Chapter 6

“Hi. I’m Jesse,” he said, as he smiled and held his hand out to me.

“Taylor,” I said, unable to put a whole sentence together.

“Nice to officially meet you. You’ve been on my mind since the second I met you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his blatant flirtations, the heat in my blushing cheeks scorched

my skin. I was absolutely melting.

Another slow song began and Jesse casually took off his jacket and smiled. The fabric of

his long-sleeved shirt clung to his broad shoulders and muscular chest, the white cotton making his shoulder-length hair stand out even more.

He offered me his hand like a perfect gentleman. “Would you like to dance?”

“I’d love to,” I answered with a grin, taking his hand.

He flashed his leading-man smile at me as he wrapped his arms around my waist and I

placed my arms on his shoulders. My heart suddenly began beating out a new rhythm of

excitement. We stared intently into each other’s eyes as we danced slowly to the music. I was

nervous, but at the same time, I felt comfortable and safe, scared but happy. I’d never felt such a

strange mix of emotions, and I couldn’t stop smiling. There was a thrilling, rushing, euphoric

something going on between us, and for that one timeless moment everything in my life seemed

perfect.

his shoulder-length hair stand out even more.

As we swayed with the beat of the song, he held me close and I rested my head in the

crook of his neck.

It felt wonderful.

I never would have imagined myself dancing with someone like Jesse, someone so

beautiful. I couldn’t believe he was holding me. I felt I was walking on air. I’d always laughed at

that cliché before, but for the first time, I suddenly knew what it meant.

Some of the guys I’d been chit-chatting with at the party didn’t seem to be fans of him and

I dancing. I could feel the weight of the glares they were shooting at me like daggers in the back.

As much as I wanted to be with Jesse, I didn’t want to cause any trouble, so I thought it was best

that we head back to Julie’s house. I had a nice buzz, wasn’t trashed like she was. When I

glanced through the crowd looking for her, I noticed that she was drinking a second cup of

coffee. I hoped that would sober her up enough to drive us home in one piece.

“I hope she’s okay to drive,” I said to Jesse.

“If not, I’m sure you’ll get her home safe and sound.”

“Do you live around here?”

“Yes, here in Big Bear Lake.”

Excitement flooded through me when I discovered he wasn’t merely a tourist who’d be

taking off soon. I smiled up at him, then glanced down and noticed a bracelet on his arm. It was

leather woven with silver beads and decorated with weird symbols. “I love that,” I said, nodding

toward it, “but what do the symbols mean?”

He shot me the most beautiful grin, a movie star smile. “You’ve gotta get to know me

better before I can tell you all my deep, dark secrets.”

He smiled when he said it, but I got the feeling he wasn’t joking.

I gave him my best flirty smile. “Is that a promise?”

“You have my word…and my word is my bond.”

I smiled again, then nervously fidgeted with my hands like some silly little middleschooler. I really had no idea how to keep up a conversation with such a hot guy, and every word

was a struggle.

“How old are you?” I finally asked, since I couldn’t think of anything else.

“Seventeen,” he answered.

“Really!? Me too.”

“So is this a new school year for you?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Maybe we’ll be in some of the same classes.”

“Nah, I’m home-schooled. My mom is a bona-fide control freak, and—”

He was cut short when Julie yelled, “Taylor!” adding, “I feel sick. I think I’m gonna pass

out.”

When I turned and looked toward her she was pale and teetering. I rushed over, but before

I could reach her, she swayed to the left and toppled over. She tried to grab a side table on the

way down, but it didn’t help. She crashed to the floor, knocking a huge vase over in the process.

“Oh my gosh!” I cried, hurtling toward her through the crowd. “Julie!”

The alcohol was one thing, but I couldn’t understand why blood was gushing from her

neck, running down onto her shirt.

ran over to my friend looking down at her wounds, I assumed the shattered vase shards

must have cut her during the fall. I hoped she wouldn’t need stitches, because she was bleeding

pretty profusely. Someone handed me a kitchen towel. I quickly applied pressure to the wound.

As the blood began to soak through the towel, I realized she needed medical attention. “She

needs a hospital or a doctor or maybe some stitches and—”

“No!” said a woman, who was suddenly standing over me, looking down at Julie. “It’s a

shallow cut, nothing a bandage and some peroxide can’t fix.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, unconvinced. “I mean, she’s bleeding really bad, and—”

“Positive,” she said sharply, cutting me off. “I’m a medic. Let me go get my medical kit

from the car.”

I squeezed Julie’s hand. “Are you okay?”

Her eyes fluttered open. “I-I think so.”

“Just lie still and hold on,” I said trying to comfort her. “There’s a medic here, and she’s

going to help.”

“A medic?” Julie asked. “Wow. Lucky for me. I drank way too much, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s putting it lightly. Do you remember me cutting you off?”

“Yeah,” she answered, offering me a weak half smile, “but I still snuck drinks behind your

back.”

Knowing it was important to keep Julie awake, I kept her engaged in conversation until the

woman came back.

“Can you give me a hand?” the woman asked Jesse.

“Sure,” he replied.

She then went to work, first cleansing the wound, then covering it with a sterile white

bandage.

Once Julie was all fixed up, Jesse and I helped her back to her feet.

“See?” she slurred. “Good as new.”

“It’d be best if she gets some rest now,” said the medic.

“But I-I can’t drive,” Julie stuttered. “I’m toasted…and now wounded from a pissed-off

vase.”