On His Face - Tabatha Kiss Page 0,2

me. I grab it, quickly sliding in and out of the rain before I get soaked all over again.

I drop my bag on the floor between my feet. “Jenna, thank you—”

I freeze.

No. Not Jenna.

Definitely not Jenna.

Jenna’s not a man.

Jenna doesn’t have those cheekbones.

Or that chestnut hair. Or a five o’clock shadow. Or those perfect, round eyes I shaded with charcoal just twenty minutes ago… which I can now see are a bright shade of green.

It’s the model from class.

And I just got into his car.

I just got into a stranger’s car.

My stomach clenches.

He looks at me with one hand on the wheel. The other touches his chin, giving it a simple scratch as he bobs his head toward my car.

“Car trouble?” he asks with a deep, youthful growl.

I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. My voice, lost somewhere in the depths of my throat, refuses to do its job.

“I...” I squeak.

Leave.

Get out.

Run.

Now.

“I’m sorry!” I say as I fumble for the knob. “I thought you were someone else.”

“Wait,” he says, making me pause. “It’s all right. Stay out of the rain.”

Another bolt of lightning flashes in the sky and I flinch.

He smiles, that perfect jawline dipping with the most delicious dimples I’ve ever seen.

Why did I have to flinch like a damn child?

My cheeks burn. My fingers shake. Still, I say nothing.

His throat clears. “So, car trouble?” he asks again.

“Uh...” I find my voice. “Yeah. I think so. I tried to start it and it did that clicking thing.”

“Sounds like a dead battery. You leave the lights on?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, probably. That’s definitely something I’d do.”

Again, he smiles. “No worries, I’ll give you a jump.”

“No—!” I shake my head. “No, don’t... don’t trouble yourself. I can get my roommate to do it in the morning.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“It’s pouring out there! Really don’t. I’d feel like an asshole — more than I already do.”

He sits back and laughs. “Then, can I give you a ride home?” he asks.

I hesitate. I can walk it. It’s not too far. It’s only... on the other side of campus, plus two blocks. And my backpack would get soaked, my sketchbook included. I can’t even describe how much that would ruin this already horribly eventful night.

Or I can do as my BFF Jenna would do and let the cute boy drive me home.

I hold my breath, feigning confidence. “Okay,” I squeak.

He smiles again.

Dimples for days.

Chapter 2

Heidi

“It’s just right up here,” I say, pointing to the old house on the corner.

He nods from the driver’s seat, his eyes safely on the road. I quickly slip my hand right back between my knees again. I sit still, awkwardly pinched in place as I try to survive this social interaction that fate has thrust upon me tonight.

Just be cool, Heidi.

“Is the driveway okay?” he asks.

“Uh-huh,” I answer. “My roommate won’t be back for a while, so you shouldn’t get blocked in or anything.”

He pulls into the driveway and stops the car, but he leaves the engine running. “You live on Shanty Row, eh?” he asks as he glances out the window.

“Uh... yeah,” I answer slowly.

“Hey, no shame,” he says, sensing my shift. “I’ve gone to a lot of great parties on this street. I dig Shanty Row.”

My lips twitch. “I hear the parties are nice, yeah.”

Just be cool…

“You hear?” he asks.

“I...” I stutter for a second. “I don’t party... much. I’m a bit of a loner, mostly…”

Yeah. Real cool there, Heidi.

“That’s okay,” he says, smiling.

I reach for my backpack, desperate to put myself as far away from this as possible. “Well, uh… thanks for the ride,” I say. “Sorry if it was out of your way.”

“It wasn’t,” he says. “Hold on a sec.”

He opens his door and hops outside before I can respond. I watch through the windshield as he loops around the car. He quickly slips his jacket off and holds it up, creating a cover for me from the pouring rain as he opens my door.

Um. Whoa.

“Come on,” he says, waving me out.

I force myself to step outside, willing my ankles to stop wobbling as I stand up beneath his jacket. He nudges the door closed and we rush across the grass together toward the porch. As we step up, he lowers the jacket and shakes the excess water off now that we’re safely under the roof.

I open the front pocket on my backpack in search of my keys. “Thanks,” I say, barely able to speak as a shiver travels my spine.

“Don’t mention