He steps closer, and I can smell his cologne mixed with the scent of the pine tree. His hands come up to frame my face, gentle and warm against my cheeks.
“You sure?” he whispers.
I nod, not trusting my voice.
River leans down and kisses me.
It’s soft and sweet, and I can taste hot chocolate on his lips. He’s gentle, like he’s afraid I might break. I close my eyes and wait for the magic to happen—for my heart to race, for butterflies to explode in my stomach, for the world to tilt on its axis the way it does in all the books I’ve read.
But nothing happens.
There’s no spark, no electricity, no sudden realization that this is what I’ve been missing. It’s just… a kiss. Pleasant enough, but no more exciting than drinking lukewarm tea.
When we break apart, River smiles and searches my face. “How was that?”
I force a smile. “Nice,” I lie.
Inside, I’m crushed. This was supposed to fix everything. This was supposed to be the moment I realized I could feel something for someone other than Micah. Instead, all I can think about is how different this felt from what I imagine it would be like to kiss Micah.
“Do you want to get something to eat? Other than doughnuts, I mean?” River chuckles as he slips his hand into mine.
“Yeah. I could eat.”
As we walk back to his rental car, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve made everything more complicated instead of simpler. The fountain’s legend was supposed to ensure we’d stay together forever. The kiss was supposed to be magical.
Some magic just isn’t meant for everyone, I guess.
CHAPTER 16
MicahBarrett
Friday, November 27
I standwith Kiera on the front stoop. “I had a nice time with you.”
Kiera hugs herself and gives me a tight smile. “Yeah. It was fun. Thanks for taking me.”
Her body language is screamingback off, buddy, so I take a step away from her.
“What are your plans after high school?”
She shrugs. “I’ll get a job somewhere and get out of here.”
“You want to leave Willow Shade?”
“I hate mooching off my sister. She wants to pay for me to go to college, but I can’t let her do that. I think it’s better if I go make my own way in the world.”
I search her face. “But isn’t your family here?”
She doesn’t meet my gaze. “Yes. Kiki’s my only family.” She blinks like she’s going to get emotional, and I inwardly cringe. I didn’t mean to make her upset.
“What’s your dream job?” I ask to change the subject.
“I don’t know. I like to cook. I could see myself becoming a chef or something.”
I nod. “You could open up your own restaurant. That would be fun.”
She smiles and folds her arms. “Yeah. Maybe.”
