Chapter 70
I dare you to kiss the most attractive guy in the room.
Me, kiss you? I’d rather cat shit.
The memories slam into me, freezing me in place. I can’t move, I can’t glance at Nathan the way I’ve been doing all night–because of what I might see.
He’ll be looking across the room at Taylor, who’s easily the prettiest girl among all of us. He’ll crawl across the circle to her and kiss her. And if he’s not into blondes, maybe Stephanie.
And my stupid, silly heart will break even though it has no reason to. Nathan isn’t mine, especially after that question in the phone booth he never answered.
The silence after Taylor’s dare is thick, and she smirks. “Well?”
I feel Nathan move, and from my peripheral vision, I see his hand reach out.
Taylor moves faster than him and snatches the bottle of vodka out of his way. Her eyes narrow. “This isn’t Truth, Dare, or Drink.”
She places the bottle behind her. Then she smirks. “Do I need to repeat the dare?”
I feel Nathan lean back. “No, I heard it loud and clear.”
“Get to it, then,” Shane says.
I sigh and close my eyes. No matter how weird I look to anyone else, I don’t think I can stomach the sight of Nathan kissing another girl.
A soft tap on my thigh makes me open my eyes, and I glance at the hand–long–fingered and strong–before looking up at its owner’s face.
Nathan gives me a tentative smile and shrugs helplessly, his eyes darting to my lips. My eyes widen in realization.
It’s me. Nathan Ashford is going to kiss me.
When I don’t move an inch, Nathan leans forward, his gaze still on my lips.
“What the hell?” I hear Taylor mutter, but the sounds in the room sound like they’re coming through a vacuum. There’s a ringing in my ‘ears as Nathan keeps moving, closing the space between us.
My breath hitches when his left hand rests gently on my neck, his thumb slowly caressing the soft skin, making my pulse jump erratically. His lips are about a centimeter away from mine now.
I can’t believe what is happening. Nathan Ashford is about to kiss me.
In a room full of near–strangers. On a dare.
Me, kiss you? I’d rather eat shit.
1/4
14:53 Sat, Oct 4
Chapter 70
At the last minute, just before Nathan’s lips press against mine, like it has a mind of its own, my hand slaps over my mouth.
Nathan freezes, his gaze moving from my lips to my eyes.
“I” I try to say something through my palm, but no sensible words come to mind.
420
I hear a sharp, mocking snort, and my gaze shifts from Nathan to the rest of the group, who are watching us with a mixture of incredulity and scorn (Taylor, mostly).
I turn back to Nathan, and he looks confused and…hurt.
My hand slips from my mouth. “I’m sorry,” I whisper as I push myself to my feet.
Nathan cranes his neck to look up at me, and my eyes fall on his lips–those plump, soft–looking lips that could be pressed against mine right now if I wasn’t such a wreck.
“I’m sorry,” I say again as I turn around and practically run to my room.
I close the door behind me and lean against it, exhaling deeply.
I throw my head back, hitting it against the door repeatedly. “What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?” I repeat in a whisper, even though no one can hear me.
The image of Nathan leaning in to kiss me is branded in my mind, and the mortification of running away is branded right along with it.
A small knock on the door makes me jump slightly. “Wh–who is it?” I ask shakily. I don’t know how to face Nathan after what just happened.
“It’s me, babe,” Lou’s voice comes through, uncharacteristically soft.
I move from the door and open it, letting my roommate in.
“On a scale of one to ten, how pathetic did that look?”
She grimaces. “I’d rather not answer that.”
I groan and slide to the floor, my back pressed against the door. I cover my face with my hands.
Lou sighs, and I feel her move till her knee brushes against mine on the floor. “Wanna talk about it?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I suck.”
She flicks my hand. “No, you don’t.”
I drop my hands and sigh. “I just…couldn’t.”
“Because of how he treated you in high school?”
I scoff. “No. I want to kiss him.”
2/4
67
Chapter 70.
Lou frowns. “Then why didn’t you?”
I shrug helplessly, “Not like that. I’m not having my first kiss surrounded by strangers and Taylor.”
Lou nods. “Ugh, she can be such a bitch sometimes. I only hang with her cause she’s Steph’s friend, and I’d flunk out of school if not for Steph.”
I shrug. “I don’t begrudge you your friends.”
“Is that it?” Lou asks.
I bite my lower lip. “Yeah, but also…the game.”
“Truth or Dare?”
I nod. “It’s…tainted.”
Lou lets out a short burst of laughter, and I shoot her a look. “I’m serious!”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re also neglecting the fact when asked to choose the most attractive girl in a room of five girls, Nathan picked you. Doesn’t that make high school April the tiniest bit happy?”
An involuntary smile tugs at my lips because she’s right. Nathan picked me and it makes me giddy with butterflies.
I groan and throw my head back against the door. “What do I do? I can’t ever face him again.”
“You’re going to have to, sweetie.”
“What will I say?”
Lou shrugs. “Nothing. What you did is nothing compared to what he did to you in high school.”
I sigh. “Yeah, well, he doesn’t know.”
Lou’s eyes widened. “He doesn’t recognize you?”
I shake my head. She whistles lowly. “Well then.”
.“It’s better that way.”
Lou doesn’t look convinced, but she shrugs. “If you say so. Anyway, you’re going to have to face him sooner or later. Don’t you guys like live together?”
I groan and cover my face with my hands again.
“Come on,” Lou says with a soft grunt as she stands. She stretches a hand down to me. “The party’s over; I sent everyone home,” she says.
When I don’t take her hand, she wiggles it. “You have to face him sooner or later. Sooner ensures you won’t toss and turn all night thinking about it.”
3/4
14:53 Sat, Oct 4
Chapter 70
“Jokes on you,” I say as I grab her hand. “I’m going to toss and turn all night thinking about it regardless.”
She chuckles as she helps me to my feet.
She pinches my cheeks affectionately. “It’s not that bad, babe, chill.”
I sigh. “Yeah, okay.”
Louise opens the door and practically shoves me out–right into Nathan Ashford’s chest.
Chapter Comments
