BlackMoon Beginnings

  I WAKE UP TO THE sound of a shower the next morning. Instead of waiting for Emma to get out, I get up and go down to the kitchen to look for Claire. Instead, I find Colton searching through the cabinets. Looking down, I realize that I had slept in his sweatshirt. Shoot. I try to back out of the room quietly without catching his attention. Since I have absolutely no luck, he turns around at the last second.

  “Morning, Ryanne,” he says, giving me his thousand-watt smile. His smile grows when he sees what I am wearing. I walk over and lean against the island behind him.

  “I got really cold last night,” I try to explain. “Do you want it back?” I start to pull my arms out of the sleeves to take it off, but Colton reaches out and grabs my hand.

  “Keep it.” I blush and look away. Stepping closer and lightly caressing my cheek, he says, “You blush so easily.” That, of course, just makes me blush more. His breath against my cheeks makes goose bumps rise on my skin. Thankfully, because of the sweatshirt, he can’t see that. My heart is pounding a mile a minute. The hand on my cheek moves down to my chin, slowly tilting it up. “Ryanne…”

  I look up and gaze into his eyes. I’m about to lean forward when I hear laughter.

  Laughter? Who would be laughing?

  Hearing people entering the room, I try to step back, but I am already pressed up against the counter. My blush darkens. Muttering a few choice words, Colton takes a few steps back, but never takes his eyes from me. I, however, turn and look at who came into the room. Emma is grinning like a madwoman at me, while David is standing there with a smirk on his face, looking at his brother.

  “Oh, morning, guys,” I say quickly.

  “A good morning it is, I see,” David says.

  “I’m going to go take a shower now that Emma is out.” Keeping my eyes on the ground, I brush past them, and run up the stairs. That was close.

  Too close.

  Turning the water on as high as it can go, I get into the shower. After a couple of seconds, the room is already full of steam. The shower is one of my favorite places to think. There’s no one to disturb you. It’s just you and the water in a peaceful little bubble. Washing my hair, I start going over everything.

  That’s twice now that Colton has tried to kiss me, and we were interrupted. I think he tried the night of the backyard attack at the other house...and that didn’t end well. Is that a sign? Maybe the universe is telling me that Colton and I aren’t meant to be together. I don’t even know if I like him in that way. Any girl would be crazy to not find him attractive. He’s probably only interested in me because I’m one of two girls he’s around all the time, and the other one is possibly accounted for already. There’s no other reason why a tall, muscular, incredibly good-looking guy would be interested in a short, awkward girl like myself. Natasha mentioned something about wanting to get Colton back, meaning they were together at one point. We are two completely different people. Colton and I are in two distinctly separate leagues. I don’t want to be someone’s toy—a thing to pass the time until something better comes along. I want to be someone’s first choice, not a replacement.

  That’s it. I’m going to try and stay out of situations like that with Colton without making it too obvious. Maybe he’ll get the point and move on.

  Hopefully.