jacket that was quite soft to the touch--and since I outgrew my old clothes, I wore his. It had started to snow again, but barely, the occasional flake making its way down to dissolve on the ground. As I lifted my hand to catch a flake, Tori's car pulled up to the curb behind mine. The passenger door opened and Jade stepped out. With her back turned to me, she waved to Tori and I heard her say goodbye. I surprised myself with how happy I was to hear Jade's voice.

She walked up to me, a little half-smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her eyes were kind of distant, a little nervous. Stopping in front of me, we just gazed at each other for a long moment. At last, she spoke.

"I'm really sorry for running out on you the way I did. It wasn't nice of me." She bowed her head, her hands clasped together in front of her. What could I say?

"It's not your fault, honestly. It was mine." I sucked in a deep breath. "It was stupid of me, and I probably scared you, so I'm really sorry." Jade finally looked up at me, and then she smiled. She turned slightly and took a step away from me. I took it as a sign that she wanted me to follow her, so I did. We walked in silence, our breaths forming clouds in the frosty air. It was a comfortable silence, no longer laced with any of the previous tension or awkwardness. I could finally relax.

Not long after, we reached her house. She stopped in front of it, hesitant, her keys dangling from her hand. I stared at the back of her head, willing myself to speak. I didn't want to pose any more of a problem for her. I mean, I had already caused enough trouble, hadn't I?

"Jade, you don't need to force yourself," I said softly, taking a tentative step towards her. Almost as if she sensed my approach, she stiffened.

"No!" she burst out before pausing. "Sorry," she apologized, turning slightly to me. The corners of her lips were raised just a tiny bit, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. I gave her a comforting smile.

"It's all right. Take your time. I'm just worried you might be cold." I clamped my mouth shut as soon as those words escaped my mouth. Oops. I hoped she didn't think badly of me for saying that. She was a bit like a scared, baby animal; No matter what happened, I didn't want to spook her.

She blinked at me, her eyes widening a little in surprise as her cheeks flushed a little darker. Oh. I was embarrassing her. Before I could speak, she whirled away from me, jamming her key in the lock and turning it, throwing open the door in one fluid movement and leaping over the threshold. I followed her, a little less eager. Was I bothering her?

"Can I come in?" I asked, stopping at her threshold.

"Of course," she said quickly, kicking off her shoes and rushing inside her house. I followed suit, taking off my shoes as well, unzipping my jacket and leaving it on the armrest of the couch not far from the door. "Make yourself at home. I'll go get some food!"

"You don't need to," I said, sitting down in front of her couch. She ignored me, hurrying into the kitchen.

"I want to," she insisted, and I heard cabinets open and drawers sliding as she searched for things. "What would you like?"

She was trying really hard to perfect the hostess role, wasn't she? "Anything works. It's your house, so it's up to you." Knowing her, it was best to keep my tone neutral, but not cold.

After a nervous pause, she spoke again. "Are you sure?"

"A hundred percent sure," I said with gentle conviction. She seemed to believe me, for the sounds of her activity resumed again. I leaned back against the couch, folding my legs beneath it. I spied a book lying on the floor not far from me, and I stared at it. On the front of it was a boy kissing a girl, and I blushed a little. I didn't realize she was into that.