Page 63 of Love in Development

“Then I’ll be back.”He spun and hopped off.Much more agile on a crutch and boot than any man had a right to be.Realizing I was watching his backside, I slammed the door shut and turned my back to it.I slipped off my flats, hooking the backs onto my fingers.

“Spill,” Lin said the minute I walked back into the living room.

“Can I change into PJs first?”

“Back here in ten minutes, or I’ll come find you.”

Charisse and I rushed to change before Lin could get up and start moving around.Back in the living room, I sat cross-legged on the floor next to the coffee table.

Charisse exploded.“I can’t believe IK is Ni-guy.I mean, my dreams of him always being separate and higher than us are completely dashed, but he’s dating my best friend!”

“We’re not dating.Officially.It was just one date, and we didn’t really do anything.”

“What are you holding back?”Lin asked.

“We did dance one dance.”I cleared my throat.“But we never made it inside the gym.OMG, we never made it inside.We both dressed all up, and he asked me to dance.He had said that he’d been meaning to ask me for a long time.Every dance, he’d appeared at the base of my ladder just as I was finishing the decorations...

“Was it likeCinderella?Did you two hold hands?Did you kiss?You seemed very close when you came back.Why did you come back so early?Were you afraid you’d turn into a pumpkin?”Charisse just couldn’t hold back.

I had gone on autopilot.It wasn’t like he had complained.On the contrary, he had given me his brain-killing smile and danced very close to me.And I hadn’t thought.But he wanted to come over tomorrow and see me again, and we had classes together.My palm burned where his fingers had grazed.I stared at it on the table.What if he tried to hold my hand in class?And how was I going to handle the judgment of others?Because, like it or not, Ni was one popular guy, which would make me very unpopular if he continued tonight’s behavior tomorrow.

“What’s with that face?Are you overthinking again?”Lin asked.

I shook my head.“Everyone is going to hate me.”

“Charisse, go get the emergency supplies.”

Charisse jumped up and saluted Lin.“Right away.”

“What emergency supplies?”

“We bought snacks; they were for either condolences, if everything didn’t work out, or celebration.I suppose they are a bit of both.You’re worried about the stigma of being the object of his affections.”

Lin had gotten it in one.She generally went straight for the killing blow.

“Everyone is going to wonder what is so special about me.And they’ll be right.There isn’t anything special.He could do way better than me.”Ugh.I was so whiny that I was annoying myself.

“Quit that kind of talk.You’re beautiful and smart, and he chose you.He likes playing games with you, and he feels comfortable talking to you.”

“It’s not like we’re dating or anything...”I smiled.“He likes to run too.”

“See, you two can go running together.”She said “running” like I had said we both liked to kill baby seals.

She reached out and grasped my hands.“I thought you’d learned your lesson.Compatibility is about more than physical attraction.And he may not have said the words yet, but his eyes tell me he means to.”

I squirmed at the thought.But it was true about compatibility.And I could be relieved that I wasn’t attracted to two guys at the same time.Just one.So far, I liked every part of him, except the mean girls who would hate me.Since when did I care what they thought?The Stephanies of the world could go take a long hike off a short cliff.

He liked me.All of me.And I liked him.All of him.

Charisse came back, her arms full.I reached up to take the drinks, and Charisse opened her arms, letting the rest spill to the floor.There were bags of chips, popcorn, and candy to choose from, and we—well, Charisse and I—dug in.Lin was looking better, but just snacked on crackers.Once the treats were gone, the laughter had faded, and we became sleepy.We helped Lin return to her room, then Charisse disappeared to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

I stood and walked to the closet to stare at the shimmering silver fabric of the dress I had worn.I grasped the sleeve and slipped my fingers along it.It all seemed like a fairy tale.I had met IK, and he had liked me, danced with me, and walked me all the way home without complaint.We had danced together under a willow in the moonlight.It had been everything I had dreamed of and more.I had lost sight of that in learning his real-life identity.Being Ni didn’t change who IK was.I bit my lip as I shut the closet door.Was I ready for tomorrow?If he really wanted to date me—and that wasn’t for sure—he was going to stand next to me, walk with me, and talk to me in public.Could I stand the eyes?

IWORE A SKIRT.I COULDat least dress my best.Everyone would be staring at me today.I took extra care with my braid, even though I knew it would be destroyed by the wind, and the frizz would frame my face by the time I got to my first class.I breathed a sigh of relief when he wasn’t waiting out front.I didn’t know how we would manage with my bicycle and his walking boot.The bike to school was bracing.I’d need every scrap of calm today.

I was setting up my laptop when he sat next to me.The shivers he sent up and down my spine with that smile were too much.I took a deep breath and pretended calm.

“How’d you sleep?”