Page 65 of All of You

I pull back and look up at him. He looks confused, sweet, and a little shocked. I snake my hands behind his neck and lower his mouth to mine. His lips are soft and full, and I feel a jolt of electricity at the contact. I shouldn’t be kissing him, but I can’t help myself.

All the noise, all the storms swirling in my head and around us, just fades into nothing when our lips meet.

He kisses me back with intensity. It feels deliberate like he can erase the whole world with just this moment between us. He kisses me like he’s trying to save me from something. His hot breath against my skin sends shivers down my spine.

The loudspeaker announces that I am to report to the principal’s office immediately. I pull back from Langdon, still heaving with adrenaline.

“I’m in deep shit,” I say.

Langdon bursts out laughing.

Thirty Three

Delia

Turns out all I had to do to get alone time with Anna was punch a girl in the face.Who knew?

Gramps drives me toward Langdon’s house. “You know, your mother often lost herself to eruptions of temper.”

“What?” I ask.

“Gran and I just didn’t know how to deal with them so we let our Pastor take the wheel. But, I’m not about to make the same mistake twice and I think Anna will be able to get through to you more anyway. She agreed, you know. To talk to you.”

He shakes his head over and over as if I’ve just murdered someone.

I cross my arms over my chest. “Gramps, I’ve never punched anyone before today. And Mom never had an ‘eruptions of temper’ with me.”

“Well, you gave that sweet girl two black eyes and a broken nose. That’s not nothing.”

I stare at the window, silent. It’snotnothing but I don’t feel all that bad about it honestly.

“I don’t get teenage girls. You need a woman to talk to.” Gramps pulls up to the house, a pretty colonial with a big porch. “She left work for this. Behave,” he orders.

I nod because what else is there to do and hop out of the truck. The Nash’s front door opens and Anna waves me in. Anna waves bye to Gramps before shutting the door behind us.

It feels like a home that can hug you as you cross the threshold. A house that feels like love. It’s tidy. Neat. Everything is in its spot. Family photos line the walls. One catches my eye. Family camping trip, two parents, three kids. Who’s the little girl?

“Come on. Let’s sit,” Anna says motioning to the couch. It’s not even noon yet. First period messed with the whole day. I take my seat and wait for whatever parental rant Anna has for me. She sighs. “You punched Hailie huh?”

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth and nod.

“What’d she do?”

“Huh?” I squeak.

“I’m having the damndest time trying to imagine you punching anyone in the face so she must have done something.”

I swallow thickly. Being here is making me want my momso badly I can almost smell her near me. “I um, I’ve never punched anyone before. Just so you know. I mean, I can’t really see it happening again. She found me in the bathroom and said some rotten things. But…I was just…missing my mom and kind of lost my temper I guess.”

Anna looks guilty for a moment and then nods. “Well, I’m glad to hear you won’t be doing it again. Do you want some ice for your hand?” She nods at my swollen knuckles.

“Sure,” I say softly.

When she returns from the kitchen with a bag of frozen peas which I promptly put on the back of my hand I decide it’s now or never.

“Anna.”

“Yes?”