The Deep End

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Wyatt stiffened. He wasn't sure if he wanted to answer that question. His nerves were suddenly on high alert. The only people in his life who knew about his dissatisfaction with his major were Dre and Mike. They had been a part of his life since he was ten. They knew him, and so too did they understand him. But she wasn't them. He barely knew her. Yes, he was attracted to her, but giving her access to his inner workings felt too... he couldn't exactly put a word to it. Too personal? He was starting to feel vulnerable now. As if she was holding a spotlight over him and demanding to search him for secrets.

He looked down into her dark brown eyes. He noticed the flutter of her lashes as she waited on his answer.

"I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. Let's leave it at that."

She frowned up at him and his eyes fell to her lips.

"That's not fair." She said.

"What?"

"I just told you my whole life's purpose and you're holding out."

He smiled, "How about this," he touched the screen of his phone and saw that the time read 9:15, "let me walk you to your dorm. And I'll tell you something I've never told anybody before."

Her eyes grew wide in interest. She turned away from him and sighed before standing. He was so close to her that the rapid movement caused her thigh to rub against his leg as she stood. Her hip was now eye level with his face.

"Fine. But only because it's late and I have an 8am. Don't think you're getting your way." She said as she began to gather up her books and place them back into her bag.

He chuckled as he stood up, the front of his body connecting with hers. He towered over her by a good four feet and so as he looked down at her his lips barely grazed her hair.

She jerked away, stepping aside to garner more room. As she zipped up her bag she shot him a look. "Remember what I said earlier. It's never gonna happen."

He laughed as he began to pack up, closing the pizza box and grabbing her discarded soda can to place in the nearest trash bin. "I didn't even say anything."

As they left the second floor, Tia pulled him along behind her to check out the books they had been using. The student worker at the desk scanned her student ID before quickly scanning the books and handing them back to her with a receipt.

She turned to him and pushed two of the books against his chest. He reached for them in surprise.

"These two are for your portion of the research. Remember, describe what unmet needs are, bullet points on what constitutes unmet needs, identify factors that lead to mental health issues in Black spaces. That's your half."

"Aight, I get it."

"Great," she said as she turned on her heel and headed for the door, "let's go."

He quickly caught up to her and as they exited the glass double doors of the library they were side by side. The cool night air was brisk and Tia was glad she chose to wear a hoodie and sweats. The moon was high in the sky and was seen above the trees. It was a crescent, the stars sprinkled around it illuminated the space. They moved through the sunken garden, neither of them talking. The sounds of their footsteps and soft breathing mingled into the surrounding quiet.

Wyatt broke the silence when he asked, "What dorm are you in?"

"The twos," she said quickly.

Silence fell over them again and Tia began to walk a little bit faster. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure he could hear it and it made her strangely nervous. They rounded the bend of the sunken garden and Tia realized that they had taken the long way without either of them noticing or commenting.

As their steps fell into beat he spoke again, his voice low and yet somehow not drowned out by the groups of walking students passing by them talking loudly or laughing.

"Put your number in my phone." He held it in her direction, continuing to match her pace as they walked.

"Why?"

He chuckled, and the sound sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. "Cause we're partners, and we need to be able to communicate for questions or when our next study session will be."

She wanted to protest but couldn't come up with a reason for her to object. She sighed before she snatched his phone out of his hand and quickly typed her number in.

He laughed at her demeanor instead of getting mad. He noticed the nervousness in her posture, and the way that her eyes subtly looked over at him in the dim beams of the street lights.

She handed his phone back to him, "Don't text me for anything other than the midterm."

He smiled, "What if I want to be your friend?"

"You don't want to be my friend, Wyatt."

"How do you know that?" He asked.

"Because you annoy the hell out of me. You're unserious as hell and we'll clash. I'd end up killing you. My face plastered on the nine o'clock news for first degree murder."

He just chuckled again, "Nah, I think we get along. You like me for real. You just don't want to admit it."

"You're expecting me to like you but you're not that smooth, negro. You're just full of yourself. You're used to people liking you."

"Aight. But it's not a crime to be confident." He said evenly.

Silence fell between them again but this time Tia found it hard to endure. They passed by another group of wandering students, each of them talking animatedly to each other. As they moved past them, one of them took a step back. They were laughing, their whole body in tune to their amusement. They knocked into Wyatt and he side stepped trying to dodge it. But they were walking so close to each other that he knocked into her. She gasped at the impact, her legs twisting underneath her as she fell. She hit the concrete with a wince, bag dropping off her shoulder.

"Damn, my bad." The student said as their group began to move away.

Wyatt ignored them and reached down to help her up. "You ok? I'm sorry."

She slid her hand into his absentmindedly, accepting his help. "It's ok, I'm alright," she mumbled. As he pulled her up, she wasn't braced for his strength. She knocked into his chest and his arms shot out to steady her. One of his hands was on the small of her back now. The other gripped her upper arm firmly to hold her still.

She froze. The smell of him filling her nose. The heat of his body against the cool night air, comfortable. She could hear his breathing and his heartbeat.

"Tia." He said.

She was too scared to move. Too scared to back away or look up at him. She wondered if he could hear her heartbeat too?

"You alright?" He asked again, his voice rumbled in his chest.

She nodded.

He chuckled. The action made his whole body vibrate. She closed her eyes, willed herself to take a deep breath. To step back. To say something!

But she couldn't and he knew it. He could feel it in the way her body was molded against his chest. He could hear it in the rapid sound of her breathing.

His hand on her lower back pulled her in impossibly closer and he leaned down. His cheek brushing her forehead.

"Tia." He whispered. "Look at me."

She shook her head. She needed to think but nothing was coming to mind.

"Tia."

"Hmmm?" She mumbled.

He laughed, "Look. At. Me."

She turned her head and his lips pressed against hers.

I'm so anxious, so meet me at eleven-thirty... "So Anxious" Ginuwine