Embracing You, Embracing Me by Michelle Bellon Read Free Book Online

and
relayed Roshell’s predicament, I had no problem offering to chauffer her home
with the rest of my group.
    What surprised me was my own reaction when
I scanned the dance floor and spotted her alone at the drink table. Sure her
back was to me, but I could clearly see that she was upset. She was all rigid
and she was obviously distressed. I kinda felt sorry for her. Before I even
realized that I had made the decision to do so, I was walking toward her with
no particular goal. I was simply pulled to her, drawn to her. Now that I look
back, it feels weird to say that I didn’t really have a choice in that moment.
    You should have seen the look on her face
when I asked her to dance. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or just reach out and
give her a hug. She looked terrified and was absolutely tongue tied which was
slightly funny, yet endearing. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to hide the
grin that was threatening to consume me as I led her to the dance floor.
    I pulled her to me and just like that the
night changed, the mood shifted. I no longer cared about the awkward social
interactions going on all around us. I was completely tuned into her. I liked
the way she moved with the music. Her movements were smooth as if it was
natural for her to dance with me. It sounds cheesy, but we just kind of fit.
    I had always noticed both her and Amber
since moving to this small town. It’s uncanny how similar they are and it
almost appears as if they are sisters. Both have mid-length dark blonde hair,
and fair skin, though Roshell is slightly fairer. They have pretty,
heart-shaped faces that are always smiling, radiating their youth and sense of
adventure-seeking fun. The two are practically inseparable, so that when you
picture one you automatically picture the other one.
    Amber has a quieter more introspective personality
while Roshell is the extrovert. And she’s impulsive, although, I have recently
noticed that she isn’t that way around me. Maybe Darren’s suspicions about
Roshell being infatuated with me were accurate after all.
    At first I thought that Amber was more my
type and seized the impromptu opportunity of asking her to prom, with the
intent of it possibly turning into something more, but that scenario soon
evaporated as it became obvious that Darren and Amber had eyes for each other.
    I don’t mind this by the way. Ever since I
moved here I have developed a strong bond with Darren and feel like we are more
like brothers. Besides, all you have to do is take one look at the two of them.
They do make a cute couple.
    When Darren first mentioned he
thought Roshell had a crush on me I brushed him off and assumed it was Darren’s
way of distracting me while he essentially stole my prom date.
    But now that I’ve actually talked with her
and noticed the way she stood frozen like a deer in headlights, I suspect that
either Darren was right or she was repulsed by me and wasn’t good at giving a
polite decline. Being that she wrapped around me and seemed to enjoy the way we
swayed to the music, I’m hopeful that it was the former.
    And, yeah, I was enjoying myself just as much.
She felt so tiny in my arms and it gave me the odd sense of suddenly wanting to
gather her closer as if to protect her. From what I’m not sure.
    I wanted to dance with her again that
evening but the D.J. wrapped up before I had the chance. Then I didn’t even get
to speak to her on the way home because most of the car ride had been filled
with Kerri’s grouchiness after the way her night had turned out.
    What I did find intriguing was the way
Roshell reacted when we pulled into her trailer park. She was so obviously
embarrassed, ashamed to have us discover where she lived. She must be extremely
self-conscious with her lifestyle and I wish that I could have spent more time
with her, get to know her, tell her that those things don’t matter to me.
    Now, here I am on my knees, my back aching
as I pull unwanted and treacherous weeds out of the