Chapter 5

She froze in my arms.

She slowly lifted her head, her eyes red and shining, shimmering like wet obsidian.

"What did you just say?" Natalie stammered.

"I said I like you. Not the way you like a friend you grew up with. The way a guy likes a girl," I said.

I looked straight into her eyes and meant every word of it.

"So stop reading that stuff. The guy you're writing about is standing right here," I said.

"And if you want, maybe we could try it for real," I added, my voice dropping.

Natalie's face was so red…