Some Kind of Normal

“Yeah. Me too. I wasn’t planning on it. Nate pretty much dragged me out of the house. I’ll have to thank him later.”

I could feel her heart beating, the warmth of her skin against mine, and I knew that if we didn’t leave this secluded space, things would heat up again. Not that I didn’t want them to, but there was something to be said for anticipation, and I was already anticipating more. So much more.

“Do you want to meet his girlfriend, Monroe? She’s so cool. You’ll like her.”

Everly nodded. “Okay. Sounds good.”

“I’m not letting go of your hand. Just saying.”

A heartbeat passed.

“I wasn’t going to let go either.”

And she didn’t.

Chapter Fourteen

Everly

Sunday morning was the same as always, except that it wasn’t.

Sure I got up, went for a run, had my shower, and picked out an appropriate but cute outfit for church, but it wasn’t the same at all.

On my run the birds were louder, their calls more intense. The flowers in Mrs. Mayberry’s front garden had never looked so beautiful, the forest that skirted the old graveyard so lush, and the sun coming up over the horizon was more vibrant than any I’d ever seen.

I’d barely slept since Friday night, and yet I was good to go. I mean, I felt as if I could scale Mt. Kilimanjaro or run the Boston Marathon or…

Or run all the way to Trevor’s house and just let him kiss me silly.

My cheeks stung with heat when I thought of the way he’d kissed me at the party and of the way I’d kissed him back. I’d thought about pretty much nothing else for most of Saturday and I’d been walking around all morning with pink cheeks, a big smile, and eyes that didn’t look familiar. Yes, they were blue, but there was something else inside them. Something exciting and fresh and sparkly and…

I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that I was feeling, but I sure liked it. I liked it a lot.

My cell pinged, and I scooped it off the kitchen table, humming a song as I did so. I was waiting for Mom to come down so we could leave for church, and Isaac was already outside, sitting in the swing on the front porch.

It was Hailey.

“Hey,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, sneaking a look over my shoulder.

“Why are you whispering?”

“I don’t know,” I giggled.

“Girl, you need to spill.”

“Hales,” I said, but then nothing else came out. I didn’t know where to start.

“We need to hang out after church today, because I definitely need details about what happened with you and Trevor Friday night and…”

“And?”

She squealed so loud that I jumped. “I have something to tell you.”

“What?” I asked a little louder. I hadn’t spoken to Hales since the party, but by the tone of her voice she had something epic to share. I had a feeling Link was the reason. A creak sounded from the front hall, and I took a few steps out and glanced around, but Mom was still upstairs.

“This is definitely not an over the phone conversation.”

“You sound like you’re still in bed. Aren’t you going to service?” Hailey’s family didn’t attend our nondenominational church. They went to Twin Oaks First Baptist on the other side of town.