Melting
Her
I walked through the hallway after my third class, my stomach turning with nerves. All I could think about all day were his dark green eyes, and his penetrating gaze on mine as his soft lips touched my palm.
I had been with Micah for about a year and he had never made my heart tremble the way it did when he looked at me. I shook my head as I walked into the cafeteria, I had to get my shit together.
“Hey! Inesa, right?”
A green eyed, beautiful redhead stood in front of me. Samarah. I nodded, shyly smiling at her then at Kayla and Mia.
“Wanna sit with us?” Kayla offered, her hands curling around the tray of food she carried.
I frowned, looking back to Samarah, “You want me to sit with you?”
Samarah laughed, “Yes. Come on, we won’t bite.”
I seriously doubted that, but there was no one to save me. No one to distract me with a conversation and pull me in a different direction. I grabbed a tray and followed them to their empty table.
We sat in silence for a moment, and my eyes fluttered between Samarah and Kayla as they looked at me. Mia was too focused on her phone to look up and join in on the interrogation.
“We all heard about Micah and Liz,” Samarah smiled, though she tried to look sorry.
Ah. There it was.
“Harsh,” Kayla nodded, taking a sip from her soda.
I frowned, chewing on the inside of my cheek. I had never spoken to them before, and yet here I was, listening to them talk about my heartbreak.
“We’re totally on your side,” Samarah flicked her red hair behind her shoulder, flicking her hand toward me, “Cheaters are awful.”
Mia put her phone down, “Even worse when they do it with your best friend.”
“Umm,” My stomach flipped violently. I could tell by the way they looked at me that they had been gossiping about it all day yesterday, I knew it. They were probably all too giddy to talk about someone’s life falling apart.
“Hello, hello,” Mia smiled teasingly, her eyes following someone that had just walked into the cafeteria.
“Yummy.” Kayla added.
“Guys!” Samarah laughed, her eyes also following Mia’s line of sight.
I turned around, my breath escaping my lungs when I saw Kian enter the cafeteria. He walked to the corner and sat alone, resting his feet on a second chair. He popped on his headphones and rested his head back on the wall, his eyes locking with mine.
I turned back to the group of girls, trying to hide the blush on my face.
Samarah raised an annoyed eyebrow, “Got him under your spell, too?”
I frowned, jerking my head back at the obvious diss. “What?” I whispered.
“I’m just saying. Make your choice, girl. Are you heart broken over Micah, or salivating over Kian?”
Kayla and Mia watched her with wide eyes and I nodded softly, picking up my tray as I stood up, “Yeah, okay,” I shrugged.
I faced the cafeteria, not finding anyone to sit with. My heart berated against my chest, anxiety filling my palms with sweat. I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling slowly to calm my nerves.
I wiggled my toes in my shoes and I wanted to squeal but, yet, somehow I made my way toward him. He tensed when he saw me, and I couldn’t read the dark look in his eyes. Was he trying to tell me to stay away?
He brought his feet down from the chair and sat up straight, his leg bouncing on the floor nervously.
“C-can I sit with you?” I whispered. I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. I sounded so little. So afraid.
He nodded stiffly, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He pulled the headphones from his ears, watching me sit in front of him, his eyes wide with what looked like panic.
“Thanks, I don’t exactly have friends to sit with,” I let out an airy chuckle.
He swallowed his eyes looking over my shoulder to the table of the three minions who I had just been sitting with, “Isn’t Liz your friend?”
The question sent a wave of goosebumps on my skin and I rubbed my arms with hand. How did he know who Liz was?
“Y-you haven’t heard?” My cheeks warmed up and I bit my lip to stop myself from falling apart.
He raised an eyebrow and clenched his jaw, shrugging, “Does it look like I have anyone telling me anything?”
I chuckled, “No.” I shook my head and frowned, looking down to the tray of nasty cafeteria pasta, “Um, Liz, she um- well, Micah- he - he said he was drunk- and-“
“He cheated on you?” He sounded angry, making me shift my eyes to him. He had leaned in, his eyes running the length of my face and I felt heat on my cheeks.
I looked back down to my tray, nodding, finally letting my lips tremble with the emotions I had yet to work through. I was caught off guard by his fingers on my chin and I stiffened, looking into his eyes again. God. I thought Micah was handsome, but Kian. Kian was melting my skin with his gaze.
“Fuck him. He doesn’t deserve you. Never did.”
I shrugged and he pulled away, sitting with his head leaned back on the wall again.
“I guess love makes you blind.” I laughed.
He tensed, grabbing his backpack and standing up quickly, “Yeah, I’ll uh- I’ll see you around.”
He left, and I watched him leave with my lips parted in shock. I finally came back to life, noticing how sweaty my palms were, how tense my legs were and how hard my heart was beating in my chest.