I wipe my hands over my face. “You’re wrong, Vanessa.”
“Am I?” She holds my gaze for several long moments. “Okay. I won’t mention it again.”
We finish washing up, and then she puts the cupcakes Fitz gave her on a plate and takes them through to the sitting room. Fitz and I only stay for another half hour, long enough to eat a cupcake each and engage in polite conversation with Vanessa. Conversation that staysfaraway from the topic of couples and dating.
I drive us home in my work van. Fitz is quiet during the drive, and I don’t feel like saying much either.
Once we get back to our flat, we take our shoes and coats off. Usually, we’d be laughing and joking. One of us might suggest watching something on TV. Instead, Fitz turns to face me. He looks nervous.
“I’m sorry about Vanessa,” I say. “I don’t know why she said all that stuff—”
“Maybe we should,” Fitz says in a rush.
“Should what?”
“Kiss each other.” He makes a turning gesture with his hand. “It won’t mean anything, but at least we’d both know.”
I stare at him, unsure what to say.
“I’ve never even thought about kissing a guy before,” Fitz carries on. “But you’re my bestie, so I’d feel safe experimenting with you.” He huffs in a breath.
“You want to kiss me?”
He shrugs. “What have we got to lose?”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want anything to change between us.”
He looks into my eyes. “I think something already has changed.”
“Because Vanessa has a daft theory?”
“You’re sure she’s wrong?”
“Are you sure she’s not?” I counter.
“No. Which is why I think weshouldkiss. When it means nothing, we’ll be able to shrug this evening off and pretend Vanessa never said anything.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot.
“Please, Addy?”
I nod and move my hand from his shoulder to his jaw, cupping his cheek. My heart thunders as I lean down. I stop short of actually pressing my lips against his. His brown eyes watch me intently. I keep expecting him to laugh and tell me he is joking, that he’s just calling my bluff. That he doesn’t think for a second that I’d kiss him because, duh! We’rejustfriends. But he doesn’t do any of that. He just stands there, staring at me, waiting for me to make the first move.
Chapter6
Fitz
My head has been a mess since Vanessa declared that Addy and I were a couple. We’re not. I’m pretty sure we’d both know if we were, so why can’t I get her comments out of my head?
I’m not sure what possessed me to ask Addy to kiss me either. Curiosity? A need to prove to AddyandVanessa that we are one hundred per cent just good friends? I don’t know, but I wish he’d hurry up and do it so all these confusing feelings can go away.
All I can hear right now is the thump of my heart and the rush of blood in my ears. I can feel Addy’s hand cupping my face. His fingers are rough from working with trees, ropes, and power tools. No one’s ever touched me in this exact way before. It’s nice. Really nice.
I stare up into Addy’s eyes. They’re pale grey-blue. I’ve noticed his eye colour a million times or more, but it’s never seemed so intense before. Then again, he’s never looked at me quite like this.
Unable to stand the suspense any longer, I push up onto my toes and kiss him. It’s a quick peck, nothing more, barely long enough to feel the slightly rough texture of his lips. Addy really should use lip balm if he’s going to spend cold days outside tending to trees.
“See?” I say in what I hope is a light-hearted tone. “Nothing.”
