Beginnings (20 page)

She was so frustrating.
Why won't she just leave with me, didn't she say earlier she wanted me here?

When it was her turn I held my breath; I wasn't sure if I could watch it. Her eyes met mine and I tried pleading with her.

If she spins that bottle, I don't think I can let her kiss anyone.
I was preparing myself to go over and pick her up, no doubt causing a scene.

She let go of the bottle and got up, uttering “I hate you,” when she passed me. I was too relieved to care and I continued to follower her.

She made her way back outside and stopped to turn and face me. She was frustrated, but so was I.

“Why do you keep following me?”

“To keep you safe.” There was no way I was leaving her alone at the party. “Will you let me bring you home? Then I can stop bugging you and you can sleep it off.”
Please Anna, stop being so stubborn.

“I'm having way too much fun to stop now. I haven't even danced yet.” She grabbed a boy walking past who followed her hungrily to the dance floor.

My hands had balled up into fists watching them. His hands were all over her as she danced against him. She looked sexy as hell and the guy was drooling all over himself.

I noticed Jeremy eying them, which pissed me off even more.
Where has he been? How did he let her get so drunk?

The guy's hands moved to her butt and cupped it.

That's it I was taking her home.

My blood was boiling. Jeremy got to her first and pulled her off the dance floor. He spotted me and nodded for me to follow.

“Have you been drinking?” He asked when we reached the sidewalk.

“No.”

“Good, bring her home.”

“What about you? Why don't you come too?” He seemed to be drunk too, which made me even angrier. I liked knowing he was looking after Anna. It was the only thing keeping me from stalking her full time.

“I'm not leaving,” Anna whined.

“Yes, you are,” we both answered. She was being so childish she even tried stomping her foot but fell over. Luckily, I was there to catch her.

“I have to go find Haley,” Jeremy informed me.

“I'm parked two blocks up. We'll wait for you in my car.” I wanted to get away from there before Charlotte saw us and made a scene.

Unfortunately, Anna could barely walk.

At this rate we'll never make it to my car
.

I scooped her up into my arms and she wrapped herself around my neck. Her body felt so warm against mine.

She brought her face to my hair and inhaled, “You smell amazing.”

I do not need this right now, I just want to get her home.

“Yeah, well, you smell like cheap beer,” I joked. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she looked sick.

Please don’t puke on me
.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I'm just enjoying what it feels like to be in your arms. I just wish you weren’t missing this moment.”

Trust me, I'm fully aware of how close our bodies are right now.

The phrasing of her response was a little weird so I further inquired, “What do you mean? I'm right here?”

“That you could remember how badly you dreamed of holding me?”
Huh?

“Okay, drunk girl, lets get you home.” Her finger traced my jaw and neck down to my collarbone and back. It sent shivers down my spine and my breathing started to get heavier.

How does she manage to get me unglued with a single touch?

“What are you doing?” I spoke softly, not sure I wanted her to stop.

“Am I bothering you?”

“No,”
the exact opposite.
I didn't think I could ever have feelings this strong for someone.

We finally reached the car. Her touching me had been intense. I set her down and noticed her hair had stuck to the side of her face. I brushed the strands away and she rested her cheek in my palm. Automatically, my thumb started stroking it. Her skin was so soft. I had to hold back from leaning down and kissing her. “It was so much easier when I tried to ignore you.”

“No, it sucked,” she said shaking her head. “Ow, that made me dizzy.” Her face was a half frown, half pout; it was adorable and I had to chuckle.

“Yeah, it never would have lasted. I can't explain it, I need to be near you. From the moment you came up to me on campus and smiled. It was the first time I've felt peace since I woke up from the coma.”
Why did I tell her that?

“Why do you think that is?” She seemed to be fishing for something.

“It's not an attraction thing.” I hadn't meant for it to come out like that, I wanted to kick myself.

“Oh,” she looked devastated and formed another pout. I laughed out loud. I wanted to kiss her so bad, but she was drunk, and I wasn't
that
guy
.

“I just mean, I know it's more than that. The first time I saw you it took my breath away. I have never seen anyone more beautiful. What scared me is how drawn I am to you. My body longs to feel you near me. I've become your stalker. I go places knowing I will find you there. I attend parties in hopes I will bump into you.” S
hut up, Adam.
“Seeing you always calms me. When I'm with you my whole body relaxes. I stop caring if I'm making my parents happy or that my whole weekend will be wasted with my tutor. I'm not worried that I just ate an entire pizza when I should have had lean meat and vegetables to keep me healthy. You make me laugh, and feel my age. I get angry when I think of the years taken from me, but it doesn’t matter when I'm with you.” I sighed.
What am I doing?
“I can't believe I'm telling you all this.”

“Why do you keep fighting us?”

I knew exactly why, “I'm scared.”

“Of what?”

“I don't know. My life’s been mapped out for me since I was born, and after the coma it got worse. I've never been given the chance to think for myself. You terrify me; these feelings I have for you terrify me.” There it was, I had just laid it all out there.

She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes. It felt
so
good.

I heard what sounded like Haley's voice shouting for Jeremy to let her down. He was holding her over his shoulder. When he reached the car he threw Haley in her seat. She was pissed when she realized he'd turned the childproof lock on. Watching them always cracked me up. You could feel the sexual tension between them.

I reached behind Anna and opened the door. She took a deep breath in.

“Did you just smell me again?” She was actually kind of cute when she was drunk, once I had her away from the party.

“I can't help it,” her words were starting to slur. “Quit being so sexy,” she said, falling into the seat. I knew she was drunk but I loved hearing her say that. When I was putting her seat belt on she leaned in and tried to kiss me, but got my chin.

Jeremy saw and started howling, “You're going to have to watch her. She's never been this drunk before. I'm not sure what she's capable of.”

“I'm well aware. I've been watching her all night. She almost did spin the bottle with more girls than boys, a lot more girls.”

“You weren't there all night,” Anna said, looking at me confused.

“I arrived ten minutes after you did.” I turned to grin at her.
If only she knew the extent of my stalking
. I shut the door and came around to the other side.

Haley slapped the headrest behind Anna, “Way to go Anna! It's about time you did something stupid.”

“She stopped when it was her turn.”

“Lame.”

I started to drive off and Haley's hand reached between us to turn up the stereo.

“Put your seat belt on!” I yelled. I hadn't meant to scare her, I'm just an over-cautious driver. I looked at her in my rear view mirror and felt awful. She looked like she'd just gotten in trouble and was waiting in the principles office. I heard Anna snort, her whole body shaking with laughter as more snorts kept coming.

“You looked like you were six just then,” she told Haley. “It was adorable!”

“Then why are you laughing at me!” Her voice sounded like it might cry and I felt like an asshole.

“You looked terrified, like you might get grounded or something,” Anna laughed harder, which made her snort louder. “Now I have to pee.”

Haley started to laugh with her.

“Great, they could go on like this for hours,” Jeremy complained. “Why'd you stop? Chicken out? Scared to take the leap and have your first kiss?”

The car went silent.

“You've never been kissed?” This surprised me.
How is it possible for someone so beautiful to never be kissed?

“No, I'm really picky,” she responded, looking uncomfortable. I was thankful for that. I didn't want anyone kissing her. Then it struck me how desperately I want to be her first kiss, and her last.

“I bet she'd let you kiss her Adam,” Haley chimed in, “I bet she'd let you kiss her all over.”

“Yes, yes I would,” Anna spoke, her face serious. I turned bright red as images of her kissing me “all over” flashed through my head.

“See what I mean? Watch her when we get home. Once she throws herself on you, you won't be able to say no,” Jeremy said, laughing some more.

“She's drunk!”
How could he think I would do anything with her when she's this drunk?

“I see the way you watch her. Shit, just ask her out already. I love this song, turn it up.”

Luckily they were all distracted by the music. I knew Jeremy had caught me watching her multiple times. Every time I thought he would confront me because he was so protective of her but he never did. The night we were at the same bar he'd shoved some guy for looking at her the wrong way. Sean had even told me how protective Jeremy was when he picked Anna up, and Sean was one of the nicest guys I'd ever met. It had really surprised me that Jeremy would mention us being together.
He must be really drunk. He hardly knows me.

All three of them had a hard time getting out of the car and up the stairs. Haley was the least drunk and was trying to help Jeremy up, which was ridiculous looking.
He is almost twice her size
. I wrapped my arm around Anna's waist and led her to her room.

“I'm so glad you're here, Adam. This is where you belong, here with me.” I knew it was drunk talk but it still made me smile. I helped her on the bed and started taking of her shoes.

“Were you really there the whole time?” I could barely understand her.

“I told you, I'm your stalker. I was watching you the whole time.”

“Really?” She tried sitting up but fell back down.

I pulled down her covers as Jeremy came stumbling in.

“Hey, Adam?”

Crap.
This looks really bad. Jeremy's a hell of a lot stronger than me, but he's drunk so I think I'll be okay if he tries to kick my ass right now.

“Yeah?” I hoped nobody could hear the slight fear in my voice, it was embarrassing.
Starting tomorrow I'm having my trainer work me harder, my muscles are no match for Jeremy's
. I'd seen how easily he beat the crap out of Landon when he found out what had happened, and Landon was a linebacker for the university.

“I want you to know she'll be the best thing to ever happen to you. Night Anna, I love you,” and he stumbled back out. That was the last thing I expected him to say.

“I love you too!” Anna yelled back at him. Jealousy washed over me that she hadn't said those words to me.
I need to get a hold on my emotions, they are all over the place tonight.

“Why did you tell me that stuff?” She asked while I covered her.

“I guess it's because you're way past drunk and won't remember this tomorrow.”
I hoped
, but at the same time I didn't.

“No, that's not it,” she yawned.

“It's not?”

“Nope.”

“Why, then?” I was anxious to hear her drunken response.

“You've fallen in love with me,” she sounded so confident. I watched her eyes fall and she was asleep.

I sat in the chair next to her bed for the longest time, just watching her sleep. I wanted to make sure she was okay before I left. The real reason was that I hated being away from her. I did love her. I'd never let myself admit it, but I did. We barely knew each other, but I felt safe when I was with her, like everything would be okay.

I noticed a picture frame on her bedside table. It appeared to be her next to a sand castle, seven or eight years old. I got up to look at it. She was so cute, her front tooth missing and a huge smile on her face.
I want to make her that happy
.

That was the only picture she had in her entire room, and it was just her. I made a mental note to ask her the story behind it. My fingers brushed over her face as an odd feeling went down my body and foggy images started to appear.