Chapter 23: XI. Cold-1

"When truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie." Yevgeny Yevtushenko ---- Chapter XI – Cold Shea didn't let go of my hand as he drove me home, which made driving a stick all the more impressive. He somehow managed to change gears and drive one handed. He was going between ten to twenty miles over the limit as we went through town. The one benefit of the party was that there were no cars on the road as everyone was at Zoey's. "Aside from the jackass who won't be named, did you have fun tonight?" Shea asked me as we drove down the main street. "Oh, yeah, kneeing Kyle Eckhart in the balls was a joy," I joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. I could feel the energy in the cab of Shea's truck. He was still full of adrenaline. But he did laugh. "You impress me, you know. You do something every day that impresses me." I cocked my head at him. That was actually a really sweet and thoughtful compliment. I never thought I would be impressive to anyone. I never endeavoured to be. I was just me. And if Shea found that impressive then … God, I hope he kissed me tonight. I wouldn't have the balls to initiate it. Which was ironic considering I'd practically amputated Kyle's balls only a few hours ago. "With four minutes to spare," Shea remarked, gesturing to the digital clock on his dash as he pulled into my driveway. "Will you stay tonight?" I asked him, feeling incredibly vulnerable all of a sudden. Shea placed his hand behind my headrest and turned his torso towards me. "I wish I could, but I can't tonight. I've got to check on my mom. See to some family stuff." He sighed. "Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully. "I made plans with my mom tomorrow," I said regretfully in a quiet voice. "And considering the circumstances, I really think it's important that we hang out so that she can see nothing has changed. Maybe … maybe you could meet us for dinner? I'll ask and call you if she's okay with it." If Mom could see just how non-threatening Shea was then I hoped she could come around to the idea of me having a boyfriend. "Sounds good. Hey, if you're not busy on Sunday, would you like to come over to my house and meet my family? I know you've obviously already met Cece, but I'd like my mom to meet my girlfriend." I felt completely stupid as my heart skipped a beat at the word. Casually, I attempted to ask, "Your girlfriend?" "Oh," Shea's voice dropped. "I mean, that's what I thought you were. I'm sorry if I've made a mistake." I could tell that Shea really thought he'd put his foot in it. "Shea, I'd love to meet your mom, as your girlfriend," I assured him. Even in the dark, I could see that Shea was grinning. "Yeah?" he checked excitedly. "Great, well I'll pick you up at like eleven? You can come over for lunch or something?" Shea suddenly looked back at the clock on his dash and cursed under his breath. "You better get inside, Sara." It was one minute to curfew. With that, I knew he wasn't going to kiss me tonight. "Right, okay." I nodded and climbed out of his car. I started towards my house, getting halfway up the driveway before something grabbed my arm. I was suddenly spun around and before I knew it, Shea's lips were on mine. I was almost too surprised to react, having completely dismissed this idea not ten seconds ago. But it suddenly hit me that I was kissing Shea! His lips were soft and gentle, and he wasn't pushing me to go farther than I was comfortable. One of his hands was on the back of my neck while the other was around my waist, hugging me against his body. I began to move my lips with his, praying that I was doing the right thing. Shea seemed to guide me as I felt all sort of butterflies in my stomach. Except they weren't butterflies, they were freaking rampaging elephants as I fell completely under Shea's spell. I was in his arms and I felt as though I belonged there. He was mine and I was his and this was how it was meant to be. Love at first sight. Fate. All that crap. It was real and it was meant for us. I didn't know how much time had passed when Shea broke our kiss. I certainly wasn't the one who broke it. I was practically panting, though my humiliation was lessened when I saw that Shea's shoulders were rising and falling quite quickly, too. "Sweet dreams, Sara," he whispered, before turning back around to get into his truck. I walked in the house in a daze. I barely noticed that mom was sitting in the living room. The TV wasn't on. She didn't have a book or a magazine. She was just waiting for me. "Well," Mom said, with an edge to her voice, "he's punctual." "Huh?" "Have you been drinking, Sara?" Mom demanded to know. "You look drunk." I suppose I was a bit. "No, Mom," I promised. "I didn't drink anything." She seemed to accept my answer. "So, how was the party?" "Um, yeah, good." I nodded. I mean, the time I spent with Shea was great. Everything else was really subpar. Stupid, pervert Kyle, and Lex, the guy who Shea said he had family drama with. He seemed like a total creep. I hoped I wouldn't see him again. "Zoey's house is super nice. We went swimming for a bit." "I noticed the hair," Mom noted. "You'd better go and wash your hair. You don't want the chlorine to damage it," she warned. I nodded again. I went to the base of the stairs before turning back towards her. "Hey, Mom."