Knight

13

Mason Maloney

I was never one to worry too much about what others thought of me. It wasn't that I was extremely confident like my brother, but more like I just didn't think about it. Something had changed in me recently and suddenly I felt like I was being suffocated with insecurity. It might have started when I started getting to know Sam, but I couldn't be too sure. The uncertainty I felt around him made me feel so out of control and I worried what he thought about my every move. I worried that my attraction to him was one sided, even though it didn't seem that way at first.

Sam never replied to my message. I checked my phone the rest of the weekend like a fool and was left unsatisfied. When he came into work on Monday afternoon, I didn't know how to act around him. What we had shared together didn't seem to matter and I feared that if I brought it up, I would seem desperate.

"What are you thinking about?" Sam pulled me from my thoughts, causing me to face him as the two of us leaned against the counter.

"Nothing," I lied.

Sam had a thoughtful expression on his face. "You looked like you were lost in thought."

I shrugged, not knowing what else to say. I didn't want to delve into my thoughts with him, especially when they were about him.

"Anyway," Sam started, clearing his throat. "I was thinking we could hang out this weekend."

What he said caused me to perk up and I was sure he noticed it by the way my posture straightened and how my once sullen expression lifted exceptionally.

"Sure," I answered casually, nodding slowly.

The thought of being alone with Sam was thrilling, yet daunting. It felt as though we were breaking a law and I suppose we kind of were. The thought was exhilarating and nerve-wracking at the same time. Being around Sam caused my nerves to flare, but the added threat of getting caught together was almost overbearing.

"At my place," he trailed. "Alone."

Sam walked closer to me with a teasing smirk on his face. His right hand came in contact with my hip, squeezing it lightly. I gulped at our close proximity as his thumb found its way under my shirt and brushed back and forth on my bare skin.

"Sounds good," I muttered quietly, trying to keep my composure. It was like he knew exactly what he did to me and he was using it to his advantage.

I wished I had the confidence to give him a taste of his own medicine, but when I had no idea where we stood as friends, or more, I couldn't even bare the thought of making a move.

Sam chuckled lightly at my obvious discomfort and removed his hand from my skin, continuing to stand close to me. It felt like I couldn't breathe, yet I still didn't want him to move away from me. We stayed silent for a few moments, looking at each other with blank expressions. I wanted to look away but it was like Sam had paralyzed me and I couldn't look anywhere but him.

"We should start closing up," Sam suddenly said, backing away from me.

I cleared my throat and nodded in agreement, turning my head away from him to hide my flushed skin. Sam walked by me to go count the register while I went out to the front of the store to start putting the chairs on top of the tables.