Pulled (25 page)

“
We don’t have to go back yet. We can take some time off.”

It has been a non-stop roller coaster ride, but I can’t skip out on my obligations. That just isn’t me.

“
No. I’m not going to run away from my problems anymore,” I say, determined to believe my own words. “I’m not going to sit here and hide from him. He needs to know that I’ve moved on, and the only way to do that is for me to actually move on.”

“
I don’t want you anywhere near him,” he rebuts.

I am comforted that he wants to protect me, but I can’t live cooped up forever.

“
He’s not in any of my classes, so there's no need to worry.” I walk over to my bag and start pulling out some clothes.

“
But he'll be on the campus, Naya.”

“
True, but neither one of us can do anything about that,” I sigh. Etash's face crumples with worry. “He just needs time to cool off, that’s all.” He doesn’t look convinced. “We were together for two years; it’s going to take him some time to get used to the idea that we’re not together anymore.”

It’s going to take time for
both
of us. Seth is all I’ve ever known, and being away from him is almost as scary as going back to him.

“
Does that mean you’re with me now?” Etash whispers.

“
If you’ll have me,” I whisper back, embarrassed by how utterly tacky I sound. He doesn't seem to notice, however, because a slow smile spreads across his face.

“
I’ve been waiting for you all my life,” he says, making me go weak in the knees. We both reach out for the other. His hands cradle my face gingerly and I surrender myself to him willingly. Our lips find each other easily and I melt against him. His touch brings intoxicating licks of fire up my spine. I bury my hands in his hair, pulling him closer, hungry for more. His hands leave my face and trail down the small of my back.

In all my life I have never been kissed like this; have never experienced this feeling of wanting nothing more than to be totally consumed by another person. He moans softly in my ear before he pulls gently away from me.

Etash

Her eyes are still closed as I pull away from her, and I feel comforted that she doesn’t want the feeling to end either. But I have to be the strong one. I have to cool off. Now.

“
We’ll be late for class,” I manage to struggle out.

“
Right,” she says with a loud sigh. “I’ll make us some tea.”

“
Tea would be good,” I say, scratching my head. Tea and a nice ice-cold shower.

When we walk into acting class we get a few stares, but these are the type of stares I don’t mind getting. Her hand never leaves mine except for when she has to go into the changing rooms.

When she comes back out, she's talking quietly with Kari. She has a small knowing grin on her lips which can only mean Naya’s been filling her in about some gossip-worthy events of our whirlwind weekend.

After class, we are forced to go our separate ways; she has to go to Drama Lit and I have to go to work. Our parting kiss is soft and gentle and causes her to blush. Kari finally has to drag her away from me and I watch her disappear from view as she slips into the building. I'm comforted that Kari is with her. Kari will keep her safe.

As I turn to head for the bookstore, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach brews, like I’m being watched. I glance around but don’t see anything out of place; people are scurrying to and from classes, getting into their cars in the student parking lot—nothing that should cause alarm, but there is something in the air that sends a chill through my bones.

The bookstore is still crowded when I clock in and probably will be for the next few weeks as people add and drop classes. The soft hum of shoppers is oddly comforting; it helps drown out my paranoid thoughts.

My shift lasts an hour longer than Naya’s class, so we agree to meet up at the library. I’ve only been away from her for three hours, but even so, my heart is aching to see her.

I find her instantly. She’s sitting in one of the big comfy chairs, reading. I’m only a few steps into the library when she looks up at me, and I know she has sensed my arrival. The smile that spreads across her lips makes my heart do flip-flops.
What have I done to deserve her?

“
Hey,” she says biting her lip playfully.

“
Hey yourself,” I say, and even though I know public displays of affection are frowned upon, I can’t stop myself from pulling her into my arms and greeting her properly.

Someone clears her throat behind me.

“
Hi.” It’s Kari. I hadn’t even noticed her sitting next to Naya. Talk about tunnel vision.

“
Oh, hi. I didn’t see you there,” I confess, pushing Naya back to a respectable distance.

Kari’s got a smirk on her face. “Naya invited me to have dinner with you guys, but perhaps I should bail…give you guys some time alone,” she chides smugly
.

“
We would love time with
you
more,” I lie.

Kari laughs and grabs her book bag, and as a group we head to the cafeteria before tonight’s rehearsal. I’m not entirely comfortable going to the cafeteria because I’m afraid we’ll run into Seth, and the last thing I want to do is upset Naya, but she doesn’t seemed bothered at all about the possibility, and is, in fact, grinning ear to ear. Once we get to the cafeteria, I find out why.

“
Mmmm, mac and cheese…my
favorite
,” Naya swoons. She and Kari rush over and hand over their plates. I shake my head.

“
It’s just mac and cheese,” I say.

Kari looks at me, horrified.

“
You have obviously never tasted
this
mac and cheese,” she says.

Afraid I’ll get pummeled if I don’t order it, I get the mac and cheese, and I’m happy to say, I'm not disappointed. It really is
that
good.

We linger over coffee, laughing at each other’s jokes and reservations about the play, and that’s when I see him hovering in the corner of the room, just standing there, watching us. He makes no move to come to our table, he just stands there, observing. And for some reason, that is far creepier than a confrontation.

“
We should go,” I say, a bit too abruptly to go unnoticed. I force a smile.

“
Why? We still have a half an hour?” Naya says, searching my eyes for something I don’t want her to see.

“
True, but there is a new move I want to show Elizabeth, and I haven’t taught it to you yet,” I say, improvising.

“
You two go ahead, I want to finish my coffee,” Kari says, taking a sip, and grinning at Naya wickedly.

Naya

I can tell Etash is hiding something from me. He’s rushing me to the theatre and keeps looking over his shoulder, pretending to be casual about it. But he doesn’t fool me. I can only assume he saw Seth in the cafeteria and is trying to be protective.

Unfortunately, seeing Seth is going to be an inevitability. We attend the same school for crying out loud--we’re bound to bump into each other. He can’t honestly think he’s going to shield me from seeing Seth for the next four years. But one look at his grim face tells me that, yes, he does mean to do just that.

“
You can’t protect me from him forever,” I say, squeezing his hand. His face grows hard.

“
Yes, I can.”

I want to believe him, but deep down, I know I haven’t seen the last of my ex yet.

Chapter 16

Naya

Whatever Etash has been doing to keep Seth at bay, it seems to be working. It’s been almost three weeks now and I have yet to run into Seth once. I've almost begun to think he may have dropped out of school, except I still see his car in the parking lot every now and again and wonder if he’s just decided to be big about this and move on with his life. I honestly hope so, because even though he was abusive to me, it doesn’t mean that I don’t think he deserves to feel loved, because I do. I truly believe that there is someone out there that can fix him the way Etash has fixed me. He just needs to have the patience to wait for her.

As each day passes without incident, Etash and I grow closer and closer. We've taken to sleeping in the same bed since one of us would always end up on the floor next to the other at some point in the night anyway. He has never once pressured me about sex, and I know he never will. He has taught me what it feels like to be respected and that oddly, makes me want him even more.

The best part of these last few weeks has been our rehearsals. Each day Etash and I find yet another nuance that brings out more about our characters and ourselves. When we dance, it’s as though I don’t have to think at all; I just let my body respond to his pull and the result is magic.

As Elizabeth
predicted, the audience will be floored. She has been beside herself with glee, constantly raving to others about what a brilliant casting job she has done.

Everything is going along so smoothly that I almost forget about Seth altogether, almost. He does still manage to invade my dreams, appearing as some sort of threatening force in one way or another. I don’t tell Etash about them however, because it would only upset him. The nightmares are my burdens to bear, not his.

“
So,” Kari says coyly at a break during rehearsal, “how are things going with you and lover boy?” She gives me a sly grin, which causes me to blush.

“
Things are going great,” I tell her honestly.

She bumps her shoulder against me and leans in close. “How is he?”

“
How is he, what?”

“
You
know.
How is he in bed?” She takes a swig of her soda.

“
I honestly wouldn’t know,” I say, my cheeks burning.

“
Come on, you can’t tell me that you two haven’t been banging each other. It’s all over your faces for crying out loud!”

I shush her. “For your information, I’m still a virgin,” I confess with a level of superiority. Kari almost blows soda out her nose.

“
What’s so funny?” I ask.

She’s laughing pretty hard, but stops once she sees how dead-pan I am.

“
Shut up! Are you serious?” She’s looking at me wide-eyed now.

I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t know why that is so hard to believe”

“
It’s not that, it’s just … you two are so intimate together, I just assumed. And then you went with the other guy for so long, I just …” She stops herself.

“
Assumed I had slept with him too?” I’m glaring at her now.

“
Well, yeah. But I guess that's only because Seth never seemed like the type of guy who was willing to wait around, if you know what I mean. I mean he's already shacked up with that Monica girl from your Stage Craft class.”

My jaw drops.

“
I’m sorry, I thought you knew?” Kari says, touching my arm. I don’t know why this news upsets me, but it does. I suppose it hurts knowing how quickly you can be replaced.

Just then, Daphne, our Stage Manager, taps me on the shoulder.

“
Hey Naya. This was posted on the call board for you.” She hands me a small folded slip of paper that has my name on it.

“
Thanks,” I say.

Unfolding the note, I recognize the handwriting at once. It's from Seth.

Etash

Naya is very quiet on the ride back to the apartment. I’ve tried several times to make her laugh, but she’s just staring out the window, watching the rain fall on the glass. She’s thinking hard about something, but I can tell she doesn’t plan on telling me about it. And that infuriates me.