White is for Virgins

Chapter 38

I sighed, going through the prom pictures Lily had given me before I'd moved. I couldn't seem to look away from the one she'd snapped in the boys' bathroom. She'd captured the kiss Fox had given me upon seeing me in my dress. My lips tingled as I stared at my entranced face and Fox's elegant jawline. My cheeks burned as I stared at his hands, gently holding my face. I forced myself out of the chair and away from the table; away from those pictures.

I was decked out in the skimpiest clothes I could find: a pink tube top and some red boxer shorts that I normally wore to bed. The apartment was sticky – the humidity level was sky high. Never before had I breathed air so saturated.

My parents were out, about thirty-three minutes away to bring more furniture from my grandparent's house. We'd only taken the necessary stuff with us Friday, meaning two beds, a table, and a couch, so we could start living in the apartment. Now we just had to go and get all the other stuff to fill the place up; not that there was too much room. It'd be a homey space – living room and dining area connected to the kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a little balcony. In the words of my mother, "What else do we need, huh?"

A slight breeze rolled through and I relished those few precious seconds. The clouds had suddenly turned very dark and grey. I reluctantly closed the glass door of the balcony as the wind began to howl. It looked like a storm was coming. Because we hadn't hooked up the TV yet, I couldn't go and check the weather channel.

"I need ice cream," I declared, stalking over to the fridge. I found a bowl and a spoon and started filling it up with strawberry ice cream, keeping the freezer open to cool myself off a bit. After the first bite of yummy frozen dairy, I heard the doorbell. They have the worst timing! I whined, going to buzz my parents in and then sticking my bowl in the freezer to preserve my snack. Just as I was about to go downstairs and help them with the boxes, my phone rang.

"Ugh!" I groaned, running over to grab my phone off the counter. "I can't be everywhere at once," I grumbled. The caller ID read: Mom.

"Hello?"

"Emery, honey, is everything okay? Is it raining there?" she asked worriedly. There?

"Um, it just started to," I replied oddly, looking out the balcony. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Grandma's with your father. It's pouring so bad over here; there's a tornado warning in effect for the next couple of hours where we are. It might move up to where you are, I don't know what to do," she said in a rush.

"Mom, woah, woah," I said, "Pause; rewind. Tornado warning?"

"The world's coming to an end, honey, I swear," she claimed. "Are you going to be okay by yourself? I'm so scared to leave you baby but they're showing it on the news in the town over, roofs are coming off of houses!"

"Mom," I said calmly, "I'll be fine. It'll die down soon enough, just stay at Grandma's. Stay in the basement, alright? If it gets really bad I'll go down to the first floor. Don't worry about me – you just keep texting me and letting me know what's up, okay?" I reached into the freezer for my ice cream and resumed eating it.

"Okay honey, we're going down right now. Your father's taking all the food and water he can find with him just in case. We should be fine; I just hope it passes soon. Are you sure you're not too scared?" There was an urgent knock on the door. Um, terrified, actually.

"I'm fine, Mom, I love you," I told her quickly, "Keep me posted – we don't have cable."

"Love you, too," she laughed, "We're getting cable first thing in the morning!" Hanging up the phone, I inched silently over to the door and peeked through the peephole. I nearly dropped the frigid bowl that was in my hands. Without a word, or a coherent thought, I unlocked the door and pulled it open. His hair was soaked, falling into his face; water was dripping onto his incredibly tan, impeccably gorgeous face from his flawless mop. His hands were braced on either side of the doorframe as he stared at me with eyes as green as the summer grass. I was trapped instantly by them and their entrancing gold flecks.