Chapter 26 Daniel-San Would Be Proud of My Skills #2
“Don’t make me hit you with the flashlight again.
” I say bored, and he chuckles, making me feel his belly go up and down, therefore making me realize I’m still on top of him.
But that doesn’t make me blush or immediately get off.
With the flashlight still raised up in the air, ready to smack someone, he slowly moves his hand and grabs it, not breaking eye contact.
He easily takes it away from me and lays it near us, still allowing us to see each other.
He gazes at me with that dangerous look.
That irresistible, reckless one. He moves his arms closer and out of reflex — and honestly a bit afraid of him getting me off him — I grab his wrists and pin his arms to the ground, making our heads too close.
My lips are literally hanging above his, and he releases his croaking voice.
“Calm down, Brown. I was just taking you off me, but,” Jake looks at my lips, and I look at his eyes, “I’ve come to realize that you like being here.” His voice starts crispy and gradually turns into a raspy whisper, making my heart beat intensely. I think he can hear it. Doesn’t he?
“You’re so funny,” I say, way more confident than I am right now, and a sarcastic, playful tone is present in my voice, “as if you don’t like it.” The words slip out of my mouth before I can even catch myself saying them.
I blush in the dark, and I almost gasp, not because of the comment that is most definitely not like me, but because of the fact that we are shamelessly flirting with each other. I didn’t realize it, but our noses are almost touching, and my lips are actually ready to kiss him.
After rolling his eyes due to the comment, they end up on my lips again, making my own eyes end up on his. The distance is desperately magnetic. I could kiss him… And he wants it too.
What good could come of this? He’s a womanizer. Any woman who gets on top of him makes him give that fake look.
I roll my eyes and release his hands, almost throwing them, then I get up and sit beside him, waiting for him to leave.
“Did you just- Flirt with me?” His incredulous and amused voice breaks.
“I don’t know if you do realize what the meaning of friends is. That was me making fun of you and what you think are good ways to flirt with someone.” I explain, throwing and flipping my hand in the air, gesturing to reveal the insignificance of such words.
“Like you’re any better.” He scoffs. “Oh, Fred, just stop talking about books and kiss me already!” He dramatically and falsely imitates with a high-pitched voice, which is so not mine.
“Alright, first of all,” I start, indignant, “I was not interested in him, I was just surprised someone our age actually spends their time doing intellectual stuff instead of playing video games and hooking up with random other teenagers.”
“That seems targeted.” Jake suspects, and I send him a self-explanatory pointed look. “You’re mean.” He grunts while adjusting in the grass.
“C’mon, you’re too easy to make fun of. It’s not my fault, you know.”
I lie down and look at those shiny white sprinkles in the sky.
Due to the flashlight, I see him lying down next to me, his hands interlocked behind his neck.
He’s staying. What have I done to deserve this?
I mean, the temerity to show up like this out of the blue and just make my heart race faster than it’s physically possible is just abysmal.
I turn off the flashlight, hoping that I can forget that our bodies are almost touching and that he is right here.
“I’m sorry.” I burst through the darkness.
“For what?” He asks back, genuinely confused.
“For earlier…” I cough, my entire nervous system deciding to force anxiety onto me.
“We already had this conversation, Brown.”
His sentence starts so deep, but when he calls me by my last name, the conversation gets distant again.
“Right…” I let out.
“How come you never dated anyone?” He asks suddenly, making my throat close and turn dry.
“No one ever got my attention.” I explain, nervously.
“Bullshit.” He calls me out. “Every Friday you would come to dinner and blush every time my mom asked you about a special someone.” Pause. “Try again.” He throws with a know-it-all tone.
“I guess, no one has ever made a move or asked me out.” I say embarrassed and cringing from the lie.
“And that’s also a lie. Half the guys I know tried to get your attention and attempted to make a first move, but you were too blind to notice.”
“I think I would remember if anyone had done a move.” I scoff, and even though we can’t see each other, I already know he’s just about to counter with a raised eyebrow.
“Matt Dern.” He says, and I recall.
“Needed help with his homework.” I state.
“You really believe that? Landon Hollow.” He tries again.
“Needed advice for what to buy his girlfriend.” I counter again.
“They broke up a month before that. He was just trying to see what you would like as a present.” I can practically feel his eye roll.
It was weird when Landon asked me that, considering we had two whole word exchanges in our entire school lives.
“I could go on and on about all of my football teammates that find you hot, or you could tell me the real reason why you don’t date. ”
“I prefer the first option.” I say, smiling to myself.
“It’s so weird. We’ve known each other for so long, it just seems wrong that someone could look at you that way.” He stops himself, and I don’t think he realizes how offensive that is.
“Aren’t you kind?” I sarcastically shoot.
“Come on, Brown, you know I didn’t mean it that way.
I considered it strongly, but not today.
” He reassures, making my eyes roll so harshly.
“It’s just unnatural when they come to me saying Hey Jake, would you mind introducing me to your friend Madelaine?
” He imitates with a mocking voice, way deeper than the poor boy’s real voice must sound.
“You’re so dramatic.” I exasperate. “And you’re lying, just to top it off.” I humorously laugh.
“I’m not. So… Reason?” He insists.
“You are very relentless.”
“Some people find that charming.” He smirks in the dark, and I know exactly which side of his mouth is lifted.
I sigh, knowing that there is no way I can get out of this.
“I guess I love to read about it and see it, but when it comes to me, I’m-” I breathe in. “Scared.” I swallow, and my eyes sting.
“Because of your mom, right?” He asks calmly.
“The mommy issues certainly don’t help.” I breathe nervously and remember the photo I saw earlier.
The sting turns into watering. Not again.
As long as he doesn’t notice, we’re fine.
I breathe in and out very quietly until a sob escapes my lips.
I cover my face with my hands, and the flashlight is on.
I feel his fingers touching my wrist and pulling my hand slowly.
He looks at me with that sweet look, one 99% of the population has never seen coming from him.
He pulls me closer, and our seated selves hug.
His arms around my body and my arms around his neck make me even weaker.
I start to silently cry into his chest again, but this time I’m not sending him away.
He rests his chin on top of my head, and my breathing calms down.
His thumb starts to do circles on my back, and the tears slowly stop.
I lift my head, and he grabs the flashlight and places it near my face.
“Let me see,” He observes my face still stained with two tears tracing my cheeks. “These could go away.” He smiles and, without releasing my hand, his thumbs wipe each tear. I grab his free hand that had just gotten rid of a tear and let it rest on our laps, just holding each other.
“This is going to sound really cheesy,” I speak, almost chuckling. “But thanks for never saying the wrong thing.” I look away, not handling looking into each other’s eyes.
“I’m your friend, remember?” His dimple shows, and I laugh at the way it’s so difficult for him to say friend. “Even though I always aimed to be more.”
I push his head away, and a surprised laugh is out of his body in no time.
“I take it back, you say too many wrong things.”
But my heart nods no quietly inside my chest.