20. Langdon
Twenty
Langdon
I ’m ripe with things to say. Delia is heading for the bus, flanked by Miles and Lyra. Now’s my chance. I hustle to catch up to her and reach out my hand to touch her shoulder but I don’t know what to say and I lose my nerve.
I stop and watch as the three walk off and get on the bus. When she’s seated, I’m still standing in the same spot staring. She glances out the window. Our eyes lock briefly but I can feel the fire she’s stoking before she looks away. What a shit show.
I hoof it to the truck, passing Danny on the way. “Hey. What’s up with you and Delia?” I ask more aggressively than I intend.
He immediately throws his hands in the air. “Nothing. Just being nice.”
I rake my hands through my hair. “Put your hands down you weirdo, I’m not here to pummel you.”
“If you’re together, sorry. I saw you at the party together, but she was sitting alone at lunch. Just thought I’d offer to sit with her,” he stammers.
Sucking in a deep breath steady myself. “That was nice of you and no, we’re not together.”
Danny nods and tosses his bag into his car. “Cool.”
“Yeah. Cool,” I grind out. He grins and waves as I turn to leave. Irritating. You don’t stand a chance buddy. Not a damn chance with a girl like her.
In my truck, I crank the stereo to try and drown out the fact that every molecule in my body aches for Delia. I zoned out in first period and almost touched her hair like a Grade A creep. Work should be fun. I pull into the back lot off Main Street and head into the greenhouse.
Delia is bent at the waist, her tight ass on display for me. A groan slips from my lips. She stands suddenly and I catch the scent of her shampoo. My cock presses painfully against my thigh at the mere scent of her. She isn’t even naked and my head is spinning. I want to taste her. When she sees me her eyes cloud over and she bites that pouty bottom lip. Does she know she’s slowly killing me? The last of my resolve is in danger of disintegrating the way those little white tufts fall off when you blow on a dead dandelion.
“Langdon! Good, you’re here. I have heavy things that need moving.” Viv’s voice saturates the thick air between Delia and me. The look in her eyes drives me crazy. I want to touch her, hold her, kiss her. Delia plants her hands on her hips and cocks her head left .
“What?” she says.
I shake my head. “Nothing.” I strip down to my tank top. The afternoon sun beats down on the greenhouse. The windows are thick with condensation.
Delia snorts as I move through the rows of tables.
“Something funny?” I ask moving past her. I purposefully make sure my arm brushes her as I pass by. She inhales sharply at the contact.
“As a matter of fact, yeah. Why now?”
Confused I ask. “Why now what?”
She widens her eyes and shakes her head at me like she’s in disbelief. “You’re talking to me. Acknowledging me,” she says. Her tone implies I’m an idiot, and maybe I am. She has a knack for making me feel that way.
“Woah there, girly, sounds like you’re making a big deal out of nothing.” This is not at all what I wanted to say earlier. What is wrong with me?
She tilts her head sideways and it’s fucking adorable in a way I didn’t know was possible.
“Me? Oh my God, you’re not, like, serious, are you? Langdon, you stormed out of the-” she glances around making sure Viv’s not in earshot. “The closet Saturday all pissed and angry. You didn’t say two words to me Sunday night or today in school. It’s like I don’t exist or… I don’t know.” she throws her hands up in the air. “Like I did something wrong.”
I shake my head at her. “Nope. None of that. You’re making shit up.”
Her nostrils flare as she plants her fists on her hips. I’ve never wanted to hold her more. “I can’t even. Don’t let work be any different than school. Leave me alone.” She turns on her heel and starts to stomp off but my hands are on her arm before she can get too far. I yank her to me until we’re nearly flush.
She pants and stares up at me, brow furrowed. The humidity makes her tank cling to her chest. A stray hair falls in front of her face. She blows it away before I can move it for her.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Sorry if it came off that way.”
She worries her pouty bottom lip and I want to pull it out from between her teeth with my thumb…suck it between my lips. I shake the thought from my head and release her. She rubs her arm where I held it and sighs.
“Langdon! Where are you?” Viv yells across the greenhouse.
“Duty calls,” I say and offer a half-assed smile. Delia nods and I go off to find Viv. I gotta talk to her anyway.
Vivianna’s wedged between three huge boxes of fertilizer, trying to move them to the greenhouse.
“Woah there. Hold up. I’ll get them.”
“Bout time,” she huffs. I can’t help but chuckle. “Hey Viv, I know my uh, debts paid after today but, could you use the extra help still?”
Viv stands, hands massaging her lower back as she bends backward to stretch. “I wasn’t planning on it. But I’m not sure Delia could move these boxes on her own either.” She considers me for a moment. “This isn’t some lovesick puppy love move is it?” she asks.
Wide eyed I stumble over my words. “Uh. What? Ha. I mean. No.”
Viv nods, a small smirk on her face. “So it is. You only get one chance to get the girl, Langdon. Don’t fudge it up. You can work Wednesdays and Fridays after school. That’s all I can do.” She swats me on the arm and winks at me. “Haul those out and unpack them. Shoo!”
Swallowing hard I try not show my utter embarrassment. I grab the first box and carry it into the greenhouse. If I can’t be friends with her at school at least I can here.