Page 103 of I Don't Need Your Protection

I tuck some hair behind my ear as I suddenly get super nervous by the way he’s looking at me. With the most intense eyes I’ve ever seen.

He breaks his gaze from me and nods to my math. “You should finish your homework before it gets too late. You have a hard exam tomorrow.”

“Right.” I clear my throat. “Of course.”

It’s so hard to concentrate because I want to delve into his heart. I want to get to know him better. Maybe I’m imagining things, but it seems as though he opened up to me more than he did in the past. Will he one day be comfortable enough to let me in?

***

As soon as I enter my room after school on Friday, I turn on the music and start dancing around.

Caleb lifts his brow at me, though there’s no mistaking the hint of humor hiding in his eyes.

“It’s a cause for celebration!” I say as I try some of Carly’s awesome moves.

“And what are you celebrating?” He leans on the wall and crosses his arms over his chest, eyes not leaving me once.

“I got an A plus on my math test!”

A small smile breaks out on his face. “That’s great. Congratulations, Addie.”

“I could have sworn I barely made a B,” I say as I start adding my own moves to the mix. “How could I have been so off?”

“Maybe you have the magical powers now,” he says.

“I saidsuperpowers, Mr. Big Muscles.”

“Ah, my bad. Forgive me.”

Maybe my having fun is rubbing off on him because he seems to be smiling more than before. Is it possible I’m actually chipping away at the armor he built around himself?

“Are you just going to stand there and watch me?” I ask.

“Any different from what I normally do?”

“Do I dance every day?” I shoot at him.

“No.”

“Then clearly today is not like other days.” I shimmy over to him and take his hands.

“What are you doing?” He tries to pull his hands free, but I’ve got a firm grip.

“No way, Mr. Caleb whatever-your-last-name-is. You’re joining in my fun because you helped make it happen.”

“And how exactly did I do that?”

“By telling me to continue studying.”

“You would have done that anyway.”

“Do you have to ruin everything?” I demand. “Come dance with me. Don’t leave a girl hanging.”

I yank him with me to an area in my room with a lot of space. I assumed he would resist, but he actually allows me to drag him to the dance area.

“This is a big mistake,” he says. “I don’t dance.”

“Sure you do. Everyone can dance. I think what you meant to say is that you don’t dance well.”