Chapter 03: Free Fall

Chapter Three

Apparently, there was traffic that day, and the road to our destination seemed unreachable in this crowd. We haven’t even reached the first station stop yet.  Brad was still talking on the phone; in fact, he was on the phone the entire time and didn't notice what was happening around, He didn't mind the crowd and unsteadiness of the transportation.

            The bus moved again slowly increasing the speed to reach normal.  The road must have been clear all the way until our first stop. From North High CU to where we lived we still had two more stops to go. Luckily, a bunch of students took off at the first stop  which left more room for us in the bus.

 "Ah finally some space" Brad motioned to Cole and I and we followed him to the free gathered four seats, of which one was taken already.

Brad comfortably took place next to the girl already seated while Cole and I sat beside each other opposite from them, facing Brad.  In the way that I could avoid Cole's piercing eyes for a while even if he was still sitting next to me.

Gladly we remained seated until our final stop .The bus's door creaked open and we descended after the long eventful ride that it was. We were heading to our respective homes

"There's some medicine I need to get before we go" Brad explained stopping by the pharmacy. It took about seconds before the three of us spread ways.

 After we split up, I walked down the left road heading home and my phone buzzed. Still walking casually I took it from my pocket to check it out; It was a text message.

From: Anna

MON 03:03 pm

What have you been up to. Call me when you get this Xo.

A

                                                                    

 Anna was my best crazy friend from the elementary school; we were basically blood sisters. Even if we were not real sisters, we shared so much along the years.

 And although she moved to live in the opposite side of the city, we were still close.

I swiped right on her name in order to call her back but my phone's tactile screen went black. I don't know what on earth was wrong with it but it wasn't a good time. Whenever Anna texted me it meant she needed me to call her right away; It was a kind of a code we shared. I struggled with the device but no use, and since I wasn't looking, where I put my next step,  

Guess what.

"Aaaaa" I squirmed closing my eyes when I understood that I was about to hit the ground face first for sure. as hilarious as that might sound indeed!

In a blink, I found myself hitting something else; not the gold hard ground but solid warm instead. 

Surprise, surprise

My fall was absorbed by a solid chest; in fact, I fell on a body that fell on the ground. 

I hesitantly opened one eye and then the other, to finally notice I was on top of a man's chest. My eyes widened instantly at my sight, the buttoned grey shirt letting out a triangle of flesh, the perfect jaw line and the stubble.  It was Cole and he was holding me.  

How could he be here!

As I fully opened my eyes after blinking for several times just to make sure, I wasn't hallucinating.   Cole was in fact laying on the ground wrapping his hands around me while my shirt lifted up my back. His palms were straight on my bare skin and it was already tingling at his touch.

I was about to get up but I froze when he brought a hand up my spine all the way to the nape of my neck.  As closely and intimately as that may sound. He even let out a relieved breath. As if after he checked me out and knew that, I wasn't hurt.

My body reacted to the touch of his hand and I started feeling the heat building up my breasts that were pressing against his chest, his solid arms around me procured me with a heat wave and a floating sensation. I was literally laying over him while his body was on fire; or mine was! I couldn't tell for sure. For the sole reason that I couldn't think straight at the moment

Just assume that it was the adrenaline rushing through my blood veins because of the unexpected fall.

Only a moment later he startled me with his words.

"Are you okay?" He said worriedly; somewhat lifting up his head.

"Uh.. ye.. yeah ,I guess" I stammered gathering my senses.

"God you got me worried there for a second" He said, his voice a little softer this time.

"How about you?" I asked but he did not answer.

 He moved us up slowly helping me out. I was standing on my feet and he had his arms around my waist still, after we were both up facing each other. I could not help but look at him with concern 

Was he hurt?  After all, he fell on the ground just a minute ago.

"I'm fine no worries" He said reassuring me.

"Are you sure?" I insisted

I was almost sure that his back ached from hitting the ground because of the fall.

 "Yeah I'm sure" He chuckled.

I was the one falling but he was the one hitting the ground for god's sake! And just said that he was fine; But before I could say another word he moved closer and I froze; which I think was becoming a new habit already. However, as soon as he let go of my waist I felt my knees weakening. The same kind of giddiness I felt while he touched me before except this time around it felt even more intense .I was unable to describe the response of vulnerability I was feeling.

Even my body had trouble figuring out what just happened to me.

"Make sure you see where you step next," He said to me with the widest smile I've seen on his face so far. Not bothered at all or at least he hid it well enough for me to notice.

"I ..I'm sorry I .. " I stuttered apologetically but he cut my words short.

"Don't be" He smiled somehow reassuring me, his tone softer than ever.

I felt a little light-headed from the fall but, hell!  His voice enticed my reason.

I swear if the ground could have swallowed me then, I would have dived in whole-heartedly

I felt my face turned  crimson at once when  our eyes met again, his deep blue orbs even bluer than ever

How on earth his eyes affected me that much.

I'm not the one with blue eyes weakness but damn his eyes had something compelling and I stood there feeling numb all of a sudden and finding it a hard time to breath.

A –so familiar– ringtone interrupted the awkward silence that reigned while I was dumbly staring at him stand a step away from me. It was my phone; my mind recognized the ringtone.

It was ringing few steps away on the ground. Cole leaned down severing our linked eyes and picked it up for me when he saw I wasn't moving.

"Your phone is ringing" he smiled handing me the device that interrupted our moment of complete awkwardness and I when I looked I saw that it was Anna.

Proof that I was losing it, Anna had a customized ringtone do I needn’t looking to know that , but like I said I was probably loosing it

"You should take this," He said as he put the phone in my hand locking my eyes with his orbs again

" Yeah, I'm sorry again" I managed somehow to utter properly not severing our eyes

"Don't be; again"   He told me with his hurricane of a smirk; an almost smile to die for.  

"Thank you" I smiled back

"You’re welcome" He smiled back, then turned around, got in a car and just left me standing there.

Really? He just left like that? After

My phone rang again in my hand so I picked it up.

"Holà V, where have you been? I've been trying to call you for a bit but there were no service" Anna's voice greeted me

"Ann, can I call you back?" I said

"Ivy, are you okay sweetie?" I heard her say on the other end of the line while seeing Cole's car getting further away and out of sight.

"Yeah I'm fine don’t worry, I'll call you when I get home okay?"  I said

"Okay, talk to you later then"  

"Bye" I said before hanging up.