Page 4 of The Mist of Stars
So, this is something I’ve never told anyone and won’t. It’s also a small part of why I loathe being around Alex—I can feel his presence before seeing him. It’s something that’s happened since the first day I met him when we were just kids.
He’s behind me, I think, coming up the stairs.
I do my best to play calm, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.
“You two are running a bit late.” His voice floats over my shoulder and causes the buzzing to increase.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m going crazy because he appears to not feel anything around me. And that would be okay—it’s not like I like him—but it sucks to feel anything for him when he’s a cocky jerk.
I resist an eye roll and quicken my pace without glancing over my shoulder at him.
“We’re fine,” Aislin tells him then says to me, “Bestie, hold my coffee for a second so I can see if my book is in here.”
I pause, summoning a deep breath before turning around, making sure to keep as neutral of an expression as possible.
Aislin has stopped in the middle of the stairs and has her bag in front of her. Just beside her is Alex. His green eyes are on me, and his short, messy brown hair is lightly blowing against the warm, gentle breeze. I’m on the taller side, yet he is, too, and lean muscles cover his body.
“Hi, Gemma,” he greets me with a teasing smile that makes me want to flip him the middle finger.
Instead of answering, I backtrack to where they’re standing and take Aislin’s coffee, holding it in one hand and mine in the other.
“I guess no hello for me this morning, then,” he says while slipping his hands into his pockets. His voice is filled with amusement, but that’s typical for him.
I keep my gaze fixed on Aislin. “What book are you even looking for?”
“My spell book.” Her voice is tinged with frustration. “It’s the one Zoe lent me. Crap, I think I left it at home.” She takes the coffee from me. “I have to go get it. I already forgot it like three times already. I’ll see you at lunch.” She takes off down the stairs while I turn and head upward.
“She’s so scatterbrained sometimes,” Alex remarks while following me for some reason.
“She is not,” I feel the need to defend my best friend, though Aislin is a bit forgetful.
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I was just stating a fact.” He moves up to walk beside me. “I think you know that, too.”
I look up at him, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. “Okay, fine, she’s a bit forgetful, but we all have our faults.”
“I know.” He eyes me over. “Why do you always take offense to everything I say?”
“Because everything you say has an underlying meaning.” I cross my arms. “Maybe if you said something genuinely nice, I wouldn’t.”
He reclines back and rests his arms on the railing. “I’m nice. You just think I’m not, even when I am.”
He could be right, but I’m not about to give him the satisfaction of hearing me say that.
“Prove it then,” I challenge. “Do or say something genuinely nice.”
He rubs his lips together, considering. Then he pushes away from the railing and steps toward me, the bottom of his boots scuffing against the concrete.
I tilt my head up to meet his eyes, confusion webbing through me. “What’re you doing?” The buzzing is increasing inside my veins, making it hard to think clearly.
He wets his lips with his tongue. “You look beautiful today. You always do.”
“W-What?” I stammer.
He starts to reach for me—I think, anyway—but right then, my friend, Henry, walks up to us. His blond hair is swept back, and he’s sporting a gray shirt and slacks.
“Dude, I’m so glad I found you,” he tells me while flicking a puzzled glance at Alex, probably because of his close proximity to me. Henry quickly looks away from him and focuses on me. “I have to talk to you, like, right now. It’s about that thing.” He gives me a pressing look.
“What thing?” Alex asks, his soft tone clipped with irritation.