Wonderstruck

Chapter 20

Tyler

My name is Tyler Westman and I’ve officially broken my “no more relationships” pact.

Do I care? Not really. Not when the girl who makes me want to break my own rules is next to me. I don’t know when it happened, but something has changed between Serena and me. At some point, I fell for her–slowly and then all at once. I realized it even more this morning when we fell asleep on the phone, and she was still on the line while getting ready for her morning shift, not wanting to hang up on me.

I haven’t slept this well in so long.

Later that night, Serena gets off earlier than usual and I pick her up from her house before we head over to my teammate’s party, Elijah. His parents are out of town and he lives in a huge mansion, so I’m already fully prepared that all of Skyline will be at the party. His parties are known to be kind of wild with the amount of people swarming around and the blaring music. So, I make it my duty to keep Serena company so she doesn’t feel anxious and overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

The autumn air’s crisp as I drive through Elijah’s dimly lit neighborhood, the rhythmic bass of Serena’s current playlist, bad bitches only , plays Pretty Savage by BLACKPINK. My fingers grip the steering wheel as I sneak a sideway glance at Serena, who sits in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed on the passing streetlamps and modern mansions.

Her presence alone makes me nervous to my stomach. I feel the small shift of the car beneath us and the soft rustling of her clothes as she settles into her seat. Serena wasn’t sure what to wear earlier so she Facetimed me to give me a “fit check” and asked if what she wore was house-party-like. I wish she hadn’t called me, because I couldn’t breathe properly for five minutes.

I cast another glance and soak in her glowing appearance. She’s wearing a beige skirt that hugs her body gracefully, paired with a white, thin-knit sweater that adds a subtle elegant vibe. The sweater’s loose fit and soft texture add a touch of cozy charm to her look. Completing her look are a pair of white tennis sneakers, giving off confidence. Her jet-black hair is left down, lightly tousled, framing her face in an effortlessly attractive way.

And holy shit , her perfume is even more addicting than I remember, and I swear it’s becoming a natural scent for me .

“You look cute.” I blurt, stupidly speaking my thoughts out loud.

“What?”

“I said you look like a fruit.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense.”

I’m an idiot .

I try to set all my focus on driving, yet I can’t help but admire the way the dim street lights make her features pop even more: the curve of her lips, the graceful arch of her eyebrows, and the sparkle in her eyes.

I clear my throat, trying to shake off the magnetic pull of her presence. “Excited?”

“Yeah, but nervous at the same time. You?”

I nod, trying to keep my focus on the conversation at bay. “Yeah, it should be a good time.”

Serena chuckles, “I’m happy to be here.” Her laugh echoes through the car, making my chest rise and fall more noticeable than I would like.

I swallow hard. “By the way, did you get my Crush?” My hand tightens on the wheel, scared as shit for her response.

Serena looks down at her intertwined hands in her lap. “I did, thanks by the way.” She lifts her eyes to mine and we lock them for a second before bringing my attention back to the road. “I didn’t get you anything though.”

“You don’t need to. I already have what I want.” Feeling a sudden surge of connection, I reach out and gently capture her hand with mine. I really hope she can’t tell how clammy my hands are or that my pulse is racing like a wildfire.

Serena’s hand hesitates for a moment at my bold move, but then she relaxes and tightens her grip, like she’s on board with it.

I park further down the street, about six houses down from Elijah’s. Exiting the car, I flash Serena a gentle smile and lean over to reach for the car door handle on her side. With a soft push, I let the door swing open smoothly.

“After you,” I say, extending my arm towards her, palm up, letting her out first. Serena nods gratefully, a playful glint in her eye as she steps out of the car.

I stroll beside her on the way up to Elijah’s, the urge to wrap my arm around her etches onto me, but I restrain myself in case it would scare her off. I settle for a slight shoulder bump, which sends electric shocks through my body.

“The party will be pretty chill for the most part, but Elijah likes to invite the entire student body.” I glimpse over at Serena, whose eyes double in size. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and bring her closer to me. “You’ll be fine, remember what I said? ”

Serena nods, her eyes softening as a small smile plays on her lips. She takes a deep breath and brushes her wrist gently before coming to a sudden halt.

“I forgot my hair tie,” Serena says quietly, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

We pause our steps and I remove my leather bracelet. It’s a simple woven leather band with a small charm that I got on vacation a few years back when my dad refused to let me leave the gift shop unless I bought something. I take Serena’s hand and slide it onto her wrist. “Hold onto this for me.”

Serena watches in surprise, her eyes widening. “What are you doing?” she asks, still in a state of surprise. “What is this?”

I finish looping the bracelet on and, with a warm smile, bend down to meet her gaze. “Our lucky charm for the night,” I say sincerely.

The bracelet sits snugly on Serena’s wrist, and she stares at it with a mixture of gratitude and confusion. Ignoring the latter, I stretch out my hand, aiming to intertwine our fingers.

“I know I’m new to parties, but you don’t need to hold my hand like you’re my dad,” Serena says, gesturing at our connected hands.

“Come on,” I say, letting out a mildly disgusted chuckle, and she does too. Our voices die down, I catch her breaths sync to mine. “I just like the way your hand fits mine. ”

We push through the entrance, the deafening thump of Caroline by Aminé envelops around us. Laughter, chatter, and the occasional “woos” fill the air, creating an atmosphere that’s electrifying. Amid the pulsing music, groups of our classmates are spread throughout Elijah’s house, lost in their own world. Others are dancing in the living room that cascades out onto the patio. It reeks of pizza, snacks, sweat, perfume, and alcohol, clear proof of the high school parties you see in the movies.

Serena’s presence at my side fills me with a sense of pride and excitement, like I want to show her off. I keep a protective arm around her, guiding her through the packed crowd, our classmates shoot curious glances and some offer friendly hellos.

I look back at Serena, “You okay?”

Serena nods and inches closer to me when a guy nearly bumps into her. “Can we get something to drink?”

I wink at her, a subtle acknowledgment of her question, but also a playful gesture to see her cheeks flush with a rosy pink hue, a reaction I can’t resist. I position her in front of me, placing both hands on her shoulders to guide her through the busy crowd, making sure no one else bumps into her. We’re weaving through the room, and I feel curious eyes looking at us. I could care less about people staring at me, but I feel an urge to focus on her and keep her safe with me tonight. It’s not her first party, but I know she’s nervous being here, and Elijah’s parties have always been go big or go home .

The kitchen is less rowdy than the common spaces in the house. I scan the room, still on the lookout for Elijah to show face. Guiding Serena toward the kitchen island, we pass an array of hard liquor and coolers filled with every soda, water, and beer you can think of.

As I reach down into one of the coolers to grab some water for us, Serena pulls my wrist, her brows furrowed with concern. Before I can even ask what’s wrong, she speaks first.

“Are you drinking?” Serena asks quietly, her eyes glancing at the cooler where there’s both water bottles and beers inside.

I pause then it dawns on me why she’s reacting like this. With a gentle tone, I assure her, “No, just grabbing water for us. I’m not drinking tonight, I promise, sunshine.” I plop down again and grab two chilled bottles of water. I twist the cap open and hand it to her.

Her furrowed brows relax, transitioning into a soft smile of relief. Serena accepts the drink and takes a quick sip. “Okay, good.”

We venture back into one of the smaller living rooms as more guests come in and out of the kitchen. Serena and I find a cozy nook by the entrance of a smaller living room as the party hustles and bustles around us. Her back presses against the wall, and I prop myself beside her, our shoulders brushing lightly .

“All good?” I ask Serena, subtly positioning myself like I’m hiding her from other guys, because I am. I’ll be damned if another guy checks her out again.

Serena nods, her brown eyes meet mine. “I just feel out of place a bit, that’s all.”

“Why?”

She shrugs and takes a sip of water. “I guess I’m out of my element.”

I chuckle at her comment, a friendly smirk on my face appears. “You’re something, you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so confident when you’re literally thrusting your body in the air on the mat. But when you’re out like this, you’re a different person, shy almost, why?”

“I’m confident on the mat because it’s something I’m good at,” Serena says quietly but loud enough for me to hear her over the party noise. “I’ve been sheltered quite a bit in my life so coming here to a party this insane is a little overwhelming… and I feel a bit out of place in social situations like this.” She continues to fidget with my leather bracelet, a silent gesture of her thoughts.

My fingers instinctively trace her cheek, I feel a surge of electricity pass between us. Serena’s body tenses for a moment before relaxing into my touch. “You’re doing great,” I offer, my voice infused with encouragement. “Remember the lake party?”

Serena snorts. “Of course, how can I forget my first highschool party, which then got shut down by the police?”

I chuckle. “Not the point, but you were fine that night. It’s good to be out of your element sometimes.”

“By fine, you mean when I escaped to the deck to avoid the chaos?” Serena quips, a playful glint in her eye.

I take a step closer to her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You really don’t see it, do you?”

Serena’s lips part slightly, then close seconds later. She shakes her head like she’s psyching herself out from the attraction between us. “See what?”

I lean in an inch more, my voice dropping to a whisper. “If you haven’t noticed, your looks could kill.”

Serena doesn’t say anything back, instead a soft blush rises to her cheeks, and I can’t help but smile at her reaction. I reach out to still her fidgeting hand, holding her gaze. “The night at the lake party you were turning heads left and right, even here. I don’t think you realize how much you can light up a room.”

“I have a theory that you secretly enjoy making me blush.”

Before I can respond, a familiar voice interrupts us, “Serena! You’re here! ”

We both turn our heads to the direction of the voice. I bring my hand down from her cheek into my pockets. My next door neighbor approaches us and leaps into Serena’s bubble, embracing her tightly like she hasn’t seen her in years.

“Pri, hi,” Serena says as she shuffles on her heels from Priya’s suffocating hug. “Can you let go? You’re restricting my oxygen.”

“Oh! Sorry!” Priya exclaims as she takes a step back.

I lift my chin to offer a silent greeting to my wonderful neighborhood and current cockblocker. “Priya.”

“Tyler,” Priya echoes back with the same gesture before meeting Serena’s eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here! Alli told me you were coming. I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Serena purses her lips. “I didn’t know you were coming, I would’ve texted you.”

Priya flicks her hand, her way of saying it’s no big deal. “This is my cousin’s party.”

My brows furrow together in confusion. “You’re Elijah’s cousin?”

“By marriage,” Priya explains. “Come, come, let’s sit on the couch.”

Serena looks at me, her eyes looking uncertain about leaving my side .

“Go ahead and have some girl time,” I encourage. “I need to catch up with Elijah and I’ll come find you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” I lean closer and gently touch her arm. “I’ll find you in a bit.”

Serena nods and Priya drags her to another area in the house. Serena looks back over her shoulder and once again, she steals my breath away.

I fucking wish I could find the willpower to tell her how every look, every moment with her leaves me utterly breathless. It’s the little things she does without noticing that draw me in. The way she tucks her hair, the way she throws her head back when she laughs, or the way she hums to herself in the car thinking I’m not listening. She’s not even aware of how destructively beautiful she is.

A hand clamps my shoulder. “Dude,” I recognize the voice to be Elijah. I forgot I was looking for him.

I revert my attention to him and we both slap hands together. “Sup, dude. Nice party.”

“You know me, always gotta do it big here,” Elijah gestures widely. “I gotta say, I’m surprised you’re here. When Jared told me you were coming, I was close to betting money if you were gonna show. ”

Money? Really? “You make it sound like I’m allergic to parties.”

“You were the one that made a big deal about,” Elijah claps his hand while clearing his throat, “ I’m done with parties, I have more important shit to focus on than high school parties .” Then he gives me a look that says did-you-not-say-that-or-what.

I lift both hands up as if I’m surrendering. “Okay, fair. I did say that.”

“What’s changed though, for real?” Elijah crosses his arms over his chest. “You said you were done and now you’re here. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” I say casually, then take a swig of water. I look around the room for Serena. She’s not too far from me, yet far away enough to where we can’t hear each other.

“You’ve been looking at that girl,” Elijah says, tilting his head in Serena’s direction.

“Huh?”

Elijah lifts his chin, pointing at Serena. “Her.”

“Oh, she’s my tutor. She’s new to Skyline, just showing her around.”

“So, you think I was born yesterday,” Elijah laughs sarcastically. “Come on, man, I’m not blind. She’s something. ”

“Yeah… she is,” I confess absentmindedly, looking at her. “She’s smart, sweet and… so pretty, she’s very funny actually, and makes the best Thai green tea I’ve ever tried–”

“Okay, lovebird,” Elijah teases with a chuckle, and I catch Priya offering a drink to Serena. I remember her being apprehensive about the whole drinking thing, so I excuse myself from our conversation and walk over to the pair. I pull the drink from Serena’s hand and inspect it.

“What are you doing?” Priya asks, tilting her head to the side.

I check every inch and surface area of the damn cup, because I don’t know where Priya got this from or if she poured it herself, and there’s no fucking way I’m letting Serena take a sip of a drink that I didn’t get for her myself.

Serena tugs on my shirt which redirects my gaze towards her. “I watched Priya pour the drink.”

Priya nods in agreement. “Serena asked what I was drinking and she wanted to try it.”

I cast another look at Serena, cup still in hand. She looks back and I can tell she knows what I’m thinking. You were worried about me drinking, so I thought you hated alcohol .

“It’s okay, Ty. I wanted to try it.”

“You sure?” You don’t have to drink just because everyone else is .

“I’m sure.” It’s okay .

“I’ll be over there, if you need me.” I nudge my head back to my previous spot and walk backwards to meet with Elijah again, who’s giving me the biggest grin he can sport. I know what he’s trying to say. His smile says oh-I-totally-know-why-now.

I take another sip of water. “Shut the fuck up.”

Elijah doesn’t listen, he never does. “You’re here for her.”

“What’s your point?”

“You like her,” Elijah says, stating it like it’s a well-known fact.

“I do,” I answer gingerly.

“You going to ask her out?”

“I want to.”

“But?”

“I want to take my time with her. She’s different.”

“Different how?”

“I don’t know man,” I scratch my chin. “She’s not like any other girl.”

“I get it. Time. ”

I nod in agreement, checking over Serena again, who’s happily talking to Priya about God knows what. “She’s special. She’s insanely smart, like I’m talking she can solve math problems in five minutes. She’s different from everyone else. She’s on a whole other level or maybe even out of my league. She–”

“Leaves you breathless,” Elijah finishes my sentence.

I nod.

Elijah takes a swig of his drink. “Sounds like you got it bad for her.”

“I think so.”

“You were never like this with Cassie, you know?”

I shrug, realizing I hadn’t thought about her since last night’s conversation. “Cassie never wanted anything real with me. I want something real for once.” I cast another look at Serena and I see one of my classmates, Travis, approaching her.

We’ve had a few classes together over the years, but we’re more acquaintances than friends. Jealousy simmers inside me as I watch them chat, oblivious to my presence. They’re engrossed in their conversation, as if they’re in their own little snow globe and I’m just an outsider looking in .

Elijah’s voice breaks the tension with a quiet curse. “Oh, damn,” he says, catching my intense gaze. Under his breath, he adds, “May God protect Travis.”

I ignore Elijah and make my way to Serena but the headcount at this party must have increased, because I’m having to bob and weave through the crowd just to make it to the open living space.

Serena’s laughter bubbles out of her, filling the room with its melodious notes and becoming in sync with the rap song playing in the background. “I can’t believe it either,” she says.

My jaw clenches as I’m trying to hide the growing jealousy that’s taking a toll on me knowing another guy is making her laugh. Why is she so goddamn comfortable around him?

I clamp a hand on Travis’ shoulder a little too tight for comfort. “What are we laughing about?”

“Hey, bro.” Travis greets back with a nod but little does he know that I’m feeling so friendly right now.

Serena chimes, “Hey, Ty.”

“Hey, babe .” Without breaking eye contact, I slip an arm around her waist and gently pull her close. Her eyes widen slightly in surprise, but she doesn’t pull away .

Priya doesn’t bother to participate in the conversation, she takes a longing sip before getting up from the couch. “I’m gonna say hi to my other cousins on the deck. Find me later, Ser.”

“Yeah, for sure,” Serena calls after Priya as she walks away. Then, turning back to me, she tilts her head with confusion clouding her face. “What’s up?”

“Wanna grab another drink with me?” I step in front of Serena and gently pull her up to a standing position so we can get the fuck away from Travis.

“Uh, sure.” She turns to Travis, “See you in class.”

Class? Part of me wants to email the school and ask for a schedule change now.

We grab another drink in the kitchen. Another water for me and Serena seems more comfortable drinking alcohol, since she pours a cup of jungle juice. She takes a long sip and wipes her lips clean with the juice spilling onto her chin.

“Careful, that’s a creeper drink.”

Serena arches a brow. “A what?”

“It sneaks up on you.”

Serena glances at me with a hint of annoyance in her eyes. “Thanks for the warning.”

“I’m looking out for you.” And I want to keep you to myself .

Serena rolls her eyes and pulls me over to a secluded hallway. We’re alone in the hallway, away from our peers. She removes her grasp from my wrist, leaving a burning feeling. “What was that?”

“What was what?” I play dumb.

“You were being a dick to Travis.” Serena scoffs and plants a hand on her hip. Serena’s a mere 5’3 to my 6’2 height but she looks so… cute being angry. “We just have AP Environmental Science together for starters, so quit acting like a jerk.”

Now it’s my turn to scoff. “I’m being a dick? You don’t even know him and you’re laughing at his jokes like he’s the funniest guy here.”

Travis’ humor is nonexistent. He’s not even that funny compared to me.

Serena closes her eyes for a second while rubbing her forehead. “What? Is laughing illegal?”

“You don’t know him.”

Serena narrows her eyes and then the energy shifts. Anger transitions into an unknown energy, mockery, as it flickers across her face. “You’re jealous.”

“Jealous?” I point to my chest. “Me? No . ”

Serena steps closer to me and bursts out laughing like it’s the funniest shit in the world. “If the shoe fucking fits, then yeah, you’re jealous.”

I match her steps. “It’s not funny.”

“I’m laughing, so it must be.”

“Watch it.”

“Watch what?” she counters, her melodic laughter bouncing off the empty halls. She’s enjoying this too much. The jungle juice must be channeling this chaotic energy.

I close the distance, making her back touch the wall. I place a hand against the wall and lean down, our faces mere inches apart. “You’re playing with fire.”

The dynamic between us switches gears, and I can see it in her eyes that she feels it too. Time stops. We’re no longer at a party. It’s just me and her. My eyes rake over her figure, her coffee brown eyes, her luscious lashes fluttering. My gaze stops at her pale pink lips, and both our breaths hitch.

Before I know it, I’m unconsciously leaning in, inching closer and closer to her rosy lips. Serena doesn’t pull away; instead, her eyes connect with mine like she wants this too.

An unexpected sound pulls us apart, causing us to spring apart like water and oil. Now I feel like I’m seven again, getting caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I turn my head at the top of the hallway, only to throw my head back at the cockblocker. Elijah’s golden retriever puppy, Cheesecake, runs full speed towards us. He stops at our feet and paws at Serena’s shoes, silently asking to be picked up.

I stumble backward, nearly tripping over my own feet, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

“What a cute puppy!”

I shoot a sheepish glance at Serena, trying to play it off cool. “Serena, Cheesecake. Cheesecake, Serena.” I say, scratching behind Cheesecake’s ear. “Little girl must have escaped from her crate.”

“Can we take her to the party?”

I chuckle and wrap an arm around Serena. “I’m sure she’ll be the life of the party.”

She smiles at me and I risk a wink, which makes her blush, oh I love it . I’m sure as hell going to keep this PDA thing up.