Revision (COMPLETE)

Chapter 4

Part One: Unexpected Twists and Turns

Chapter 4

She couldn't help herself; she condoned as she stole another glance across the room at the dark haired boy with the angelic face. Every day she was determined to learn something new about him or to work on memorizing one of his many appealing features. Today was no exception. She was currently trying to determine what color his eyes were. She slid her gaze in his direction, in what she hoped was a covert manner. Pale green she decided. However, as the sun shone through the window, bathing his desk in natural light, she could've sworn they were blue—an icy, almost unnatural blue.

It seemed a contradiction to have chin length, glossy, almost black hair framing that beautiful ivory complexion, but coupled with the piercing pale eyes—it was a stunning combination. She was captivated. It was almost as if something beyond reason pulled her toward him. She couldn't rationalize it, and frankly she'd given up trying.

He looked up from his copy of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, catching her eye then holding her gaze. She quickly looked down, embarrassed to be caught staring at him, yet again.

Delaney didn't know what had gotten into her. Literature had always been one of her favorite subjects, however the last two months she'd spent more time obsessing over the guy in the corner; wondering what his voice sounded like, enjoying the way his cheeks blushed with splotchy red marks across his pale skin when he was uncomfortable, and day dreaming about kissing him. In fact, yesterday she'd composed a one-hour mental dissertation regarding the reasons she was so strangely drawn to him. He had a classically handsome face with a slender nose and prominent cheekbones; however it was something much more than that. It was the way he seemed to suck the oxygen out of the room making it difficult for her to breathe, the way she could feel his presence from across the lecture hall even when she wasn't facing toward him, but mostly the way any slight acknowledgement of her existence by him caused a sensation of euphoria to spread throughout her frame.

"Miss Parker?" a voice called, snapping her out of her reverie. Her eyes followed the voice to the professor, who seemed to be impatiently waiting for something at the head of the class.

"Yes?" she called weakly. Her heart was thumping wildly in her throat.

"I said," he cleared his throat for emphasis, "do you have a partner yet for the final project."

"Um...," she hedged. She wondered what conversation had transpired before he'd asked the question. Was she being singled out or had he been asking everyone? And what exactly did she need a partner for?

"That would be me, sir." A soft, almost melodic voice answered from across the room. She knew it was him, even without looking.

"Good luck with that, Mr. Gabriel," the professor said with an unsavory chuckle before moving onto the next victim.

She turned toward him; his cheeks were blotchy as expected from the attention, a shy smile playing at the corner of his lips. His gaze met hers and her heart stopped for a second before doing a rolling back flip.

She faced forward quickly. She should definitely end things with Shane. Even though they'd only been on a couple of dates these last few months, she thought he was getting more serious than she was. And the last thing she wanted was serious.

She'd fallen into an easy friendship with Shane when they'd met at new student orientation. He was kind, charming and very helpful with her adjustment to life in Florida. Moving from Michigan when her parents split had been trying, to say the least. And Shane had been instrumental in her survival. However, when he'd kissed her, it wasn't the grand reaction of fireworks she'd expected. Nothing close to the fireworks she felt when her new study partner simply looked at her.