“I need to sit down.” Maven said first. She took a seat on his bed, dazed and confused. She’d never felt anything like it before. Not even when she kissed Jake. She concentrated on her knees, taking in huge breaths.
Henri sat down next to her. “Are you alright?” He had never seen a person hyperventilate after kissing him. He wondered if it was a bad sign.
“Just feeling a little dizzy.” She touched her forehead, laughing it off.
“Sometimes when I feel that way I just lay down.” He threw his hands up. “I swear I’m not trying to get you in my bed.”
Maven laughed. “I don’t think that at all.” She laid back, letting out a sigh as she stared up at the ceiling. “Much better.”
Henri took a seat at the end of the bed. “Great. I thought I failed for a second.”
Maven patted the spot next to her. “Failed?”
“I don’t know, bad reaction to a horrible kiss.” He laid down beside her, arms behind his head.
“There was nothing horrible about it.” She drew in her bottom lip, thinking about it all over again. “It was perfect.”
They fell asleep to the sound of crickets chirping below his window, until the sun was nothing but a distant memory and his room was filled with darkness, with only the moonlight shining through the window.
Maven rolled over, a bit confused, trying to make sense of where she was. It took her a couple of seconds to realize she was in Henri’s bedroom. She sat up in the dark, her eyes barely adjusting to her surroundings.
“Henri.” She whispered. She patted the bed, trying to find him in the dark. Suddenly her hand touched something damp. She pulled back startled. And then grew curious and touched it again, rubbing her fingers together to make sense of it. She felt some more until she ran into Henri’s head. She used her other hand to touch his hair, finding her way to his shoulder to shake him.
“Henri.” She called out. “Henri, I can’t find the light. I’m worried, it’s really late.”
When he didn’t answer she grew concerned. She cautiously guided herself to the end of the bed and very carefully, inch by inch, found her way to where she remembered his closet and desk were. She held onto the desk, running her hand along the wall until she bumped into the light switch, at last the room filled with light.
Maven gasped, her hand was bloody. She immediately checked the rest of her body. Her first thought was that she started her period, but that wasn’t it either. She ran to the bed, shocked to see the side of Henri’s face covered in blood as well as his pillowcase and bed sheet.
Her heart flipped and sank. And then she screamed.
“Henri!”
She jumped on the bed, shaking him forcefully until his eyes opened and he was looking at her. He touched his nose as soon as he saw the sheer panic in her eyes.
“It’s a nose bleed.” He promised. “And I’m a really heavy sleeper.”
Maven clutched her chest, happy to see him alive and moving. He pulled off his t-shirt balling it up and holding it against his face, his back to Maven.
Aunt Janet barged into the room. Her hair a mess, but she didn’t care. Her only concern was the scream she had heard coming from Henri’s bedroom.
“I’m fine. It’s a nose bleed.” Henri wrenched himself out of her reach. He wanted nothing to do with anyone.
“Just let me see.” Aunt Janet tried once more to pry Henri’s bloodied t-shirt from his face.
Maven backed away, feeling sorry for him. He looked miserable. But she didn’t know what to do. She stared down at the blood on her hands, trying to stay out of it.
Flynn knocked before coming into the room. He was carrying a wet washcloth. He pushed past his mother and without any fight got the t-shirt away from Henri. He helped him clean up his face. “Awesome. At least now you don’t look like a bludgeoned victim from one of those horror movies.” They laughed.
Aunt Janet sighed, leaving the two of them alone.
Maven couldn’t help but notice how great Flynn was with Henri. She could tell Henri and Flynn were close.
“I’ll let you get cleaned up. And I’ll take your friend downstairs for some tea.”
Maven, without any delay, followed Flynn from the bedroom. Everything had happened so quickly she barely had time to process.
Flynn led her to the kitchen. He pulled two glasses from the cabinet.
“You want to grab that pitcher of tea for me out of the refrigerator?”
Maven started moving, opening the refrigerator in a hurry to do as he asked. He was a no-bull kind of guy, she could tell.
“Thank you.” He poured two glasses and took them to the table, dragging one seat out and gesturing her to sit.
She stared at her bloody hands. “Could I wash my hands first?”
Flynn chuckled. “Of course. I wouldn’t want you wearing Henri’s blood while we share a drink.”
Flynn took a seat, watching her attentively wash away the blood. He could imagine how horrified and upset with himself Henri was. He wondered if it was better to just take her home and leave it at that. He wasn’t even sure Henri would show his face after what happened.
“Better?” Flynn asked. She nodded, taking a sip of the tea.
“Is he okay?” That’s the only thing she was thinking about. She had to know.
“I’m sure he’s fine.” Flynn took a sip of his tea studying Maven closely. Blonde hair, blonder than most, he wondered if it were fake or natural. “Is that your real hair color?”
“Yes.” She touched her hair feeling insecure. Flynn was a great looking guy. And he wasn’t afraid to say what he was thinking.
“A lot of girls would kill to have hair like that. Is that why half the girls in this town talk about you so much?” He leaned back in his chair.
Maven was stunned he would be so uncouth “I doubt my hair has anything to do with it.”
“What then?” She didn’t act like the kind of girl who ran around stealing other girl’s boyfriends. He knew those types—he loved those types. And he also knew Henri would never waste his breath on those types.
Maven raised her eyebrows. “People are the way they are because of my old boyfriend and his new girlfriend.”
This made Flynn nod. “Your hotter than her is that what it is?”
Maven didn’t know how to respond to that statement. Tatiana and she were nothing alike.
“If people are talking about you it’s probably because they’re jealous of you. You’re a beautiful girl, but I’m sure you know that.” Flynn grabbed hold of his glass.
“Well, thanks, I think. But I think it’s more than envy. I think it’s because people are cruel.”
“That wasn’t a compliment it was an observation. I have a girlfriend and believe me she would cut my balls off if she heard me complimenting another girl.” Flynn smiled. “Am I freaking you out?”
Maven pushed her hair behind her ear. “A little.”
“Well, I don’t bite, only if they ask for it. So don’t freak out on me.”
Maven finally smiled.
“Do you like him?” Flynn asked. “My cousin.”
Maven nodded. “He’s great. He seems like a great person.”
“He is great. He’s amazing. He’s everything any girl could want in a guy. Shit, I’m surprised my girlfriend hasn’t dumped me yet to have a chance at Henri.” Flynn smirked.
She didn’t know what to say to that either.
“Did he tell you how amazing he was at baseball back at home? Or how many girls were chasing after him?” He took a swig of his tea. “Or about the mega bitch that dumped him?”
Maven started to feel uncomfortable. Henri’s cousin was sharing things with her that Henri never mentioned or seemed to want to bring up.
“He had a girlfriend?”
Flynn nodded. “He did everything for this girl. And she just up and deserted him.”