Read Touching Melody (A Forever First Novel) for Free Online Page B

body is trained on Kyle. Two away.
    Gina adds more question marks to the paper.
    I swallow. My first thought is to deny, deny, deny. What’s the point though?
    She sets her pencil on top of the paper.
    I scribble back : I’ll tell you later.
    A grimace crosses her face, and she sniffles. I’m worried that she’s crying and look over. She gives me a huge smile. I notice her eyes. They are wide, like she has them pinned open with invisibl e toothpicks. She writes: so it’s the hottie TA . She sniffs again.
    Maybe she’s getting a cold.
    Are you sick? I write.
    No, she answers.
    Okay.
    A slight breeze moves my hair, and I immediately know why. Kyle is at our row. My heart is pounding so loud, like it wants to knock me over, drag me down, and punch me out. I know I need to stay away from him. I know he’s probably dangerous, evil. But my body doesn’t give a crap what I think. The sight of Kyle, the way he moves, stands, and breathes; he makes my body ache in places I didn’t know could ache.
    The cotton balls in my mouth are now accompanied by sandpaper.
    Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him , I keep telling myself. But I can’t resist, and I glance at him through my lashes.
    He shakes his head, glances at the paper Gina and I have been writing on, and then smiles, an enormous, beautiful, all-consuming smile. At me.
    He read what we wrote. My face heats and my hands start to shake. I’m humiliated.
    Gina giggles takes the stack of papers he hands her, grabs one, and passes the rest to me. I do the same, passing them to the next person.
    Never in the history of syllabuses has the one in my hands been more interesting. I pretend to focus, keeping my eyes on my paper, praying my heart will slow down.
    Seconds that feel like hours slip by and Gina sets the condemning paper on my desk. On it is masculine writing with a number and the words: call me!
    Ms. Spears is still talking. Probably about the syllabus, but I can’t hear a word. La Traviata: Prelude to Act 1 is playing in my head, the aching opening notes matching my heart. My lips part and a squeak escapes my throat.
    I’m losing it , all grasp on reality.
    Still I can’t help myself. I watch Kyle's descending movement and am mesmerized by the way his shoulder blades move effortlessly under his shirt, the way his muscles flex when he takes a step.
    Gina steals the paper and scribbles four words , meaningless when separated, but together bring my face to scalding.
    You have it bad.
    I take a deep breath, working to convince myself it’s not true. Too much time has gone by. Too much has happened. Any feelings I’m harboring are residual from when I was younger. I’ve seen the way the current Kyle acts, and there is nothing about him to like. Definitely not love.
    Except his smile.
    And his eyes.
    And the way he moves, like a predator stalking its prey. Lithe. Liquid.
    I shake my head and try to glare.
    Gina covers her mouth with a hand, stifling a laugh.
    I face forward, forcing myself to listen to Ms. Spears and her overdramatic ruminations.
     
     
     
    When class is over I follow Gina out. I have Biology next. First I need to grab my book and a pencil.
    “Who is he?” Gina asks when we’re outside.
    I ignore her, focusing on the landscape surrounding us: The pine trees and the wild daisies, the rose bushes and the crabapple trees. In the distance are the Rocky Mountains. The grass on campus is lush and green. With Wyoming’s harsh winters, it won’t last much longer. I sigh and inhale a deep breath. The air is crisp. 
    “Maddie?” she says, smacking my arm.
    “What?” I respond automatically , then sigh heavily. I’ve got to tell her something. Not that Kyle was my first crush, or the first and only person I dreamed of marrying. I won’t tell her how his father killed my parents or that he might hurt me. I don’t tell her any of that. Instead I say, “He’s just some guy from the party last night.”
    “Shit. What