Not understanding what was happening, I slowly opened my eyes to see that Nix's were closed. Another beat later, and he drew back and stared at me with a look I couldn't describe. I missed that contact straight away.
A silence stretched as I lifted my fingers to my mouth; my lips felt tingly.
My first kiss was with my best friend, and it was perfect. Surely that's the way it should be?
"Well?" Nix questioned, leveling me a look and attempting to read my expression.
"It wasn't revolting at all. It was nice. I liked it. Thank you, Nix."
My reply seemed to please him, and he moved back to sit on his bottom, throwing his long legs out in front of him again. I shuffled to his side, looking across the rooftops of our neighbors’ houses.
“You must have kissed lots of girls,” I suggested, hoping he’d say no.
Nix took a moment to answer before he dragged a hand through his hair and muttered. “Er, yeah. Loads.” I didn’t let it upset me. He was my friend, not my boyfriend.
After around five minutes or so, Nix’s voice filled the silence.
"Want to play a game of anywhere but here?" he suggested with a nudge as we stared out into the night's sky.
I rested my head on his shoulder with a frown. "Why would I want to do that?" Did he not like hanging out on the roof with me no more? Maybe he didn't like the kiss?
His reply made me feel a bit better. "So, we can wish ourselves someplace else, away from this life, this house, the twins."
Blowing out a breath, I lifted my head, "That depends."
Nix cleared his throat. "On what?" I loved the way his eyebrows joined up when he was confused.
Tilting my chin, I explained. "Dur, on whetheryou'llbe there too, silly." Boys could be so dumb sometimes.
Nix grinned, showing off his perfect white teeth. I still had two massive gaps in mine. "Of course I would. Where you go, I go, remember?”
My belly knotted up as I thought about Nix and Dalton and their constant arguing. I'd heard Mr. Jackson on the phone with the foster agency, and he'd said that one more strike and Phoenix was out.
“Where else would I be?” he asked, turning to face me fully.
Our eyes were tangled. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling."
It made me angry that the blame always fell on Nix and not Dalton, who was usually the one who started stuff up.
Nix grunted and turned away, "You say thateveryweek."
He started to play with one of the rips in his jeans. I found it funny that he'd added his own rips. It was a fashion thing. I wasn't into fashion, not even when my mother was alive and bought me loads of fancy clothes. I preferred baggy things that covered my body.
"Anyway, stop being so negative," he added.
My brow scrunched. "Stop being so what?"
He rolled his eyes. "You know, negative. Thinking the worst all the time."
Resting my head back on his shoulder, I replied in a small voice. "I can't help it. I'm just worried we'll get separated."
"Never gonna happen." Nix sounded so sure of himself.
And that is exactly whatdidhappen. Three. Days. Later.
ONE
HARPER
