"He gives me the creeps."
Tallis chuckled slightly. "I think he's just a loner. He's a little too intense for me, but I'm sure he's not as bad as he seems."
He leaned over to me and a smile spread across his face as he spoke with a charming air that made my heartbeat flutter. "So, I hear you are a bit of a genius?"
I just laughed as I responded with an exaggerated dramatic touch. "Not even close. I just know a lot of the stuff already, due to the lessons I had in home school."
He leaned back slightly in his seat. "Yeah, well that's not the word around school."
My stomach tensed up. I thought of all the other things he might have heard about me as well. I was far from being on the most popular list.
"Oh. Well, you can't believe everything you hear around there."
His reassuring smile was just as breathtaking as any other one of his grins. "I only listen to the good gossip, not the bad. If people are spreading something good, then it has to be true. The bad stuff is usually just jealous tongues running amuck."
I smiled back and laughed at the same time as I responded. "Are you sure you're a teenager?"
"Sometimes I forget I'm supposed to be," he teased while offering a playful wink.
I smiled at his humor. This was nice. Just him and me enjoying coffee and not having class, or students, or McKee lurking around. It was peaceful, and I was relishing the time alone with him.
I was trying to think of a way to get him to break his no-dating rule, but everything I came up with sounded contrived and immature. And he seemed so mature compared to the rest of the guys at school.
I had to think of a way to be impressive enough to make him want to go out with me. I started to speak three or four times, hoping something would come to me, but I had absolutely nothing.
I finally just sighed in agitation and shifted my focus back to the project. I could see him smirking out of the corner of my eye. Perhaps he noticed my attempts to speak. I just hoped he didn't realize what I was desperately trying to do.
We worked out all kinds of details, and we talked to the manager as well. We were making excellent headway on our project, when Tallis suddenly looked worried. His nostrils flared as if he smelled something he didn't like.
I very subtly sniffed myself, worried I may have worked up too much sweat at gym class. Then the bell chimed over the door of the coffee shop, alerting them to a new customer.
Tallis's eyes shifted toward the new silhouette darkening the doorway. A very tall man entered the coffee shop and walked to the counter. As I looked at the tall man, I noticed Everett was also staring at him. He too had a look on his face as if he smelled something foul.
Then I finally caught a whiff of something I wish I hadn't. It was almost putrid. It was all I could do not to turn my nose up in disgust. I wasn't sure if it was the tall man or just something outside.
Everett and Tallis seemed to think it was the tall man, given their staring. Then I noticed Everett's eyes close. His face was intense, as if he was straining to concentrate on something.
Then I felt fire shoot through my body when Tallis wrapped his arm around my waist suddenly. It was unexpected and confusing to say the least. But it felt... protective? Like he was trying keep me hidden? I didn't know. I really had no clue what guys and girls did. Did I miss something?
He leaned in closer to me as if he planned to whisper something in my ear. His breath was radiating the most unbelievably wonderful heat against my neck. My breathing became labored again, almost painful.
The seconds ticked by so slowly and my heavy breathing was all I could hear. Heat seemed to course through my veins, as though my blood had been replaced with lava.
The tall man glanced in our direction briefly, and then he walked out. After a few seconds of him being gone, Tallis leaned back away from me and released his grip around my waist. His look changed from concerned to an unexplainable disappointment.
I could feel my breaths growing even heavier now from the intense moment we had just shared. His body pressed against mine was unbelievably invigorating.
I wasn't sure what had possessed him to do such a thing. I could feel the fever in my voice as I spoke. "So… What was that about?"
He seemed incredibly uncomfortable suddenly. I got the feeling I had done something wrong, but what? He seemed distant when he answered.
"I think we should go."
I was baffled by the whole situation. One second he was wrapped around me so intimately, and the next second he acted like he couldn't get away from me quick enough. The confusion showed in my tone as well.
"Okay. Did I do something wrong?"
I had no idea how to interact with someone I was attracted to. I wasn't sure if I offended him, or if I should have returned some affection. I wasn't even sure if he was showing me affection. The entire thing was situation was extraordinarily confusing and completely frustrating.