Oh. He didn’t realise yet … her heart beat hard, and one hand crept up to finger the lapis disc at her throat. This was going to be so much harder than she thought, with his blue eyes actually fixed on her. Actually seeing her, for the first time.
Especially after basically flirting with him for a week through notes. Oh, god, this was a stupid idea. She should’ve just let Jesse have his way; this was going to end so badly, and the forfeit would be worse than simply giving in … ”I, uh, I’m your secret admirer.”
His eyes stared at her with intrigue as he awaited her response, though when it came he was left at a slight loss for words.
He hadn’t been given any idea of what she would look like. What she sounded like. How she dressed. How she talked and held herself. It had all been left up to imagination — a very limited imagination in his case.
He wanted to smile and laugh and invite her inside to learn all about her but he was frozen in place because with this new information, he looked at her in a completely different way.
This girl that stood on his doorstep liked him. She was secretive and creative and was just as beautiful as her calligraphy. Suddenly he was nervous. What if he wasn’t what she thought he was? What if once she actually talked to him she changed her mind about him?
”Hi,” he breathed, before swallowing a small lump in his throat. “What’s your name?”
Summer wanted to cheat. She wanted to cheat so badly. What was he feeling? Was he nervous too? Was that why he held himself so still, why he kept swallowing?
(don’t watch his throat, don’t watch his neck)
Or was he just giving her time to dig herself in deeper before cutting her to shreds with words?
(no one can love you, ma chère, no one can ever love you)
How did other girls /do/ this? How did they open themselves up, cracked open like a geode, and deliberately show someone what was inside, knowing how easily you could be shattered? A breeze kicked up, and she shivered. She had to know, couldn’t stand not knowing —
the bitterness of chopped onion (fear) / lemon and sugar (hope)
Summer found herself smiling. Gently, so gently, she said, “You said that already. Isaac. I’m Summer.”