Nothing Else Matters by Leslie Dubois Read Free Book Online Page A

out with her. No matter where we were, it was always fun because of her. She didn't even care if she was the only black person in the room, which often she was. She was never uncomfortable, never out of her element.
    Two songs later, she found me at the bar. "Come dance with me," she said while pulling me onto the floor. I chugged the last of my beer, then followed her. Another great thing about going out with Reyna, she never laughed at my awkward dance moves.
    When the song ended, Ryan Adams bantered with the audience, and then said something that stopped both of us like the proverbial deer in headlights. "This next song is called La Cienega Just Smiled."
    "What a strange coincidence," I said, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
    "I guess we're obligated to dance to it."
    As the slow mesmerizing ballad began, I pulled her close to me and wrapped my arms around her waist. Her firm curvaceous body felt as soft and billowy as her coconut scented hair. I swayed to and fro letting everything disappear except the hauntingly beautiful music and the touch of her skin. I rested my cheek on the Puerto Rican flag scarf that pulled Reyna's hair back into a tight poof of dark brown curls and closed my eyes. I felt right, whole, complete. I didn't think about mysterious pains in my body or pleasing my tyrannical mother. I didn't worry about having to win the state championship or letting down my entire city.
    I pulled away slightly then stared into the eyes of my best friend, my first kiss, the girl who had grown into a woman right before my eyes. I stared at my Reyna, who cared for me whether I was the star athlete on the field or the loser who couldn't comprehend his chemistry homework.
    I gently pinched her chin between my thumb and forefinger then leaned in to kiss her. I felt like I was drowning and her lips were my only source to oxygen. A whole new world had been opened up to me and I would never let it close. In that split second, I knew Reyna Luz Lewis was the one for me. I knew I was in love with her.
     The blindingly passionate kiss seemed to last for an eternity and encompassed the song. Our lips and tongues continued the dance our bodies had begun.
    When the song ended, Reyna jerked away from me, abruptly breaking the seal of our lips. She stared at me as if in shock or, perhaps, in fear. I couldn't tell. Then she ran out of the club. Being petite, she was able to navigate through the crowd more quickly than me. But I caught up with her outside as she practically ran toward my car.
    "Reyna, what's wrong?" I asked, grabbing her elbow to stop her in her tracks.
    "I'm not doing this, Scott." She shook her arm loose and continued her retreat to the car.
    "What are you so afraid of?"
    "We're friends. Why can't we just leave it as that?" She reached for the door handle. I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me.
    "This is why." I leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head.
    "Please, take me home, Scottie."
     
     
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    The ride home was silent and didn't last long enough. Mt. Pleasant was only a bridge away from Charleston. I didn't want to take her home. I didn't want to let her go. I knew she would run from this and perhaps never talk about it again.
      When we pulled up in front of her house, she didn't get out immediately like I thought she would. She just stared straight ahead. I decided to give it one more try. I reached out and caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into my hand.
      "Reyna," I whispered before leaning in to kiss her. The passion returned in an instant. And whether she wanted it to or not, her body responded to me.
      I reached my hand under her shirt and felt her warm skin. Reyna pulled away for a moment and I thought she was putting on the brakes. Instead, she whipped off her jacket and then her shirt leaving only her bra. My breath caught. This was happening. It was really happening. I followed suit and removed my shirt leaving only my bare chest pounding so heavily