Page 25 of Mr. Dangerous

I woke up, leaning forward in my seat, shaking my head to clear away the images. I could still feel the frantic pounding of my heart, the heat against my skin. I couldn't stop picturing Naomi left slack-mouthed and broken behind me, the flames licking at that glossy hair that was spilled across myshouldernow.

I’d been suddenly furious at her. She shouldn't trust me the way she did. I hadn’t even been man enough to ask her to prom. Some of my friends–and my grandmother, the one adult who talked to me–expected me to go with Kate. Kate and I were broken-up for a reason, but itwasprom, the season of romance and miracles and second chances. I’d been reluctant to choose between the old family friend and the new crush. The thought made me squirm. I was being a loser, just like my dad. Naomi was so sweet that she wanted to be with me anyway. So pathetic. I was just going tohurther.

I had shaken Naomi awake. My legs were restless and fidgety. I couldn’t stay there next to her."I'll move. You can stretch out ontheseat."

But as I slipped out of the seat, as Naomi watched me with wide eyes, and moved to the back of the bus, I'd known she wouldn't fall backasleep.

I hadn’t gotten any sleep either. Nights of insomnia, worrying over my father and my brothers and what I had done to Naomi, had haunted me until I went intotheNavy.

Naomi smiled in disbelief, shaking her head. "You were the king of that school. Every day was like when we went to lunch at Abby's. I'm pretty sure you had no reason to worry about earningmyire."

"You were always grouchy. Justlikenow."

Her eyes widened. She dared to look away from the road so I had the full effect of those big hazel eyes and her cheeks flushed pink. "I was not grouchy. Ilikedyou."

"You barely talkedtome."

"I was shy. I was nervous that if you noticed you were sitting with a peasant, you'd move to the back of the bus with your buddiesagain."

I took a sip of my iced coffee while I thought about how to respond. I had indeed moved back to my old spot on the bus after that day, avoiding Naomi's eyes when she watched me go past. There'd only been a few more meets after that before swim season came toanend.

"Peasant," I said. "You know, this is America. The whole class thing?Overplayed."

"Rob, you know, back in high school, when you came over and asked,is this seat takenand started chatting with me like we were old friends? Back then, I thought the whole class thing wasoverplayed."

"Itis."

She shook her head, wisps of hair flying. "In the end, it's always the same. You like to flirt with me. But you go back to your friends. Take Katetoprom."

"This isn't high schoolanymore."

"You're right," she said. "I'd get hurt more this time when you froze me out. So how about I drive you, do your laundry, figure out how to make a decent cup of coffee, and we keep to our separatelives?"

I raised my hands in exasperation. “I’m not the one whokissedyou.”

“Please. Me kissing you first? That waschance.”

“What doyoumean?”

“You were going to kiss me.” Accusing me of that made her cheeks flare even redder. “So why shouldn’t I kiss youfirst?”

“Awfully sure of yourself, honey,” I told her. I was stunned her brutal honesty.I’d get hurt more this time.God. In her own way, she was so tough. That would be a hard truthtotell.

She bit down on her lower lip, her white teeth indenting that perfectly plush pink pillow. “You areimpossible.”

"Naomi. I'm only here for a month. I'm not trying to have a relationship. I want to befriends."

"That's great," she said. "Friends I can do. Friends I canworkwith."

"Great. We'll befriends."

"So stop flirtingwithme."

"I'm not flirtingwithyou!"

She half-laughed at that. "Is it that hard for you to turnitoff?"

"Turnwhatoff?"

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