SHIFTED.✔

50

I went to the bathroom to tidy myself and redo my hair. When I came out he was still sitting on the ottoman. We didn't say anything to each other but went down stairs and got into the car. The cab was full of tension. I watched him turn on the key and wondered what I'd done wrong. I couldn't stand the silence.

"Did I do something to make you angry?"

He glanced at me sideways and shook his head then concentrated on the road. "What makes you ask that?" He looked at me again.

"You seem a little tense."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm not angry." He tried to smile and spoke gently. "I'm frustrated. It takes a bit to get over. To get close and then have to back off." Keean studied me again. "I'm not angry with you. It's my fault. I shouldn't have done that."

His mood made me feel a bit down. We drove the rest of the way in silence.

Keean turned off the car. I went to open the door but he took hold of my hand. "Hey, it's not your fault I get so intense. I won't do that to you again. Not for a while at least. We should slow down. Concentrate on getting to know stuff about each other. It'll give me some time to learn to control myself." He smiled and touched my face tenderly. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. My heart skipped a beat just by that gentle touch. I knew I'd feel his fingers against my skin for the next hour at least.

"Are you okay with slowing down?"

"Yes...of course," I whispered and pressed my lips against his palm.

Keean pulled me across the bench seat. He touched my lips with his fingers then looked into my eyes. "I won't touch you like that again. Not until you're ready."

I didn't want this wonderful moment to end. I nodded and pressed my lips on his mouth. Keean responded. I felt my breath catch so I pulled away, kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. "It wasn't just your fault. I liked it too." We put our foreheads together, looked into each other's eyes and sighed. After a minute he tickled me. I squealed and slid across the seat.

Keean laughed. "You're doing it to me again, Charlie. If you want to stay in one piece you better back off." He lunged at me. I threw open the door and jumped out, glad our heavy mood had passed. Keean leaned against his door and watched me while I gathered my things.

I frowned and looked up at him. "Aren't you coming?"

"Sadly I'm not." He grinned. I got the double meaning. Gave him the 'oh poor me' look. He laughed. "I'll be there in a minute. Just need some time to settle things down."

I glanced quickly at his crotch, blushed because I'd done that and quickly closed the door. "Sorry."

Keean laughed louder at my embarrassment.

We caught up just before the bell went. He found me sitting with the group in our usual spot and sat down beside me on the bench. Keean rested his elbows on his knees and took hold of my hand. Everyone looked at us and grinned. Keean didn't seem to notice like I did. Boys are funny like that. They seem to let things glide over them where girls noticed everything. Sometimes I wish I was like them. Life would probably be a damn sight easier if a person didn't read too much into the way someone looked at you or said something you mistook as criticism.

"Crone." Nick nodded an acknowledgement.

"Harrison." Keean returned.

Keean squeezed my hand and tilted his head to look at me. He grinned. I grinned back. We didn't say anything to each other but listened while everyone else talked.

"Still on detention, Crone?" Peter asked with a huge smile on his face. I knew he was opening the door so he could have a sarcastic dig at Keean.

"Yeah...till the end of the week."

Peter laughed, "Sucker."

Keean nodded his agreement. I was so proud of the way he took their taunting because it didn't stop with Peter calling him a sucker.

We said goodbye when the bell rang. Keean kissed me on the cheek.

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

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