I covered my lips in glittery gloss. "Sounds good. What's the party for, again?"
"Alyssa's birthday." Dani grabbed the tube of gloss from my hand. "Jeremy never passes up an opportunity to spoil her."
I sighed. Alyssa was a lucky girl.
Jeremy and Alyssa lived off campus, but their apartment was within walking distance. "I'm going casual." I rifled through my clothes. "Jeans and a crop top." I held up a blue baby doll tee.
"If I had your abs, I'd only wear crop tops," Dani threw me a grin. "Isn't it about time we find you a boyfriend?"
I rolled my eyes.
Shawn and Dustin showed up a little after seven to walk us to Jeremy's. They were in a deep conversation about who was the better wrestler, The Rock or John Cena.
"Cena, obviously." Shawn reached down and took Dani's hand. "He's bigger."
"That's your argument?" Dustin stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. "The Rock's been wrestling for longer. He's more experienced. The size of his biceps is irrelevant."
"Cena is the face of the company. He's a monster!" Shawn winked at Dani.
"The Rock's mic skills far outweigh John Cena," I threw in, even though I hadn't been asked. "Plus, his character has been reinvented multiple times and he's gone from face to heel more than Cena."
Everyone stopped talking and stared at me.
"What?" I shrugged. "I like wrestling."
"See?" Dustin smirked at Shawn. "The Rock's better." He gave me an approving look.
Jeremy's house was already crowded, people spilling out onto the lawn. The booming bass from the stereo conjured up images of the first party I had been to at SLU. I reminded myself to forgo the alcohol this time.
"Let's go find Alyssa!" Dani pulled me into the house, not bothering to drag Shawn with us.
Things had changed a lot since the first party we had gone to together. Last time, Dani had been wary of being away from Shawn. She hadn't felt comfortable without him nearby. But now, with her new-found courage, she was breaking out of her shell.
"Let's dance!" Another repeat of our last party.
Three songs later we were both hot and sweaty. Apparently the DJ was feeling it too, because the next song was a slow one.
Shawn made his way over to Dani and snaked his arm around her waist. "Dance with me?" It looked like he'd had a few drinks.
Dani grinned and drew him close. They were so cute.
I made my way off the dance floor and outside to the front porch. The cool air lifted my sweaty hair from my forehead.
"Having fun?" A familiar voice dripped in my ears.
I turned around and came face to face with those emerald green eyes. "Sure."
Dustin raised his eyebrows. "Where's Dani?"
"She and Shawn are slow dancing." I ran my hand along the porch railing. "How long have they been together?"
Dustin unfolded his arms and followed me. "A long time."
I stopped in front of a white porch swing. "They seem so happy. Do they ever fight?" I sat down on the swing.
Dustin lowered himself down next to me and began pushing the swing gently with his foot. "I've only seen them argue a handful of times. They're pretty in tune with each other."
"And what about you?" I raised my eyes to meet his. "Who are you in tune with?" Once it came out of my mouth, I couldn't believe I had said it. "I mean, I didn't mean to pry, I just-," I knew my cheeks were flaming red.
He smiled as I stumbled over my words. "It's okay." He concentrated on moving the swing. "I'm not currently in tune with anyone."
I looked down, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. "Yah, me either."
There was a palpable silence as we both tried to ignore the awkwardness of our encounter.
"Where are you from?" He leaned down to catch my eyes.
"Stransberg, up north. You?"
"Originally from West Virginia."
Moments later, the slow music ended, and the fast-paced beat picked up again.
Dustin leaned over. "Do you want to see something cool?" He held out his hand.
I narrowed my eyes. Although my relationship with Dustin was entering new, less hateful, territory, I wouldn't put it past him to take me out into the woods and leave me there for the wolves. "Okay." I was sure he could sense the wariness in my voice. "Where are we going?"
"Just to the back yard."
I put my hand in his and allowed him to pull me to my feet.
We walked down the porch steps and headed around the back of the house. The night air was cool, and the sound of cicadas tickled my ears.
There was a circular yurt-type tent behind the house. "In here." Dustin unzipped the door flap and motioned for me to go in. Inside looked like a regular tent, except the top was made of clear material, giving an unobstructed view of the night sky.
"Did you know that Alyssa is an astronomy major?" He zipped the door back up.
I shook my head. "I don't know much about her or Jeremy."
There was a bed in the middle of the tent. "Lay down."
I gave Dustin a dark look. "Excuse me?"
He let out a short laugh. "Just lay down."
"If you think you're going to get me in here to-,"
"Katie, just lay down." He nudged me towards the bed, exasperation lacing his voice.
I crawled onto the bed and settled back, my head resting on a comfortable pillow. Dustin moved next to me, taking care to keep his body from touching mine.
"Now look up."
The night sky was ablaze with stars, each blinking in its own shiny pattern. "Wow." I breathed.
"There's some constellations that can be seen all year round and some that are only visible during different seasons," he began. "See those three stars to your left? They are part of the Southern Cross, which is always visible. But that one," he pointed to the right, "is Hydra, which can only be seen in the fall."
He used his fingers to trace the path of the constellation.
"Hydra? Isn't that the three headed dragon or something?" I wasn't well versed in astronomy.
"It's most often referred to as a serpent, and depending on the origin of the myth, can have any number of heads. The most famous myth says that Hydra was one of Hercules' twelve labors, and he killed Hydra, along with Leo and Draco. Leo is right there." Dustin moved his hand further to the right.
"It's amazing." I whispered.
"All the constellations create one big, beautiful story. Looking at them reminds me that there's bigger things in this world than us. That sometimes, you have to just stop and take time to look at the stars."
I turned towards him, taking in his strong, chiseled profile. "I would never have guessed you could be so poetic."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he met my eyes.
"Because you put on this tough guy act. Like you're too wrapped up in your own attitude to notice something as commonplace as the stars."
He thought for a moment. "I guess it's easier to keep people at arms-length. Letting people in puts you at risk, makes you vulnerable. Keeping a wall up gives you less chance of getting hurt."
"That wall may protect you from the bad, but it also keeps out the good. You could be missing out on something wonderful because you've made it impossible for anyone to penetrate your tough exterior."
His hand moved closer to mine. "Do you think I'm missing out on something wonderful?"
I closed the gap between our hands, feeling little sparks fly over my skin when we touched. "There's only one way to find out."
He inclined his head towards mine, his breath tickling my cheeks. "Maybe you're right."
I closed my eyes and leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. A warm rush flooded my system, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
He took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers. His kiss deepened, stealing my breath and scrambling my senses. His familiar scent of cologne and fabric softener washed over me like a wave on a sandy shore.
I was drowning in him.
He pulled back, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I've never been good at this."
I smiled. "I think you're pretty good at this."
He laughed and shook his head. "I mean, saying I'm sorry." He looked deep into my eyes. "But I am. Sorry, I mean. For being a jerk to you. I push people away, that's my defense mechanism. But you didn't deserve it then and you don't deserve it now. You've proven that."
"So, what are you saying?" I met his eyes full on.
"I'm saying I like you. A lot. Trust me when I tell you I'm no Prince Charming, but I want to try and make it up to you, if you'll let me."
I held my breath. "Are you asking me out?"
"If I did, would you say yes?"
My heart was thundering in my ears. "Maybe," I smiled, coyly.
"Then, yes, I'm asking you out."
I couldn't help grinning. "Then, yes, I'm accepting. But you owe me. And if you treat me bad even once, I'll make what I did to Anya look like a pleasure cruise compared to what I'll do to you."
His green eyes twinkled. "Deal." He leaned down. "Shall we seal this new deal with a kiss?"
My inner girly-girl was doing a victory dance as I pressed my lips to Dustin's once again.
Author's Note:Â Thanks for sticking with me! It's about to get even better!!! Luvs as always!! AMð