Page 5 of The Air I Breathe

A smirk works its way across my face.

She's sassy.

I fuckin' like it.

Chapter Four

Willa

I'm nervous now that I know he's with my security team. That means he's not going to back out. Not that I really thought he would. He seems like the kind of guy who goes through with whatever he says he's going to.

I've changed my outfit three times, and I refuse to change it again. I've gone from dressing up to where I am right now—in a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a comfortable gray crop top, with socks on my feet. My hair isn't fixed at all, but I've run a brush through it, and today I don't have my signature red lip color on. Instead, I've gone for no makeup. If he's going to get me, he's going to get me at my most natural.

There's a knock at the door, and I almost want to throw up. "Yeah?"

"Willa, you have a guest." Kevin escorts him in.

"Thank you." I smile.

Kevin leaves as quietly as he came. Blake and I are stuck in the silence of the hotel room with nothing but the TV playing in the background. He takes up more space than I assumed he would, so much bigger than I thought he was. He doesn’t dwarf me, but he’s big enough to make me feel small.

"Good to see you." He smiles back at me. "Thanks for finally realizing I’m into you."

I can't help it. I laugh loudly, throwing my head back. "Do you know how many people tagged me on social media about you talking about it? Then you had the nerve to tell everybody I rejected you. I was hearing it from everyone.”

His face turns red. "I've always kind of had a big mouth."

"It's okay. I like a guy who has a bit of arrogance. I've never really met anyone who would make a grand gesture for me." I hook my thumb in the belt loop of my shorts.

"Well, good thing I'm here then, huh? I've been known to give a little arrogance. Usually out on the football field, but I can wrestle up a little bit of it for you in person if you need me to?" His blue eyes are shining, and just like that I know he's going to surprise me in ways I never imagined.

"You've already done that. Now? I think I'd just like to get to know you."

"I think I'd like to get to know you too." He leans back against the couch, relaxing against the cushions.

We're quiet and awkward as we stand in the middle of the suite. If I had been the type of girl who went to high school instead of being home-schooled, I imagine I would've been in a situation like this previously. However, I'd been the girl who was focused on what her career was going to be, the girl who wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Instead of enjoying the journey, I'd gone full-steam ahead and had to learn to construct a whole belief system not only for myself, but for everyone else around me.

Part of me feels like I should apologize for the cloak-and-dagger pickup, the private meet up, the fancy suite, but I worked hard for this, and I won’t. I've had to learn to sit in my accomplishments and give myself credit for what I've done. That's never taught—it's not a part of life that people put emphasis on. At least, it’s not emphasized for girls and women who are steeped in the tradition of 'being seen and not heard.' I was so focused on being the woman who didn't make waves that I became a shell of my former self. I became someone I didn't recognize, and I swore I'd never go there again.

Instead, I will root for myself, I will tell myself good job, and I will take the time to appreciate what I've managed to accomplish.

So here I am, standing in the middle of this suite, wondering how I should handle this. My eyes flit over his body, when it catches on a bracelet he’s wearing. “I like that.” I nod toward it.

“Thanks. My niece made it before we went to your concert in Nashville with the help of her mom. I haven’t taken it off since, and it’s become something of a superstition at this point.”

Be still my heart. “That’s super sweet.”

“I don’t let it get around too much.” He grins.

The silence stretches between us again.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" I ask, my voice sounding wobbly even to my own ears.

He smiles slowly, the diamonds in his ears shining as bright as his teeth. "Yeah, I'd love that. Are we allowed to talk during the movie?"

I scoff. "Of course. We're just going to pretend to watch it like all people getting to know each other do."

“I can think of other things I like to do during movies,” he laughs, and after-dark images flicker in my mind. I shiver. “But I like talking too, of course.”