Beauty and the Geek Boy

Chapter 20-Will

*Geek Boy*

I see you.

The words thrummed through my fingers as I read the text message. I blinked once, wondering if I was imagining it. 

Did Ellie Kent just send me a text message?

Rapidly, I swiped the screen, my eyes devouring the words.

I glanced up, and froze.

Ellie Kent sat on a bench across the path. Blonde curls spilled down her shoulders, a golden pool sparkling beneath the lanterns as it poured down to her waist. She wore a red crop top over black jeans, revealing a glint of tanned stomach. Between her fingers was her phone, locked between frozen fingers. She was luminescent, giving off a glow that could permeate the deepest depths of my heart.

Abruptly, the area was calm and I saw nothing but her.

And she was looking right at me.

I couldn't stop the joy boiling up in my chest. A grin stretched across my face. Her eyes widened.

I glanced down as I rapidly typed back:

Hi. I see you too.

Did that sound creepy? Or weird?

 I couldn't tell. My mind was filled with the pounding of my heart. Anticipation sang beneath my skin.

I watched her as she glanced down, reading the text message. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes widening. Finally, she glanced up, her eyes locking with mine.

Another pulse goes through my chest.

Dang it.

Her gaze went back to the phone and she typed rapidly.

I steadied my breathing as I waited impatiently. Finally, my phone vibrated.

I like your jacket ;) 

I paused. 

How I felt about her, even now, I couldn't believe it. No one could feel the way I did. This sensation was just...impossible.

My chest ached and my fingers froze over the keyboard.

What I would give, what I would sacrifice, to be with Ellie, it was immeasurable.

Finally, I typed out a response:

Thank you.

I bit my lip, then rapidly, before I could change my mind:

You look beautiful.

Beautiful would never be a strong enough word to describe her. 

I glanced up, my stomach coiled in anxiety, to watch her reaction. 

Red permeated her cheeks as she glanced down. Her lips parted.

She glanced up slowly, and her eyes, large and full of surprise, met mine. For a moment, I saw a spark of vulnerability behind her eyes. I saw a piece of her that didn't match her usual cheerleader countenance. 

It only made her more beautiful.

Woah.

Blinking rapidly, her cheeks becoming ever redder, she glanced down at her phone and typed rapidly.

My heart stopped when I read the words:

Want to meet up?

I read the message twice. Then again to make sure I'd read it correctly.