“Hi,” she greets with a soft smile as I trot up the steps to her porch.
“Hey, yourself.”Crap, my voice is too rough.
I sweep her up into a bear-hug, giving her a spin around, and inhaling her scent until I nearly gethighon it. It’s something sweet, like vanilla, mixed with that mint tea she loves to drink so much.
“I’ve missed you,” she says when I set her down.
I roll my eyes. “We talk, like, all the time.”
“But I don’t get to see you enough anymore.”
“I saw you a few weeks ago for Thanksgiving.”
She smiles, a bit shyly. God, she’s so gorgeous when she smiles. Her lips—
No. Donotthink about her lips.
Just as I divert my thoughts,hergaze drops tomylips, andI almost lose it and devour her mouth.
No, no, no, no.Maybe I shouldn’t have come here tonight. No, Idefinitelyshouldn’t have come here tonight. She’s a distraction,and—
“I’m sorry if I’m acting clingy.” She releases an embarrassed laugh and looks down at her feet shyly. She’s wearing checkered Converse—her favorite.
I’ve had years to memorize all her favorite things, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop noticing and committing them to memory. She’s too ingrained in who I am.
“You’re not acting clingy. And even if you were, I’d love it.”
Fuck me,I genuinely would love it. I could totally see it, too. See her on the same college campus as me next year, acting jealous when she sees me around other girls. Showing up at my apartment wearing nothing but a coat, and—
Stop, stop, stop. Abort mission. What the hell iswrongwith me? She’s not even legal yet. I’ve never thought about her like this before, but recently, something’s changed. Either the tone of her texts, which have grown more flirtatious, or the way her body and personality are both evolving as she grows into an adult.
She’s been my favorite person for a long time, but for years, it was as afriend. A friend I was extremely protective of and neverquitesaw like a little sister, rather a smart, small creature that required protection. Now, everything’s changing, and that scares the shit out of me.
This five-foot-threepixieof a human being scares thefuckout of me.
She peeks up at me shyly, cheeks flushing, and I imagine seeing that flush in other places. My eyes drop farther down than they should, and that’s when I catch a glint of silver in the darkness.
The necklace.Mynecklace—ournecklace. The one I gave her before leaving. She’s wearing it,again. She’s always wearing it when I see her, but now, seeing it glitter between her delicate collarbones… something unreasonably possessive curls inside of me.
If I had any sense I’d make an excuse and leave, but apparently, I have no sense around this girl… so, instead, my hand moves of its own free will and I hook a finger under the chain, lifting it up to get a better look at it.
“You’re wearing your constellation again.”
“I never take it off,” she replies. “It’s my favorite gift anyone’s ever given me.”
My heart stutters. “Why?”
“Because it came from you.”
And, right then, I know I’m utterlyfucked. I try to think of my English final to keep the blood in my head instead of having it rush south, because that would beextremelybad.
“Um…” I release the necklace and opt for running my hand through my hair.Breathe, motherfucker. “Do—do you wanna go get a drink?”Did you just fucking stutter, idiot?
Ember’s smile practically lights up the night’s sky. Then, it fades. “I’m not allowed to drink.” Her brows furrow.
I give her a droll look. “You’re telling me you’ve never had a beer or taken a shot at a party?”
“I exercise my fifth amendment rights and refuse to answer.”
