The Year I Became Isabella Anders (Sunnyvale, #1)(21)

“You want me to get us a drink or something before we get on?” Nyle asks, seeming almost as nervous as I am.

I try to smile like Indigo does all the time, whenever she’s flirting. “Sure. That sounds great.”

He smiles before stepping out of the line to head over to the concession stand.

Indigo gives me this knowing look and I have no idea how to react. Just what exactly does she think is going to happen on this fun-filled Ferris wheel ride of ours?

I shake my head at her then take in the sights around me, the bright lights, the soft music from the street performs, and the energized buzz in the air.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” Nyle asks when he returns to the line.

I tear my attention off the starry sky and catch him checking me out. He smiles sheepishly at me as he hands me a bottle of Coke.

“Yeah, it’s really pretty here.” I twist the cap off the bottle and glug down a few swallows, giving myself some time to figure out what to say to him.

It’s not that I’m shy, but I don’t feel as comfortable around him as I do with people I know.

We spend the next ten minutes in awkward silence before we make it to the front of the line and get onto the Ferris wheel. While Indigo chats with Peter about New York, Nyle gets a nervous energy boost and starts babbling to me about himself. I try to listen. I really do. But his opening liner is that he’s a math major, and I end up zoning in and out of the conversation, more fascinated with the breathtaking view than the guy next to me.

I feel like an asshole. I mean, Nyle is trying to get to know me, telling me about his classes, his love for numbers, canoeing, and water polo. I nod my head every so often and offer him a few smiles. He has to be getting exhausted of me and my silence; at least, that’s what I figure when he suddenly grows quiet. But when I look at him, he’s leaning in for a kiss.

“You’re really beautiful, you know that?” he whispers, his gaze flicking back and forth between my eyes and my lips. “And a really good listener.”

So I’ve been told, I think as his lips inch toward mine.

I hesitate, deciding. Just kiss him, even though I have no interest in him? The idea seems both appealing and appalling. I mean, on the one hand, he’s super cute, if you like that preppy, slacks-and-sweater sort of look. On the other hand, I’ve been bored to death the entire last couple of hours.

“Hey, Isa, come chat with me for a sec, would you?” Indigo interrupts the moment, grabbing me by the arm and towing me to the opposite side of the pod, away from listening ears. “What are you doing?” she whispers, glancing back at Peter and Nyle.

“Um, hanging out,” I reply, super confused by the astounded look on her face.

“No, I mean with Nyle,” she hisses, unzipping her purse. “It looked like you were about to faint when he leaned in to kiss you.”

I scrunch up my nose. “You were watching that?”

“Don’t pretend like I’m some pervert. I was just keeping an eye on you, like I promised you I would.” She pulls out a tube of lipstick and applies a coat to her lips. “Now, do you want to tell me why you looked sickened over the fact that a hot guy wants to kiss you?”

“I’m not sickened by the fact.” I flick a glance in Nyle’s direction and he smiles at me. “I don’t know if I should be kissing him, when we have nothing in common.”

She drops her lipstick back into her purse. “Oh, Isa.” She ruffles my hair with her hand, something she does whenever she thinks I’m being na?ve. “You have so much to learn.”

“About what exactly?” I comb my fingers through my hair, smoothing the strands back into place. “Kissing complete strangers?”

“About kissing in general.” She zips up her purse and rubs her lips together. “Look, if you really don’t want to kiss Nyle, then don’t. But if you want to kiss him, but you’re not, because you think kissing should be this fairytale experience of love at first sight, then I recommend you get over it and give kissing a try.”

“But we have nothing in common, and honestly, I’m kind of bored.”

“Okay, well, maybe kissing him will make things less boring.”

“And what if it doesn’t?”

She stares out the glass, the light from the city reflecting in her eyes. “If you kiss him and it sucks, then pretend to sneeze and I’ll come rescue you.”

“You want me to sneeze in his face?” I struggle not to laugh at the mental image of me sneezing in Nyle’s face.

“It’s the best way to get him to stop. But I think you should give the kissing thing a try.” She swings around a couple making out near the center of the pod and heads back across toward the guys. “And hey, maybe this will help you get over the Kyler thing.”

As I make my way back to Nyle, I can’t help but think that maybe Indigo’s right. Perhaps I should get over Kyler. After all, he’s probably back home, in a lip lock with Hannah.

I wince as I realize how big of a possibility that is, and before I even know what I’m doing, I march straight up to Nyle and seal my lips with his.

He taste like beer, is the first thought that crosses my mind, which only makes me giggle.

Bravo, Isa, on being the weirdest kisser in the world.

Nyle seems to find me amusing, though, and chuckles along with me, before deepening the kiss. While there’s no fireworks or explosions, I do discover that kissing is fun. I might have to try it again sometime.