Page 67 of Light in Your Eyes
My lips form a thin line. I might be acting indifferently in front of her, but I'm actually anxious.
She’s the only girl I’ve ever been close to.
And just like when she hugged me, she's too close now. I can smell her addicting scent, and I can feel the warmth of her body against mine like it's a part of me. Her hands feel so small in mine.
"Okay, now I'm going to step to your right, and you just have to follow me." She does as she says, and I follow her.
Yet, I can't focus because of the overwhelming closeness between us. I feel like burning under her fingertips, and her sweet scent makes me feel like I'm breathing heroin.
"Again," she says.
I almost stumble because I can't concentrate.
"Easy," she says. "We're going to do this slowly. Now, to your left." She repeats the steps, but I'm still struggling to follow her.
After a few more minutes, we can finally find our rhythm, although I still make a few mistakes here and there.
It's silly that I can master martial arts like a pro, but I can't even do these simple steps. She's distracting me.
When the song changes, Layla finally stops. "Okay. You're not that bad."
I squint at her.
"Okay, you're actually terrible."
She giggles, and her sweet laughter sips into my soul like a drug I am forced to take.
I don't even know whether she's a drug or a poison, but it's one that I don't mind taking.
What the fuck am I thinking about?
"Read," I say out of the blue.
She must be confused because she doesn't say anything again.
"Excuse me?" she echoes.
"Read," I repeat. "I want to read a book now."
"Oh, sure," she quickly says, sounding embarrassed that she just figured it out.
She pulls away, and the loss of her warmth is already making my heart long for it.
I walk toward the recliner sofa and sit on it. Layla follows me and stops beside the bookshelf.
"Which books do you want to read?" she asks.
"Not the braille books. I've read them all," I say. "I want to read something else."
She turns silent, giving me the impression that she's a little lost.
"Can you read it for me?" I ask.
It’s unusual for me toaskfor something. I usually order people around and command them, making them cower under my authority.
This girl is changing me. I don't think that she knows the extent of her effect on me.
"Sure," Layla says.
