The Year of Falling in Love

  "Hey, you can't mock the ice cream until you've tried it." I scoop up another spoonful, slowly put it into my mouth, and exaggerate a moan. "Mmm ... soooo good."

  He stirs his cookie dough ice cream, his attention zeroed in on my mouth. "When you put it that way, it does kind of look tasty."

  I feel my skin warm like gooey caramel. I try to think of something flirty to say, but my brain flatlines.

  He stares at my mouth for a beat or two longer before dragging his gaze to meet mine. He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. "Can I try it?"

  "The ice cream?" My voice sounds unnaturally high.

  He bites down harder on his lip, restraining a smile. "Sure."

  For some reason, I don't think he meant the ice cream.

  I take a subtle inhale, collecting myself before I speak again. "I don't know. It's not really for amateurs." I mentally high-five myself for how light and flirty my voice sounds.

  He teasingly glares at me. "Come on, give me a taste. I can handle it."

  I tap my finger against my lips, pretending to consider it. "Oh, fine. But if you hate it, don't blame me."

  He grins, leans over the console, and opens his mouth.

  My mouth goes dry. Umm ... He wants me to feed him? While Indigo taught me a thing or two about flirting, I was never able to do it as easily as she can. I always got nervous, and that was with guys we just met in clubs and stuff. This is Kyler--Kyler Meyers sitting here, waiting for me to feed him ice cream.

  Willing my hand not to shake, I shovel up a spoonful of ice cream and move the spoon toward his mouth. His eyes are fixed on me as he waits. My heart is losing it inside my chest, throbbing like a song with a pulsating deep bass. My pulse only quickens when his lips wrap around the spoon and he slowly sucks the ice cream off.

  I've heard Indigo use the term erotic before: for the sound of a guy's voice, the way someone dances, the way a guy she likes says her name. But I don't think I ever quite understood the term until now.

  Kyler slants back, licking his lips, and his gaze floats upward as he lets the flavor sink into his taste buds.

  "So, what do you think?" I must have a fairy godmother or something, because, by some miracle, my voice comes out as smooth as taffy.

  "It's not too bad." His lips spread into a grin as he steals a chunk of my ice cream with his spoon. "It's actually really good." He licks the ice cream off the spoon, and again, the word erotic flashes through my mind.

  I'm not sure what my expression looks like, but something about it makes Kyler chuckle.

  "I think, the next time we come back here, I just might get a cup for myself," he says, licking his spoon clean.

  "Oh, yeah?" I ask. Next time. "Not brave enough to make up your own concoction?"

  His lips part in mock shock. "Are you challenging me?"

  "Maybe. I think the only way you could win the challenge is if you put some cotton candy flavored ice cream in it."

  "Nope. Never gonna happen."

  I shrug. "Then I guess you lose the challenge."

  He considers something. "What would I get if I did it? What would you give me if, the next time we came here, I ate a whole bowl of cotton candy ice cream with any toppings you put on it."

  "That challenge sounds dangerous. I get really excited about ice cream toppings."

  "I didn't ask about the dangerous risks I'd be subjecting my taste buds to. What I asked is what I'd win if I did it. What would you give me?"

  "Why would it have to be something I gave you?" I grin. "Wouldn't the reward be getting to eat awesome tasting ice cream?"

  His eyes flare with something I can't quite decipher as his lips tug to a grin. "No, I'd definitely want something from you."

  It's getting really, really hot in here.

  I stuff another bite of ice cream into my mouth while I consider a reply. "Fine. What would you want?"

  "I'm not sure yet. I definitely have to think about it for a while and make sure it's something really, really good."

  "Well, when you decide, let me know."

  "Oh, I definitely will." He winks at me before resting back in his seat.

  I let a slow breath escape my lips. Mother of all hot chocolate syrup, that was one of the most intense flirting moments I've ever had.

  Thankfully, for my flushed skin's sake, Kyler changes the conversation to a much lighter topic as his phone buzzes. I think it's a text, but then he opens a calendar.

  He sighs disappointedly. "And there goes our awesome moment."

  "What is it?"

  "A reminder that I need to write a paper for English."

  "If you need to drop me off, that's cool," I say, not wanting to be a pain.

  He waves me off, reclining back in the seat. "Nah. I can do it tomorrow." His head tips back as he gazes at the ceiling. "God, classes are killer. It makes me wish I appreciated high school more."

  "What're you majoring in?" I pick a chunk of cheesecake out of my ice cream and pop it into my mouth.

  "Right now, just general. I might change it eventually, but my dad ... He wants me to focus on sports right now." His jaw clenches, and I get the sense that maybe Kai isn't the only one who has issues with their dad.

  "What about you? Do you want to focus on sports?"

  "I guess so. I mean, I'm good at it, so I probably should."

  "Being good at something doesn't mean you have to do it," I point out. "I'm good at basketball, but I never actually wanted to join a team. It was never my thing."

  He turns his head to look at me. "What is your thing? I really want to know because it feels like I know you, yet I don't."

  "My thing," I drum my finger against my lip, "is probably awesomeness," I joke then sigh. "I really don't know." I feel self-conscious to tell him about my manga obsession and how I love to draw my own comics.

  "You like to draw, right?"

  I nod. "It's not artsy stuff, though. It's more ... comic stuff."

  "That's cool." He cracks his knuckles. "Kai was into that stuff for a while. He had all these posters and stuff on his walls."

  "Yeah, I know." I conceal a smile with a bite of ice cream. While I knew Kai was into comics, I never knew he had posters all over his walls.

  A pucker forms at his brows. "How do you know? I don't think he ever told anyone, not even his friends."

  "Back in seventh grade, we hung out for a while, and he told me then."

  "You two hung out? I never saw you."

  "It was after school."

  He seems like he's tripping out over the idea. I don't know why. Is it that weird that Kai would hang out with me? Yeah, we were on two totally different social levels, but we have a lot in common.

  "It's not that weird, is it?" I find myself asking.

  Kyler straightens in the seat, shaking his head. "No, it's not that. It's just ... I don't know. It just surprises me. I mean, I know you guys hang out now, but I didn't realize you've been friends since then."

  "We haven't been friends since then," I correct him. "We had a falling out that lasted pretty much until the beginning of this school year."

  "What was the falling out over?" he wonders.

  Um, yeah, there's no way I want to tell Kyler the story about how Kai called me a stalker when one of his friends caught us hanging out. It's too embarrassing, and with how much the two of them fight, I'm not sure how Kyler will react to the story.

  "I don't know." I shrug. "Just middle school drama, and now we're over it."

  He studies me intently, as if trying to unravel my thoughts. "But you two are just friends, right?"

  For a microsecond, I'm thrown off by his question. The slight pause lasts just long enough that the air between us shifts into awkward land.

  "Yeah, we're just friends."

  He assesses me for an uncomfortable amount of time before speaking again. "I still don't think you should hang out with him, not until he gets his shit together. You're too good for that."

  "I'm not that good."

  "Yeah
, you are."

  I want to argue, but he seems pretty adamant about it.

  "So, you're into art and comics, huh?" He muses over the idea. "I've always wondered what you were drawing whenever I saw you sitting out on balcony with your notebook."

  I don't bother mentioning that I also spent time drawing him ... shirtless.

  "I've been doing it since I was, like, six. It's really relaxing."

  His lips pull into a lopsided grin. "You should show me some of your stuff sometime."

  "Okay," I say, even though I'm not sure he'd get my stuff.

  "And teach me a thing or two about this whole comic world," he adds.

  That gets me to smile. "I might consider it if you're lucky."

  "Personally, I think I'm pretty lucky. I mean, I'm sitting here with you, aren't I?" he asks with a charming grin.

  I cover my mouth as laughter bubbles in my throat. He laughs, though, so I let it out.

  He chuckles. "I know. I'm the worst. I don't know why I say shit like that. It just pops into my head."

  "Maybe you should stop watching so many rom-coms," I tease, twisting the end of my ponytail around my finger.

  He points a finger at me. "I never watch rom-coms."

  "Yeah, right. I bet you do all the time," I tease. "I bet you watch them and memorize the lines."

  He wiggles his fingers at me. "Don't make me tickle you again. Take it back or else."

  I make a big show of zipping my lips together, and he dives for me, tickling me until I can barely breathe.

  "Fine! I surrender," I gasp through my laughter. "You don't watch rom-coms."

  He leans back, seeming satisfied. "Now say you'll show me your art."

  I nod, catching my breath. "I'll show you whatever you want just as long as you stop tickling me."

  He misses a beat, a strange look crossing his face. It takes me a second to process what I just said, but before I can get too mortified, he starts talking again.

  "Okay, no more tickling," he says right as his phone vibrates again. He sighs, glancing at the screen. "And now it's reminding me to do my pre-Cal paper."

  I draw a heart with an arrow going through it on the fogged up window. "Are you sure you don't need to take me home?"

  "I said you were fine, and I meant it." He watches me add a thorny pattern around the heart like it's the most fascinating thing on the planet. "So, is that what you're going to college for? Art?"

  My fingers fall from the window as a realization crashes down on me.

  "I haven't thought much about it." Mostly because my family never really talked about it. College questions were always for Hannah. Me, I was just supposed to sit and listen. Listen and not be heard; those were the rules.

  "I'm sure you'll figure it out," he says. "You still have time."

  "Yeah, I know." On the inside, I'm freaking out. Art school sounds awesome, but isn't stuff like that expensive? Where would I get the money?

  Suddenly, that job Lily suggested I apply for sounds like a good idea.

  I remain stuck in my own head as Kyler starts the car and drives out onto the street.

  "So, what's next on the distraction to-do list? We could go to the theater and watch a movie," he says as he cruises down Main Street. "One more game before we go hang out at your grandma's house? Whatever you want, name it, and it's done."

  "Isn't it too dark to play basketball?" I stir the melted ice cream as I peer up at the dusty grey sky. A handful of stars are sprinkled across it, and the moon is shining brightly.

  "Yeah, it might be." He flips on the brights. "I could always leave these bad boys on. I think the park has lights, too."

  As awesome as Kyler has been, the events of today are gradually sinking in. I'm tired and worried, not just about what Lynn and my dad will do to me, but my future. I desperately need to talk to Indigo and Grandma Stephy, the two people who have pretty much been the only family I ever had. Besides, Kyler has other places to be. I heard him make plans to meet up with his friends at some party later tonight after hanging out with me.

  "Kyler, I really appreciate everything you've done for me, but it's been such an intense day." I set down my empty cup of ice cream, crossing my fingers that I don't sound rude. "I kind of just want to go to my grandma's if that's okay."

  He dims the car lights for a vehicle driving in the opposite direction. "Yeah, no. I totally understand. It's been a really hard day for you. You should probably relax." He pulls off to the side of the road and flips a U-turn, heading toward Sunnyvale Bay Community. "You want to stop somewhere and grab something to eat first? I was thinking maybe we could watch a movie or something when we get to your grandma's."

  "What about that party your friends were talking about? I don't want to make you miss it. And you have those papers for school you need to work on. I feel like I'm stealing all your time."

  "The party and homework can wait. I honestly don't feel like going out and partying tonight, anyway. I have to get up early for training and then spend the evening writing that paper."

  "Are you sure you're okay with staying? Because I'll be fine at my grandma's if you want to just drop me off."

  "Isa, I'm sure, so stop arguing." His voice is firm, but his eyes sparkle. "Besides, I was thinking maybe we could watch one of those zombie movies you love."

  I perk up, lean back, and prop my feet up on the dash. "You like zombie movies?"

  Shame crosses his face. "I actually haven't ever watched one."

  "Ever?" What the hell of all apocalypses is happening right now?

  He shrugs, looking like a kid who just got told he wasn't cool. "It's just never really been my thing. I'm more into sports movies and stuff. Is there, like, a sports zombie movie?"

  "I don't think so. But I promise that, after tonight, you'll no longer be a zombie movie virgin." Oh, my God, I can't believe I just said something unintentionally dirty like that. Again.

  My cheeks flame like the goddamn sun. Fortunately, it's dark enough in the cab of the car, so I don't think he can see it. But I do notice his lips twitching, as if he's struggling not to laugh.

  When he speaks, his voice sounds gruffer than normal. "That sounds really interesting."

  I laugh to breeze over the situation, but I sound breathless. To stop myself from saying something else embarrassing, I focus on deciding what movie to ease him into his soon-to-be developing zombie obsession.

  As I'm mentally going through my favorite list of zombie movies, his phone vibrates again. He collects it from out of the console, glances at the screen, and then grimaces before pressing talk.

  "What's up?" he says into the phone. He momentarily remains quiet then says a lot of yeah and no several times and one maybe before glancing in my direction. "I'm actually kind of busy right now. Can it wait until a little bit later?" He frowns, seeming tense and kind of irritated. "Fine. I'll do it." He hangs up and tosses the phone into the console. "Isa, I hate to do this to you, but I need to bail out a little early. That was one of my friends on the phone. They did something pretty stupid and need my help fixing the mess."

  "It's fine." I lower my feet to the floor and sit up. "I'm kind of tired, anyway. I'll probably end up falling asleep the second I sit down."

  "Still, I feel like a jerk for leaving you alone ... I'll make this up to you. I promise." He pauses. "How about a zombie movie marathon and dinner next weekend?"

  "You don't have to do that. I understand. Really--"

  He places two fingers over my lips. "I know I don't have to, but I want to."

  My breath falters as his touch sends the strangest tingling sensations throughout my body. His gaze briefly flicks to my lips then to the road again.

  I will my voice to come out even. "How about we compromise? One zombie movie and one sports movie. That way, I don't scare you off. Zombie movie virgins need to be eased into the blood and gore."

  He smiles, moving his fingers away from my mouth. He lets his fingertip trail downward to my chin, neck, and collarbone before
returning his hand to the steering wheel. "Just as long as you let me pay for dinner."

  My pulse throbs as I nod. "Sounds like you've got yourself a date." I instantly want to take back my bold comment, wondering if I'm being too forward. But Kyler smiles, seeming pretty content, so I decide to just own it.

  We don't say much for the rest of the drive, and before I know it, we're turning into the apartment complex.

  He's parking the car in front of my Grandma Stephy's building when I receive a text message.

  As I'm rummaging for my phone inside my jacket pocket, Kyler warily eyeballs the building in front of us. "I really hate the idea of leaving you here by yourself."

  Most of the lights are off in all the apartments except for a few porch lights. It's only seven o'clock on a Saturday, but it's like everyone's in bed already. I'd chalk it up to old people time, but after meeting some of my Grandma Stephy's crazy friends while we were in Europe, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were out clubbing or something.

  "I'll be fine. I promise. But I do have pretty good fighting skills, just in case." I make fists and laugh before swiping my finger across the screen of my phone.

  "Mad fighting skills or not, I'd still feel a little bit better if I weren't leaving you here completely alone." He keeps his eyes fixed on the building, as if waiting for something terrible to do down.

  Indigo: I got yours and Grandma Stephy's messages! I'm home right now! Where the heck r u?

  "I actually won't be here alone. My cousin's here." I stuff the phone into my pocket and open the door. "Thanks for everything, Kyler. I had a lot of fun. If it weren't for you, I probably would've spent all day stressing out and eating my weight in cookies."

  A soft laugh escapes his lips. "While I think you could probably handle eating your weight in cookies and then some, I'm glad you had fun." He reaches forward and his palm molds around my cheek. "And thanks for playing football with me. I know it bored you to death, but you actually kicked some ass at the end."

  "It didn't bore me to death. It just ..." I trail off as he leans forward and places the gentlest kiss on the corner of my mouth, causing me to nearly choke on my nerves.

  But I force myself to remain composed and focus on the kiss, the way he tastes, like cookie dough and strawberry ice cream, and his breath smells like gummy worms. So yummy.

  My stomach briefly goes kerplunk, like on a rollercoaster but the feeling fades into a soft lull, leaving me wanting more.