SCARLETT DEVERAUX
A soft wind blows over the balcony. But I kind of enjoy the fresh night air. It's a bit chilly for a night in June but I have to admit that Preston's closeness makes me forget the cold. He guides me right to the front of the balcony where I rest my hands on the railing. We never spent time alone. We always met at different events of course, talked a bit and even danced one or two times. But it has always been in a hall full of people. This however, his trained body so close, my shoulders nearly touching his chest as we stand there looking over the city, feeling him breathe behind me, this is new. I let my gaze brush over Central Park, the lit streets and the cars far below us. Ironically enough, hights calm me down.
"You know, you can step out of your dreamworld now. I'm right here ..." He says it with just enough humor in his deep voice that I actually have to laugh about his self-assured comment. "Listen, Scarlett," He says as he takes another step towards me and I can feel the length of his body against my back. "We both know what this is all about." It doesn't take much more to drown out the noise of traffic and the sirens somewhere down the block and replace them with the sound of my own heartbeat. "And it has been about it for a while now." I take a deep breath to steady myself. To compose my face. To convert my tense expression into an innocent smile. Then, I turn around to look straight at him. "You could have sped things up, you know?" Now it's his turn to laugh and I can see, he is thankful for the tease that lifts the pressure but leaves the tension.
Although, the laugh doesn't reach his eyes. They stay fixated on mine as he takes another step towards me, taking up the last remaining space between us. He is close enough that I can smell a soft trace of his perfume: Cedar and something spicy, a dash of lemony pepper. Both his hands are resting on the railing on either side of me, his eyes not moving from mine. He takes in my flushed face and his lips curve into that self-confident half smile of his. "You'd like me to speed it up now?" I bite down on my lower lip as he brushes one strand of hair out of my face. "You are perfect for me, Scarlett. Our parents know it. I know it. And of all the people around us, you know it best." I open my mouth. But he traces his finger along my cheek, down to my jawline and if I ever knew what I was going to say, I cannot recall it any longer. "I am ready, you know? I'm ready for us. Are you?" There is a long pause, while I watch his eyes shift between my eyes and my lips, until I finally realize, it is my turn to speak. This is it. I release the breath I've been holding and nod ever so slightly. "I've been ready for you for a while, Preston."
His kiss is soft, delicate and brief. Not what I have expected, to be honest. After what I've overheard at school I wouldn't have taken him for the gentle type. I feel relief. Mostly because this means he knows I am not one of his usual cheap hookups. But deep down I also know it's because I am not ready to go there. Not with him. Not with anyone. As I feel the soft wind instead of his lips against mine, I slowly open my eyes, just to find his face at some distance. His eyes are on my face but I get the impression he is looking at nothing at all for a second. Then he slightly shakes his head and smiles again. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. We'll go to school together." He doesn't ask. I don't contradict.
***
When we enter Aston High the next day, he holds my hand. I can feel all eyes on us and I can imagine why: We are what everyone would call the perfect couple. To be honest, I think most of the guys have been teasing Preston about me for a while and most of the girls will probably hate me now more than ever. The good thing: They cannot afford to show it. I am in charge of this school and everyone knows it. You don't cross me. You are either part of my squad, irrelevant or you try to stay out of my way. Sounds harsh? If you lived in my world, you would know that appearances are most important. And today, with Preston softly kissing me in front of my locker for all to see, I have not only mastered appearances, I feel luckier than ever before. Who would have thought it would turn out to be so easy after all? Making my parents happy, finding the perfect suitor for Cotillion and making my stomach tingle every time our eyes meet across the class room.
YOU ARE READING
Being Perfect
Romance"There's no such thing as perfect," he says while softly brushing a strand of loose hair out of her ridiculously perfect face, smiling at the irony of his own words. "But if there was, you'd be pretty close." I had the perfect life. Until he destroy...
