Page 58 of From Drummer to Gamer

A breath of her fresh vanilla and honeysuckle scent filtered its way into my veins, consuming my senses like a euphoric drug. She appeared a few inches taller than usual, probably from her heels underneath the train of her dress, but still came barely below my shoulders.

Something about it made me want to keep her locked in my arms and never let go.

There it was, the insistent thought crowding my head once again.

She wasn’t mine, and she never was going to be mine.

I’d go as far as to say I may consider Sierra as my friend; someone I trusted, but that was all we would ever be.

I slowed my steps to match hers while we walked down to the elevator.

My eyes creased when I noticed the elevator was already descending.

“Looks like they left us,” Sierra whispered, her finger punching the down button in rapid succession. Almost as if her repeated motions would magically summon the elevator.

“Just once would do,” I deadpanned.

“Ah, yes.” She flushed, retrieving her finger from the poor button, and fidgeted with her dress instead.

Only a second passed before her eyes found me over her thick lashes. And when she caught me watching her, the red in her cheeks intensified.

She was shy and innocent at the same time as she was fierce and fearless.

I was glad we were back to calmer dynamics unlike our previous conversation from a couple of days ago. I was known to be blunt, and straightforward, and always spoke my mind, so I thought I’d stated the obvious when I said I didn’t know her enough to trust her.

But it only took a second for regret to swallow me whole.

And the look in her eyes only made it worse.

So worse that those glimmering hazels kept me up all night while I contemplated over what I said. It only took a minute to realize my mistake.

I trusted Sierra a lot more than I should, but I did anyway even though I barely scratched the surface of knowing her.

I didn’t even trust some people I’d known for years.

And here she was, taking my world up in a storm in mere weeks.

Already climbing her way up to the top five people I prioritized in my life.

I didn’t know if it was because of the caramel mocha and green apple muffins she made every morning or how her hazel eyes captivated my soul into permanent submission.

The sound of the elevator door opening pulled me away from my thoughts.

Sierra gave me a small smile before she ambled in, and I quickly followed, pressing the button to the basement.

Just as the doors closed, the air sizzled with an undercurrent, turning it thick and heavy.

I stood sideways, leaning against the handrail, while Sierra stood rigid, her eyes laser-focused on the elevator doors.

The descent seemed forever as the car bathed in complete silence.

I adjusted the bowtie, which seemed to be strangling my neck. And it only made it harder when I kept looking at her, and something unknown flickered in my chest, intensifying by the second.

Almost as if someone lit up a burning furnace inside my rib cage but forgot to douse it.

Right at that moment, her hazel eyes dashed to mine, and time stood still.

A small swallow worked through the delicate length of her neck, her crimson cheeks turning brighter and brighter.

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