Rock Candy Kisses(6)

Why are motorcycles suddenly out? Did daddy repossess your Harley? ;)

I belt out a laugh. Whitney Briggs-Hollow Brook in general, is populated  with over privileged kids that skate by drunk off their trust funds. So  I can appreciate the humor-especially since I'm out of the demographic.

My eyes trace out her perfect bow-shaped lips and wonder if I'll ever  get to kiss them. I've become ravenous for those lips. There's something  about Annie that sets her in a league of her own, and it has nothing to  do with her inability to hear.

"My brother." The words jag out of my mouth like a rusted knife. I pump  into my phone. He died a few weeks back-crashed into a truck. It was  pretty bad, and now he's gone. I slide it over to her, and for the first  time in weeks it feels as if a weight has been lifted. How is that  possible? I've talked about the accident until I was blue in the face  with Olivia, and all it brought was compounded grief.

Her features morph into horror. I'm so sorry. She's quick to flash the  response. Please accept my condolences. I can see why you would feel  that way about motorcycles. That's very tragic.

"It is, and I'm sorry I brought it up. Please, tell me something about  yourself. You're a student at Whitney Briggs?" It feels strange mouthing  the words to her like this, but to keep her seated across from me, I'd  mouth the entire phone book if she wanted me to.

She nods and points to me as if deflecting the question back.

Crap. How do I explain that I was on campus because I was dropping my  classes? Ratifying my new dropout status. Impressive. I know.

I take a breath and relax into a smile, something about Annie calms me  all the way around. "I'm taking a semester off." Who knows, I might be  back one day. I might be a senior citizen, but it could happen.

That's understandable. This is my first day, and I already feel like taking a semester off.

I wince. My heart wrenches at the thought of her toughing it out at  Briggs. You sort of had a rough start, huh? I should know, I witnessed  it. That service truck was laying on its horn. I don't know what the  hell the driver was thinking not slowing down. I guess in this world  everyone expects the right of way-and for everyone to hear that they  have it. Thank God I was there to help. It would have destroyed me to  see her hurt. Hell, it would have destroyed her.

More than you know. She shrugs. My friends told me it would be  different. I graduated from Quincy last June. It's a school for the deaf  and hard of hearing. I lived in the dorms during the week, so I guess  you can say I was sheltered a bit. It's a different world at Whitney.

I nod, fighting the urge to reach over and take up her hand again.  Instead, I grab my phone. I know what you mean. It feels like a  different world without my brother. I shake my head. So what do you like  to do for fun?

Her face brightens a cute shade of pink. For a second I wonder if she  thinks I'm propositioning her, not that I would mind. But a warning in  my gut says don't you dare.

Annie wriggles her phone in my direction. I read. A. Lot. BTW, I won't let you shame me out of loving a good literary bad boy.

"A bad boy, huh?" I type into my phone. Okay, you're smart. I like that.  What do you like to do? What's the greatest adventure you've read about  that you'd like to experience?

Her forehead wrinkles as she bites over that luscious lip again, and my  boxers stir to life. I shift in my seat trying to get out of the hard  situation blooming in my jeans. Not cool. Clearly I'm going to need a  strategy to prevent unwarranted hard-ons from ruining my good time with  Annie. I shake my head at the strange idea. Annie has turned my entire  thought process upside down.

I hardly ever go to the beach, but I tend to gravitate toward books set there. As far as adventures go I'd say hot air balloons.

I whip out a response. As soon as it warms up consider us at the beach.  As for Hot air balloons-that sounds perfect, there's a place near my  brother's ranch. Wyatt-my older brother. Benji, the one who passed away  was older, too, but just by eleven months. My grandma used to say my  parents didn't let the sheets cool, a disgusting visual for me at any  age. But my grandma, my mother, my brother, they're all gone now.                       
       
           



       

She gives a pained smile.

He liked to lord it over me, I flash her the phone once again. "My  parents didn't exactly cool the sheets." Stupid. I cringe. I'm sure my  grandmother is cringing somewhere as well. "Sorry, TMI."

Her chest trembles with a quiet laugh, and it makes the whole experience  feel as if she just stepped out of a silent movie. My heart breaks for  her ten times harder at the thought of never hearing her laugh.

She holds her phone my way. No, that's okay. I don't mind. In fact, I'd  love to hear more about your brother. And as for the hot air balloon,  that sounds like fun. I'm afraid of heights though. She twists her lips  as I read it.

I open my mouth to say something just as the phone buzzes in her hand.  Annie holds up a svelte long finger as she reads the incoming text. Her  hair falls over her shoulder, shiny, healthy looking compared to the  over-processed shit I'm used to. Before Benji died I bedded everything  that moved. He hated that about me. He was the one wanting something  better for me. It was his death that knocked me off my game once and for  all. A dull smile rides up my cheek at the thought. Benji always was  the voice of reason.

Annie pulls her shoulders to her ears. That was my brother. I have two. They can be a bit overprotective.

"Sounds like a fair warning." Brothers. Now that's unchartered territory for me.

I told them I was having coffee with a perfect stranger. Emphasis on the  perfect. She averts her eyes in a playful manner. I'm just playing. I  really do think you're nice, but I don't want you to think I'm hitting  on you.

"Oh? I was sort of hoping you were." I push the words from my lips nice and slow, putting in an extra effort to seduce her.

Her mouth opens as she blushes ten shades deeper.

Annie shakes her head as she types something out. I'm just not into boys right now.

"I get it." I rest my chin on my hand. "You're going through a girl  phase," I tease. I really do get what she's saying, but I'm not buying  the brushoff she's trying to sell. I very much want Annie to be into  boys. This boy specifically would be a nice start. And who knows? Maybe  even a nice stop.

Annie shakes her head frantically. Her lips quiver from a smile to a look of fright as she spastically writes out a response.

I take that back. I am totally into boys. But right now I prefer them  between the covers of a book. She takes back her phone and types  something else out. Actually, on my Kindle. I'm sort of an e-book  hoarder.

"Boys in books, huh?" I don't bother hiding my amusement. That's okay. I  prefer my girls between the covers, too. I hold back a smile as I flash  my response.

Annie averts her eyes at my feeble attempt at humor.

What do you like to read? I flash my phone before taking it back. Let me guess, you're a little heavy on romance right now?

Annie holds back a laugh and gives a single nod.

"That's cool." I type away. It just means I have a lot to live up to. I think I'm up for the challenge.

Her eyes widen a moment, a vibrant shade of blue with just enough  lavender to make her seem unreal. I don't think I've seen such beautiful  eyes before. I could write a song about them. In fact, I know I will. I  reach across the table and pick up her hand again wondering why we have  two feet of lacquered wood between us. I hope to God my tried-as-hell  brain hasn't manufactured her. I've felt madness skirting around the  edges of my psyche since Benji died and with Annie being so perfect I  have to wonder if it's finally settled in.

Maybe it's time to give the romance novels a rest and live one. I show her my screen.

A pair of beefed up dudes speed in our direction, and it's not until they're upon us do I realize it's just Bryson and Holt.

"What's up?" Shit. "Was I supposed to do another set?" The last thing I  need is to fuck up the gig at the bar. The guys and I all need it right  now. It doesn't pay much, but it's bolstered the sales of our indie  album one hundred percent from zero so that's something.

"You tell us what's up." Holt plucks me out of my seat by the jacket,  and I push him off as gently as I can without knocking him out the  window. "Dude, that's our sister. We don't want to see your fucking  hands on her, got it?"

"What?" I glance to Annie who's standing by my side. She's pissed, and I  can tell slightly afraid of where things might go from here. I hold my  hands up in surrender. "I get it. Look, we were just having coffee. I  swear that's all it was." And by the looks of things, that's all it'll  ever be.