Melody's Crush

Chapter 22

The pictures reeling through my head were paralyzing and it was all I could do to even say my name correctly at the gate when granted access to the private drive.

Looking at the dash, I noticed the time was nearing nine o'clock. Parked out front of the Warner Estate, I sat in my car waiting for my heart rate to slow down.

However, that didn't happen.

Instead, it kept kicking up faster every time I pictured having to face Kyle, having to look into those icy blues that seemed to be all knowing like a crystal ball or something.

He's a mind reader, remember?

I was so desperate for a kryptonite like power to protect my thoughts that I was almost tempted to go out and buy a roll of aluminum foil to shape into a helmet for my head.

Letting out a long breath, I squared up my shoulders and opened the car door, the interior light nearly scaring the crap out of me. Tonight, I didn't have homework and so I decided to leave my book bag in the car.

Closing the car door, I headed toward the front door and rang the doorbell to which I was greeted by a servant who recognized me, letting me in.

"Am I allowed to go to my room?" I asked in a hushed tone behind my hand to the overgrown penguin.

The man smiled and lifted a wing, I mean a hand, gesturing the direction to go.

"Thank you." I started to move toward the stairs but stopped and turned back to him. "Oh." He turned to look at me. "Can you please not let anyone know I'm here yet?" I asked crossing my arms back and forth over one another repeatedly.

His eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," I shook my head. "Guess not. Okay. Thanks," I said waving my hand.

He nodded and headed off to whatever corner he was hiding in.

Somehow, I managed to find my room without the breadcrumbs. However, I did have to rely on landmarks which were very helpful. Reaching the room, I was nearly out of breath when I tiptoed into the bedroom. Closing the door quietly, I turned only to jump back a little after catching sight of Kyle's form lying on my, or rather his sister's bed, the monitor lying on his chest.

His eyes were closed as if he was sleeping and his hands were laced with one another across his abdomen just above the waist of his jeans.

Lying there under the canopy like that, I was drawn toward an overwhelming desire to see if a kiss really would wake him or if the kiss itself would be... different?

My eyes widened as I watched the scene in my head from earlier at the arcade. But instead of Jake kissing me, it was Kyle and for some reason, my heart kicked up an unnatural staccato hard against my chest that actually made me lightheaded. I could feel a flush of heat rising to my cheeks and wondered why this wasn't the feeling I had when Jake kissed me.

"How was your date?"

Kyle's deep voice caused me to jerk unexpectedly causing me to yelp into the room.

"God, do you always scare the crap out of people like that or just me?" I asked as I blinked a half dozen times, my hand going over my chest as if it had some healing powers that would automatically calm it down.

Yeah, that didn't work.

Like an idiot, I made the mistake of glancing over at the lumber jack giant who was rising up from the bed looking like a smoldering prince right off a Disney movie screen. Non-G rated though. Immediately, my palms began to itch and I could feel my fingers flexing.