Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (sight word books .txt) 📕

Her troubled expression, followed by her pressing her lipstogether surprised him and just like that, his heartbeat sped up again. But shespoke up before he could question it. For all the giggling and smiling she’dbeen doing earlier, she looked almost anxious now. “That feels like a trickquestion, Byron.”

“Trick question?”

“Yeah.” She took a deep breath but glanced away as if shecouldn’t look at him anymore. “I was so nervous when I was setting that video up.Taz kept messing up, and each time we had to do a retake I’d remind myself notto say boyfriend, but then it’d just come out that way. So, when we finally hada good one, I decided to just leave it in. I figured I could maybe edit it outlater before you saw it, but then you asked to see it immediately.” She stoppedand stared at him with that still troubled expression.

“Why?” he asked as the disappointment of what herexplanation did to him seeped in. “Why would you edit it out?”

“Because. Oh my God, you’re so . . . “

Byron held his breath bracing himself for her to finish hercomment. So over-the-top? So ridiculously demanding? So incapable of keepinghis cool when it came to her and shit like this?

“So much more mature and put together than my eighteen-year-oldfreshman ass. You’ve said it yourself in more ways than one, that I’m so youngand innocent which translates to young and dumb. Here you’ve already graduatedfrom college, have your own apartment and are part owner of this place and I stillcan’t even decide on a major.” She shook her head looking away. “I could hardlybelieve you’d be interested in even hanging out with me. But after whathappened with Taz, I was hopeful. Then we had the conversation where you confirmedyou were fine with me focusing on school and that you didn’t have time for muchanyway. So, I decided to leave well enough alone and despite things feelinglike they were getting more serious, you started talking about the reality showhappening, and how much busier you were going to get. I didn’t dare ask—”

“Didn’t dare ask?”

“Yes, because what if this was your way of warning me, you’d haveeven less time for anything serious?” She shook her head again frowning—somethingso unlike her. “After what happened at the gym way back, my mom asked mewhy I hadn’t told her I had a boyfriend. I said because you weren’t. It’d onlybeen a week but after that day I was pretty sure things had progressed. Sheagreed but warned me that some men are just territorial, and to not confuse thetwo. Mostly, she urged me not to be afraid to talk openly.”

Byron pulled her to him again unwilling to keep from holding heranymore. She glanced up after what felt like her avoiding eye contact with himfor too long. So, he made it a point to obviously search her eyes as she wenton.

“My parents.” She looked right at him as her brows pinched. “Theywere sweethearts really early on. My mom was still in high school even. I’veheard the stories many times. Basically, they could’ve just saved themselves alot of heartache and time apart had they just been open about their feelings insteadof just assuming things. My dad kept a lot from my mom because of his Jurassicsized pride and she assumed the worst.” She shook her head. “Anyway, every timewe hear the stories Nena and I have always been quick to say we can’t believethey almost didn’t end up together because they were afraid to just talk—afraidto admit their real feelings. Now I totally get it. When you’re on the outsidelooking in, it’s so easy to believe asking a guy you’ve fallen so hard for toclarify what he’s really feeling for you is so simple, but when it happened tome it was terrifying.”

Byron peered into those beautiful but troubled eyes. “What wereyou afraid of?”

“What I just said. That I was being delusional. That a man likeyou couldn’t possibly be taking a silly college freshman like me seriously, andmaybe you were just being territorial when you reacted to thinking you saw me withsomeone else. So, I figured I’d just enjoy this while it lasted, and hoped Iwouldn’t be too devastated when you finally moved on.”

“Silly college freshman? Move on?” This time Byron shook his headand did the frowning. “Savannah, what are you talking about? I was pretty damnsure I’d been so fucking transparent from day one.” Determined to just becompletely honest now despite the risk, he went on before she could respond.“Look, you know I haven’t had a girlfriend since I was fifteen. But—”

“Tell me about her,” she said searching his eyes. “You’vementioned Lizette before, but the subject always felt so off limits. Can youshare now?”

Without thought or understanding of why, his breath hitched as hestared at her, heart pounding madly.

Twenty-Six

Exhale the Past Inhale the future.

Vannah

Strangely, her heartbeat even more erratically now thanwhen she’d been pulling the prank on him. At least then she knew what toexpect. She knew he’d be livid, and she knew exactly why. But she didn’t knowwhat to make of his deadpan expression now. Was he upset? Was this too personalof a subject for her to be asking about, even after over two months of themseeing each other?

Staring into his eyes she squeezed his forearm. “I’m sorry youdon’t have to—”

“I’d known her most my life,” he said before she could finish.“We went to the same grade school. At fourteen she was my first kiss ever andat fifteen she became my first everything else. We were probably way too young.But I’d gone over to her house like I’d often done when she was babysitting heryounger sisters and like we’d been doing for weeks, once her sisters fell asleep,we started making out and it just happened.”

Swallowing hard, Vannah listened, squelching back theunreasonable jealousy. This was over ten years ago and the girl he spoke of wasdead now. Even so, judging by the still pained expression, unarguably this girlhad meant a lot to