Ican’t believe I kissed Lily last night.
At the same time, I knew it was coming. I was only fighting against myself.
I wake the next morning with a big grin on my face. Lily told me to come over as soon as I was up, so I get dressed quickly in my signature black. In the kitchen, I find Gwen typing on her laptop. I try to make my coffee without disturbing her, but her voice stops me short. “You had quite a night.”
I look over and see a smile on her face, even though her eyes are still glued to her screen. “Uh…yes.”
“Don’t worry. I actually approve.” She takes off her glasses and looks up at me. “Lily is the sweetest. I’m not surprised you fell for her.”
“She’s more than sweet. She’s kind and beautiful, and her passion is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. When she plays the piano, the whole world fades away, and…” Heat rises on my neck and cheeks, and I turn my back to Gwen under the guise of grabbing a coffee mug. “And yeah. She’s sweet.”
Gwen laughs out loud. “Okay, you’re totally gone for her.”
I shrug a shoulder, my back still to her.
“All right. We don’t have to talk about it. But you do need to talk to Peter.”
“Yeah, I know.” I put a coffee pod in the machine and press the start button, then turn around and lean against the counter, folding my arms over my chest. “You don’t think he’ll be mad, right?”
“Oh, he’ll belivid.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter.
“It’s a good thing he didn’t see that display last night. You guys wereall overeach other. Thank you for the inspiration, by the way. I needed to write a kissing scene this morning.”
I roll my eyes but smile.
“I guess I should be thanking Lucy,” she adds. “She’s the one who saw you guys first.”
“Lucy?” I reply.
“The redhead with the polka dot dress. She’s new to Brookhaven. I think she actually moved here a week or two before you.”
I nod, vaguely remembering her. I was a little too focused on Lily to notice.
My coffee finishes, and I take a sip. “How’s your novel going?”
Gwen sighs, putting her black frame glasses back on and looking at the computer screen. “It’s all right. I feel like it’s missing something, though. It’s kind of…flat? Like it’s missing character development. And the romance is a little lackluster.”
“Huh.” I know what the problem is, but I’d never say it to her. Actually, there are two problems: one, Gwen has always done the easy thing and never forged her own path. Even her parents don’t know about her writing, despite the success she’s already found and her desire to make it her only career. Second, she has no romance in her life. Maybe it’s weird for me to know that about my cousin, but she’s been so stuck onPeter since she was a little girl that no one has even made an impact.
The poor girl needs a boyfriend and a sense of direction.
But that’s not my problem today. Because last night, I kissed Lily. I finally got to hold her and tell her how I felt, and she feels the same. Everything is turning around.
“Oh, you’re pathetic,” Gwen says, snapping me out of my thoughts of Lily.
“What? I’m not…”
“You can’t hide that goofy grin from me.”
I scowl at her, then decide not to fight my smile. “Fine. I’m pathetic. But she’s worth it.”
Gwen’s eyes soften at that declaration, but I don’t need to stay here longer than necessary.
“All right, I’m out of here,” I say.
“But you barely took a sip of coffee.”
