from the novel 'Shiver'
I turned my face toward his voice, eyes still fast shut, and he put his mouth on mine. I felt his lips pull from mine slightly, just for moment, and heard the rustle of the book laid on the floor, and then he wrapped his arms around me.
His lips tasted cool and sharp, peppermint, winter, but his hands, soft on the back of my neck, promised long days and summer and forever. I felt light-headed, like I wasn't getting enough air, as if my breath was stolen as soon as I took it. Sam lay back on the couch, just a little, and pulled me into the circle hi body made, and kissed me and kissed me, so careful, like my lips were a flower and if he touched them too roughly, they might bruise.
I don't know how long we were curled against each other on the couch, silently kissing, before Sam noticed that I was crying, I felt him hesitate, salt water on his tongue, before he realized what the taste meant."Grace. Are you- crying?"I didn't say anything, because that would only make the reason for my tears more real. Sam rubbed them away with his thumb, then pulled his sleeve over his fist to wipe the tracks away with the fabric.
"Grace, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Sam's yellow eyes were flickering over my face, looking for clues as I shook my head.
Downstairs, I heard the cashier ringing up another customer. It seemed very far away.
"No," I said finally. I rubbed rear out of my eye before it could fall. "No, you did everything right. It's just that-" I couldn't say it. I couldn't.
Sam didn't flinch. "-that this is my last year."
I bit my lip, hard, and rubbed away another tear. "I'm not ready. I'll never be ready."
He didn't say anything. Maybe there wasn't anything to say. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me again, only this time over the back of my head, clumsy but comforting. I closed my eyes and listened to the thud of his heart until mine matched pace with his. Finally, he rested his cheek on the top of my head and whispered, "We don't have time to be sad."
The sun had become brilliant by the time we walked out of the bookstore, and with a shock I realized how much time had passed. On cue, my stomach pinched with hunger.
"Lunch," I said. "Immediately. I'm going to wither away to absolutely nothing. Then you'll be racked with guilt."
"I don't doubt it." Sam took my little bag of new books and turned to put them in the Bronco, but he froze partway toward the car, his eyes fixed somewhere behind me. "Crap. Incoming."
He turned his back to me and unlocked the car, shoving the books onto the passenger seat, trying to look inconspicuous. I turned around and found Olivia, looking disheveled and tired. Then John appeared behind her and gave me a big grin. I hadn't seen him since before I met Sam. and in comparison, I couldn't fathom how I'd ever imagined he was good-looking. He looked dusty and ordinary beside Sam's black flop hair and golden eyes.
to be continued in next post.......
Please Visit: www.lovebookessence.wordpress.com
Please Visit: www.canwec.blogspot.com
authored by 'Maggie Stiefvater'
No comments:
Post a Comment