Page 110 of Love in Riverbend
Shit.
“This is a friend’s shirt. I went to Ball State.” Go to Ball State. About ready to graduate.
“What did you study?”
I take a step back, too afraid that he’ll be able to connect the dots leading to my identity. “Justin, thank you.” I look up, meeting his gaze. “I’m in a weird place. If things are meant to be, I’d love to see where this could go.”
“I get weird places,” he says, still holding my hand. “I think I’m in one too. I’m not much of a believer in fate. Giving me your number would be a better way of facilitating some unknown destiny.”
A smile curls my lips. “And what would you put as my name in your phone?”
“Best kiss.”
I drop my forehead to his chest, inhaling his scent. When I look up, I’m lost in the way he’s looking at me. “Even with your name, I’d put that in my phone too.”
“Are you ready to head back to the party?”
“I-I…” I reach for my phone and pretend to read a text. “Oh, it looks like my friends got bored. They’re waiting for me just over that hill.” There is a road that if I follow it far enough will lead to town.
“I can’t let you walk by yourself.”
“I’m a big girl, Justin.”
“I’m not arguing. Let me walk you to the top of the hill.”
“Just a minute.” Turning away, I type out a quick message to Marilyn and Jill, telling them where to bring the car. After I hit send, I nod. “Okay.”
Before we start walking, Justin reaches for my hand. For the first steps, we’re silent, taking in the cool breeze while enjoying the warmth of each other’s touch.
“Best Kiss,” he says. “That’s going to be your name until you tell me different. I think I’ll shorten it to BK.”
I giggle. “Okay.”
He takes a deep breath and looks up to the sky. “I’m not…I don’t want you to think…I’d like to see you.” He laughs and stops, reaching for both of my hands. “As you can probably tell, I studied poetic muse at Purdue due to my mastery of language.”
I laugh. “Education. That’s my degree.”
“Agriculture. I’m one of those people who want to do more than use the earth. I want to help it the way it helps us.”
“Wow,” I say genuinely. “That is poetic.”
It’s Justin’s turn to laugh. “Not really.”
In the distance, headlights become visible, going toward my rendezvous point. “I think that’s my ride.”
“BK,” he says with a grin. “I won’t give up.”
“Stalker much?”
“You have no idea.”
I push up on my tiptoes and brush his scruffy cheek with a kiss. “Thank you, Justin, for the best kiss of my life.” I shrug. “All others pale. I’ll hold your one kiss in my heart as the greatest.” With that, I take off, walking before breaking into a jog as I make my way down to the street.
Chapter 6
Devan
My feet move faster and faster as gravity kicks in, increasing my speed as I run down the hill. One glance over my shoulder and I see that Justin is gone, no longer on the top of the ridge. Nearing Marilyn’s car, I’m fighting to breathe, working to slow my steps in the soft ground, and despite the cool temperatures, I’m sweating like crazy under the big hoodie. My two friends are out of the car, waving their hands and screaming. I think they are. Mostly, I hear the sound of my circulation thumping in my ears.
