Page 25 of Tell Me Everything
Sugarby Maroon 5 was playing on the radio. Instinctively, I raised my hand to turn it up, then changed my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alex smile. He turned the volume up.
“I didn't know you were a fan.”
They'd been my favourite band for years. I knew the song by heart, but I kept from singing in front of Alex. We weren’t that close yet.
“What can I say? I'm full of surprises.”
“I can see that. A real Kinder Surprise.”
I turned back to him, one hand on my heart, falsely offended. “Are you mocking me?”
“I don't know. You tell me.”
I huffed. “Just to be clear: I'm smarter than you think.”
“And pretty, and talented, and badass. I know you are. You're perfect.”
Surprisingly, his voice wasn't dripping with sarcasm. He was good at talking shit.
“Again, I don't know if you're mocking me or not.”
“Well, if you're as smart as you say you are, you'll figure it out for yourself.
I loved bickering with him. A carefree feeling came over me when we acted like children. With Alex, I rediscovered a version of myself I thought I'd lost for good.
“If I can interpret this the way I want to, I'd say you're completely under my spell. It's better for my ego.”
Instead of dropping me off in front of my house, Alex drove towards the Botanical Gardens.
“Where are we going?”
My friend flashed me a cheeky smile before pulling over. “To the Partea. I think we deserve a treat.”
Was that little coffee shop becoming our place? Passing through the park's water jets, I ran my hand through the water, splashing Alex in the face.
“Are you serious?”
I did it again. Alex imitated my gesture, sending lots of water into my face. Without giving me time to retaliate, Alex lifted me up and went through the jets. In less than two seconds, we were soaked from head to toe. He set me down on the ground and winked. I pouted.
“That's not fair!”
I looked up at him. This was the first time we were standing so close, and now that Alex was within arm's length of me, I found myself unable to look away. Droplets glistened in his long eyelashes, and the late afternoon sun made the green of his irises warmer. His white T-shirt clung to his skin, leaving little imagination of what lay beneath that thin layer of fabric. Of course, I knew Alex was muscular. When he wasn't playing soccer or sparring in a boxing ring, he spent his time on abasketball court. Still, having him so close made me dizzy. I thought it was just me who felt this strange energy, but when I looked at Alex's eyes, I knew I wasn't the only one. His pupils were dilated, and his breathing was faster than usual. I put my hand on his cheek, and Alex intertwined his fingers with mine. We stood there for a moment, soaking up each other's presence. Was it normal to want to kiss your friend so badly? His gaze dropped to my chest, and he looked away.
“Let's go home.”
“All right.”
I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. The attraction between us had seemed almost palpable, so why was he pulling away so suddenly? Alex pulled a black sweater from his trunk and handed it to me.
“I'm not cold,” I said.
“Please, put it on.”
“But why?”
He still didn't look my way. What was he thinking? I thought we'd had a moment. Maybe I’d been the only one who felt it.
“Your top has become see-through.”
