“No, fuck this.”
“Lex–”
“You think I–” his voice cracks, furious.
“You wanted to kiss me.”
My laugh is wet and disbelieving.
“You leaned in as well.”
“Bullshit,” he spits.
“You’re obsessed with me, to a point where you're even making fantasies now, in which I want to kiss you? Wow, you're actually this insane.”
“Oh. My. God.”
I drag a hand through my hair.
“You almost kissed me.”
“I would never–” he cuts himself off, shaking his head hard.
“Get away from me.”
He storms toward the door,shoulders tight, movements sharp and panicked.
“Lex,” I call after him, but he doesn’t look back.
He disappears inside, leaving the door swinging and my pulse slamming against my ribs.
I stand there, staring at the river, the cool air doing nothing to steady me.
He almost kissed me.
Lex Rothwell almost kissed me.
Mystepbrotherand myself almost kissed.
And the terrifying part?
I think webothwanted it to happen.
CHAPTER TWO
LEX
I don’t stop walking until I’m inside the reception hall again, the music hitting me like a shove, the lights too bright, the voices too loud.
My pulse is still in my throat.
My hands still shake.
I head straight for the bar.
The bartender tries to smile at me. I ignore him, snatch the nearest bottle of whiskey, and walk away with it like I own the place. Which I do, in fact. No one stops me. No one ever does.
Up the stairs.
