Vitality (Vitality Series #1)

Chapter 25 Night Sky

Ava looked over to see Layton pulling the glass door open, damp from the cold rain, and yet he was still only wearing a t-shirt. Wet little strands of hair hung pitiful by his eyes. Water dripped down his neck, down his chest. She ripped her eyes away, back to concentrate on her drawing.

His presence consumed her, but she wasn't going to show it. He was assessing her as he walked closer.

"Are you okay?" He brushed his hand down her bare shoulder where the sweater hung from. His eyebrows came down. "You're cold."

"So are you. As usual," she brushed off his concern, still staring at her picture, having to concentrate harder. "And wearing black as usual. Don't you like color?"

"Not usually." He eyed her copper hair and then brushed her pinking cheeks with the back of his knuckles. "You don't feel cold?"

"I don't know."

He put his hand on her forehead, probably feeling for a fever. When he was satisfied enough, his hand trailed down over her hair, gliding the stray hairs by her ear between his fingers. Little goosebumps on her neck arose where his fingers brushed. Her eyes flickered out the side, wanting to steal a full glance, but working not to.

His fingers continued down over her loose braid, which lay over her shoulder. "I like your hair like that." One side of his mouth flickered up and lowered quickly, and his hand fell from her shoulder. "What are you drawing?" he asked, finally pulling his gaze away from her.

Ava was drawing his tower. She drew it so his ledge was the point of view in the bottom-right corner, starring at the lightly drawn sleeping town and calm waters. But she didn't need to clarify that to him; she could see the recognition in his eyes when she looked up at him, slightly embarrassed, praying her cheeks weren't growing as bright as they felt.

He reached down for the other piece of chalk. "You're forgetting something." He went to draw on it.

"Wait!" She tried to stop him. "You'll ruin it."

He paused. "Don't you trust me?" Ava looked at him slack jawed, actually wondering if she did, but he didn't give her long to ponder. "Have a little faith." He smirked and then started slashing lines and rubbing his fingers as he leaned down over it, fully concentrating. Ava was smirking now. He was drawing the bell tower in the distance, with a light lit inside. And it was really good...

She had been procrastinating on that part, not wanting to see herself calling for him when he wasn't answering... She drew his tower because she just wanted to be where he was for a little while.

"There." He put down the chalk and turned to her, wiping his hands together. "Better."

Ava looked him up and down. "Now your hands are all black," she teased, trying not to act impressed.

"Oh yeah?" he laughed. "Well you have it all over you." His face went serious as he took a step closer. "Come here, let me help you." He rubbed his thumb on her cheek.

She jumped back. "Layton! You're gonna make it worse." She tried stifling a giggle, realizing how fragile it felt in her shoulders. Unable to hold her lips straight as she looked up at him, she was grinning like a drunken idiot. What was happening to her?

He looked down at his hands as if he had actually forgotten for a second, and his head went back softly as a laugh took him over — an open-mouthed laugh. His hands still hovered out close to her, like they were waiting to touch her again. His eyes laughed, and his body folded in like a young boy having a laughing fit, his head back briefly in its daze; she was not feeling so bad now for what she had just let slip out.