“Bella.”
“Bella.”
“Bella!”
I open my eyes slowly, blinking rapidly until my vision adjusts to the dark. My eyes widen as I make out Brody’s face in front of me, inches away from my face.
“Brody,” I whisper, the back of my throat feeling dry as a bone. I shuffle awkwardly, the cold floor underneath me.
“At least you still know my name,” Brody smirks, looking down at me with his green eyes shining brightly. They resemble beautiful emeralds that gleam in the light. My stomach tightens in knots and I frown as I glance around at my surroundings.
“Where the hell am I?”
“In the sports equipment room. You passed out a minute ago,” Brody explains, his lips tugging up into a smile.
“Damn it. You find that funny?” I question lightly, my eyebrow raised at him. His smile never fades and he holds my stare, looking extremely amused.
“Did you faint because I was so close to you?” He asks me confidently, the adorable dimple on his cheek deepening.
“W-what? N-no!” I stutter, shoving at Brody’s chest to get him to back up. He doesn’t move an inch and continues to smirk at me, his face full of arrogance.
“Maybe it’s your scent knocking me out,” I grumble, turning my head away from him. A second of silence passes before Brody bursts into laughter, his hot breath hitting the side of my cheek.
He stands up and I turn to glare at him, narrowing my eyes. His response is to shake his head before holding out a hand for me to take. I gratefully tangle my hand in his, ignoring the somersault my stomach does when our hands touch.
In one swift move, I’m pulled up onto my feet. I grunt from the effort and dust myself off, ignoring a smirking Brody beside me.
“I’ve always had the same effect on girls” he smirks, leaning back against a football post. I raise my brow at him, releasing a small scoff —
“The effect to cause them to go unconscious because they can’t handle your ego?” I ask calmly, holding the back of my head. The spot throbs painfully and I wince, touching the area carefully.
“Bella, I’m joking,” Brody says quietly, clearing his throat. I turn to look at him and sigh, immediately feeling guilty.
“I’m sorry Brody. I’m tired and I haven’t eaten all day. Beatrice has been on my back too which doesn’t help.” I mumble.
“Do you want me to talk to her?”
“No! It’ll only make things worse,” I said quickly, widening my eyes. I look around before my eyes land on the balls and I lean towards them, gripping onto the bag tightly.
“I need to get back,” I tell him quietly, feeling exhausted.
“You need to eat Bella, that’s why you’re fainting,” Brody murmurs quietly, reaching forward towards me. I feel his hand wrap around my arm and I blow out the breath I’m holding, my shoulders slumping in relief.
“Talk to me?” Brody whispers, walking towards me. He slowly takes the bag off me and places it down beside us, closing the space between us.
“I can’t,” I respond, my voice choking up. I’m surprised at how quickly my walls crumble around Brody, burning straight to the ground. It’s like he can see straight through me, know all of my insecurities.
“You can,” Brody responds, his hand reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I close my eyes and suck in a breath, feeling exposed.
“I can’t eat,” I start, my eyes connecting with Brody’s. I can feel myself tearing up, the glossy sheen covering my eyes showing my weakness.
“Why not?” Brody questions, his eyebrows creased in concern. He’s searching my eyes so intensely, his stare so mesmerising.
“I hate my life at the moment,” I tell him softly, dropping my gaze to the floor.
“I don’t like waking up in the mornings knowing I have to come to school. I’m dealing with Beatrice and her friends. I’ve been humiliated in front of the entire school and the laughter rings through my head all day. I don’t have anyone to talk to because I have no friends! I’m alone in school and alone at home, alone with nothing but my stupid laptop and those stupid films.” I cry softly, tears falling to the floor. I watch through my blurred vision as they stain the concrete floor, causing a dark patch to appear.
Brody inches forward, his hand coming up to take a gentle hold of my chin. He tilts it up for my eyes to meet his. The shade of his eyes darkens considerably —
“Bella. . . Don’t you know there’s a big world out there, beyond the walls of this school?” He asks me, searching my eyes for an answer. I don’t reply, my throat drying up so much it’s almost impossible to speak. Brody shakes his head, dark hair falling into his eyes. He releases out a small chuckle before leaning forward, his lips inching towards mine.
My entire body freezes as I feel his lips ever so lightly brush over mine before he pulls back, creating distance. “Oh darling, you’ve got so much to learn.”
The green in his eyes fill with mystery. His gaze flickers on my lips before back up to my eyes. The entire time my stomach flips over repeatedly, tightening with knots.
“What do you mean?” I ask him, my words spoken in a hushed whisper. Brody’s gaze flickers back down to my lips before he speaks again.
“You have so much to learn, so much confidence to grow.” Brody repeats, his eyes glistening as they turn a shade darker. I can feel his chest press against mine every single time he breathes and my body begins to shake from how weak Brody makes me.
“So teach me,” I respond, my tongue flicking out to wet my lower lip. I do it to add some moisture back into them but considering how Brody sucks in a sudden breath, it accidentally impacted him.
Moments pass where both us are silent, Brody’s hand still holding my chin gently. His eyes burn into mine and I never once look away, the connection between us too intense. It’s like an invisible force pulling us together, keeping our eyes trained on each other. Finally Brody’s eyes drift down to my lips —
“You’re going to regret saying that,” he whispers, his voice smooth and low.
“You’re really, really going to regret saying that,” he repeats calmly before his hand drops to my waist and he presses me against him tightly. I let out a little squeak but it’s quickly muffled out as Brody presses his lips against mine, completely silencing me.