Porcelain Skin (NOW ON AMAZON KU)

44. Did You Just...?

He glances down at the array of knitting needles and yarn that he's organized on the floor beside him and then grins before returning his gaze to me.

"Yep," he says. "I've been meaning to give them back to you for awhile, but it kept slipping my mind. I figured now would be the perfect time for you to teach me."

He looks down at a ball of yarn that he's playing with, and he suddenly seems slightly insecure. My heart warms at the realization, and I carefully sit down across from him.

"I felt like we needed a break from dreams," he explains.

I smile at him when he lifts his head to look at me.

"Good idea," I agree, grabbing a pair of knitting needles from off the floor and tapping them against the carpet.

Trevor continues to mess with the string while I watch him.

"I'm sorry," I finally admit.

He looks at me again with a tight smile. "Actually, I'm sorry," he responds. "I'm just a curious guy. I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

"Why do you care so much?" I ask before I can convince myself not to.

His tight smile finally blossoms, and for a moment I can't bring myself to tear my gaze from the temptation of his full lips. I can feel his eyes on me, and I shift my focus to see a knowing gleam in his perceptive perusal of my features. I don't blush often, but I can feel my face heat because, somehow, I know that he's aware of more than he's letting on.

"I have my reasons," he answers with a confident smirk.

"You know who I like, don't you?" I find myself asking, and I want to bash my head in with a wrecking ball. Why am I bringing up this topic again after he so graciously gave me the opportunity to escape it?

"There's no way for me to know until you tell me," he replies with a nonchalant shrug. "But, I have my suspicions," he adds after a moment.

Great. He knows. He knows! But if he really does know, wouldn't he be running as far and fast away from me as possible? And yet, here he is, waiting patiently for me to snap out of it and teach him some knitting. I shake my head and meet his gaze with as confident of a smile as I can muster.

"Okay, Trevor. Moving on." I put down the needles and pick up a ball of yarn. "How 'bout those knitting lessons, huh?"

"Alright, M&M. Show me how it's done," he responds while relaxing his back against the side of my bed as if he's settling in for a good movie.

I try to ignore the nickname and the painful burst in my chest that accompanies it.

"So," I begin as I unravel the wad of string. "What you're going to do is tie a knot around one of the needles." I pause as I do this. "Then with your right hand create a lazy 'L' shape with your thumb and pointer finger like this." I demonstrate as I speak.

Trevor reaches out to grab his own needle and string and begins copying my actions.

"Now," I go on, "grab the string and wrap it loosely around the 'L' of your right hand. Then you're going to twist your wrist to create a loop before slipping it onto the needle. Tighten the loop and slide it down to meet the knot you formed." I pause to watch Trevor.

"Here," I say as I reach out to help.

My fingers brush over his and we both pause. My gaze darts up to meet his and my breath evaporates from my lungs. I laugh nervously while gently grasping the string and sliding it over his fingers. I can sense he's not focusing on anything I'm doing because I can feel his eyes boring into the side of my head. I dip my chin to allow my hair to fall, slightly obscuring his vision from my warm cheeks.