Page 97 of Set the Moment
“You think this is funny?” I peer down at the pink haired woman as she looks up at me.
The world stops as soon as Sienna’s deep hazel eyes lock with mine. The way she looks at me triples my heart rate. The glow in her eyes, the soft yearn beneath her irises. Sienna Jones could be the only girl in the universe, a million light years away, and I’d still be able to identify her just from her eyes alone.
“And we’re all set. Your pictures will be ready in two to four days. Please return back to pick them up.” The photographer's voice pulls us back to reality, and my heart slows back to its normal rhythm as we check out.
Sienna and I walk out of the photo studio hand in hand, on a mission to explore the mall just as my stomach grumbles. I let go of her hand momentarily, rubbing my stomach how Delilah does when she’s hungry.
“You hear that? Psycho needs food, angel…Feed me.”
Sienna pretends to gag, sticking her finger in her mouth animatedly. “Gross! Don’t ever do that again…”
“Oh you love it…” I taunt, going to grab her hand again and putting it back where it rightfully belongs, when she suddenly flinches away.
What the hell…Furrowing my brows, I go to reach for her again when she takes a step back, shaking her head. She stares wide eyed in the distance, and when my eyes land on the group of SFU cheerleaders, my blood boils.
“Why are you still so hell bent on hiding us?” I huff, standing in her line of view.
Sienna looks taken aback as she looks up at me, confusion souring her face. “What?”
Heaving a deep breath, I sigh. “You’re hiding us. We can’t be seen together on campus, I can’t stand too close to you because of what other people will think. Hell—I can’t even hold your hand at a mall,thirty minutes awayfrom campus because some bobblehead cheerleaders might see you interact with me! You literally just told me that you love me not even an hour ago, but you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.” My chest heaves as Sienna draws back, her jaw slightly dropped.
“I’m not embarrassed! I just don’t want anyone to see us,” she counters, and her words hit me like a knife.
It hits its intended target and I stagger back, wounded.
“Wow…”
“No, Jace…What I meant was—” she tries to say, but I don’t want to hear it.
“Sorry I’m notperfectenough for you, Sienna,” I spit, unflinching as she blinks back rapidly before turning on my heel and leaving her there in the mall.
I’d known that Sienna didn’t want us to be public—it was one of the first things she said to me regarding this little arrangement—but for her to say it so bluntly has my head pounding and blood thrumming with anger.
My parents love one another loudly. Dad will brag about my mom to everyone he meets, talking about his beloved wife so animatedly to anyone who’d listened and vice versa.
They’d passed that down to us, making it a mission for everyone in our family to be loved and celebrated for their accomplishments no matter how big or small they are.
I just don’t want anyone to see us.
Her words from earlier ring like sirens in my head as I walk into the guys and I’s house off campus. Blake and Braxton sit in the living room, playing video games when I walk in. The two of them groan and shout at the TV as I plop down on the couch with a sigh.
They eye one another briefly, playing for a few more minutes before pausing their next round.
Blake is the first to speak. “What happened?” he questions, furrowing his brow as Braxton smacks him upside his head.
“Obviously a girl happened…” Brax shakes his head, annoyed, before turning to me. “Why did you and the mystery girl fight?”
At his words, Blake smacks his chest, his eyes wide like he’s trying to communicate with our friend, but Braxton ignores him.
“Dude, it’s obvious they fought…look at his little puppy dog eyes…”
Blake groans, throwing his arms up.
“Yeah, but—”
I tune them out, putting my headphones in and turning the volume up as a sad song begins to play.
My mind immediately goes back to the mall, and even though I try to move past it, I can’t.
