The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance(58)
I flipped the channel to see an ominous Michael Myers mask in a close-up shot, and changed it immediately. After a few more flips, I finally just turned it off. I could hear my mom and dad speaking softly in the living room, and the doorbell ringing a few times. Trick-or-treaters.
“I think that makes the sixth Elsa I’ve seen tonight,” Mom said to Dad as she sat back down in her chair. The sound of my phone vibrating nearby startled me.
MICAH: Hey
He was actually texting me. I stared at the screen. I knew what I wanted to say, though it probably wouldn’t have been the best ice-breaker. I wanted to leave Micah guessing. He had done the same thing to me all day.
MICAH: U said that u wanted to talk.
MICAH: So let’s talk.
Well, if that wasn’t demanding….
CHARLIE: This isn’t talking. This is texting.
MICAH: U know what I mean.
CHARLIE: Well, if you want to talk, come over.
MICAH: I’m already on my way
I lowered the phone and stared at my bedroom door. What was he going to say to me? I didn’t want to lose him. Somehow, in all the time that we had spent as English partners, he’d become my friend. A friend that I had enjoyed kissing.
I heard the doorbell ring again. A moment later, my mom was calling my name.
“Charlie, Micah’s here to see you! Oh, look at you, Micah! You’re all dressed up!”
I wouldn’t be surprised if he looked like a drunken mess after Marshall’s party.
As I came out of my room, tugging a sweatshirt over my head, I saw him standing with his hands in his pockets. He was oddly dressed in black clothing with a red tie. He must have seen my confused expression, because he gestured to the black smudges around his eyes.
“I’m the lead singer of Green Day.”
“Oh?” I crossed my arms across my chest. “That, or a punk rock Ken-doll gone wrong.”
Micah smirked. “Sure that works, too.”
Things felt awkward. Mom must have sensed it and backed away into the living room.
“Do you want to go outside?” Micah asked, indicating the front door. I followed him, slipping on a pair of sneakers as I went.
We stepped out onto the well-lit porch and walked down to Micah’s car. I pushed myself up onto the hood. A group of kids ran down the street with flashlights and decorated Halloween bags, followed by their leisurely parents.
“If you’re here to tell me that you regret kissing me, I get it,” I said bluntly. “I don’t need you to go into a whole speech about feelings and mistakes and...all that. I don’t want to hear it.”
“It’s not that I regret it…” Micah sighed. “I just know that we both agreed to be just friends. Just.” He rested his hand on the hood of his car, while the other was shoved into a pocket of his black pants.
“I don’t want to complicate things between us. I feel bad that I crossed a line. You made it pretty clear you weren’t interested in anything more with me. I’m not looking for a relationship, or anything like that, either.”
“So much for not breaking my heart,” I muttered, feeling a heaviness behind my eyes. God, this hurt.
“I’m sorry, Charlie. Sorry for kissing you. I got wrapped up in the moment.” He directed his stare out to the darkened road.
But I wasn’t sorry. I knew I would never be sorry. If I had the chance to kiss Micah Jacobs again, I would do it. And next time, I wouldn’t allow him to leave.
A long moment of silence passed between us as trick-or-treaters skipped by.
“Do you want to come inside? I was watching Halloween movies.”
“Halloween movies, as in blood and guts or…?” he asked, raising his brow. I smiled in spite of the ache in my chest.
“As in friendly ghosts and quirky witches.”
“Ahhh, your safe stuff.”
“Did you even go to your party?” I asked softly, poking the sleeve of his black shirt.
“It was boring.” He shrugged. “I left.”
“And came to find me,” I said.
“I knew we needed to talk.”
“You were thinking about me at your little get-together and decided to leave because you were probably hoping that, after an apology, I’d agree to go with you. In which case, my answer would be no.”
“Really? No?” Micah leaning forward, plainly amused. He looked dangerously attractive with his smudged eyeliner and “bad-boy” punk appearance. My breath caught as he studied me.
“If my only option is a movie with you, then I guess all I can say is...lead the way.”
“So, you’re done acting weird with me.”
Micah nodded. “Yes, I promise I won’t kiss you again.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. I hadn’t even asked him to make such a stupid promise. I wanted to tell him that I hoped he’d break that promise, but I didn’t have the nerve. I bit my lip as I pushed myself off of the hood of his car.
We walked to the front door, where my dad was standing. Had he been watching us? Micah and I decided to sit in the living room with my mom and dad; the Halloween special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, was on TV. My dad always liked watching the Peanut gang every holiday.