➸featured on the What's Hot list
➸winner of The Most Addictive Story in The Writers Awards 2017
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❝ i'm going to woo you;
piece by piece,
word by word,
letter by letter. ❞
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In which Nova Hart, a star badminton player and hopeless roma...
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GIVEMEAREASON
The song was drawing to a close, Nova knew because she'd listened to this at least a thousand times.
He spun her one last time, drew her into his arms, then placed a hand on her back and pulled her even closer, lips almost brushing, before dipping her backwards, her hair falling back in a graceful arch.
And in that moment, Graham Miller had stolen her breath.
He paused, seemingly content with his body arched over hers in an elegant dip, before he straightened himself and pulled her upright along with him.
He didn't let go of her hand though. And his other hand was still firmly pressed against her back.
So close, they were so close. She could feel the planes of his defined chest against her own skin, as if there existed no barrier of clothing between their bodies. She could feel his breath, faltering and shaky, as it fanned across her face, carrying traces of spearmint.
"Why did you call it off with Monica?" The question fell past her lips, her heart hammering away, the things she had meant to say but didn't say swimming in her head like restless fishes.
But beats of silence passed, and Nova wasn't hearing whispers in her ear of why she shouldn't go to that dance.
"What?" Graham seemed taken aback at the question, thrown off guard. Obviously, he hadn't expected her to know that he wasn't sleeping with Monica anymore.
Nova just stared back, knowing her heard her perfectly well the first time around.
"She..." He trailed off, and Nova saw his Adam's apple shift as he swallowed. "She called it off," he finally said, dropping his hands and moving away from her. Nova hated that she missed his warmth, just like she'd missed it at the ice cream parlour, and just like she'd missed it that day in chemistry period.
She hated it even more when she knew he was lying. Because hadn't Monica told her Graham was the one who wanted to end the arrangement? But here Graham was, lying to her because he didn't know Nova already knew.
"And why did she call it off?" Nova folded her arms across her chest, her eyes challenging him but he showed no sign of guilt. And if she hadn't known better, she'd believe he was telling the truth.
"Because she finally found someone," he answered, a corner of his mouth lifting up into a twisted smile. "Someone she likes and could see herself falling completely in love with somewhere down the line."
Nova's heart clenched in her chest, wishing so, so much these words were Graham confessing to how he felt about her instead.
"Right," Nova nodded. "Well, good luck to her then. I hope Monica finds that person to be all that she's ever wanted, and more."
"I'm sure she's already found that person to be all she's wanted," Graham murmured, "she just doesn't think she's all that this other person wants."
Nova opened her mouth to say something when she had a car honking outside her house.
"Addy's here," she said instead, the words she'd initially meant to say irrelevant now.
"You're going with Addy?"
"Its like tradition now," Nova fixed her hair, taming the strands that had grown dishevelled during their dance. "We always go to school dances together."
She was set to go, but her feet stood planted to the floor of her kitchen, her eyes searching his for something. Anything.
"I'll see you later then?" Graham grinned, that signature grin she'd seen him wear a million times.
But for once Nova didn't smile back, her chest was hurting. Her heart was conflicted, waging a war against her mind.
"Bye, Miller."
And in a blink of an eye, she was out the door and into the cool, airy night.
