Say something, I scold myself. "Yeah,” is what I come up with.
Brett is leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. He looks so good tonight with his dress shirt and tie. His dark hair has a curl to it, and it's shaggy, falling into his eyes, but frames his face at the same time. His smile, though—it’s what makes me melt. I've known Brett most of my life, but we only see each other here and there at get-togethers. However, it wasn't until a few years ago that I noticed how attractive he is and how charming his personality has become.
"I—" I clear my throat so my words form with sound.
"You okay?" he asks, drawing his gaze away from his phone.
"Um—yeah—I know we’ve spoken little over the past couple of years, but I—" We used to talk more, but only until I started feeling nervous around him.
Brett raises a brow and curls his lips to one side. "You what?"
It's now or never."I might have a teeny tiny little crush on you, which is totally lame and stupid to say out loud, but I heard you're leaving for boot camp soon, and I figured maybe I should say something." I didn't consider saying any of this. Journey told me I should.I'm regretting this decision, because he's staring at me with wonder, and I don't know if that's good or bad.
"That's very sweet," he says.
Sweet? My life is over. He knows I'm younger and probably thinks this is a stupid school-girl crush, but three years is a long time to consider my feelings a school-girl crush … I think.
I hiccup because what other forms of embarrassment could I add to the moment. "Sorry, I had a little—"
"Did you sneak a little bourbon?" he says, biting down on his smile.
I pinch my fingers together. "A little; a couple sips."
Brett places his hand on his chest, and his mouth falls open as if he's shocked. "I thought you were the well behaved one of Mr. Quinn's daughters," he snickers.
"I am!" I feel like I need to defend myself. I wouldn’t have taken a sip if Journey had not pressured me.
"Well," he says, looking down between his feet. "I can't say I haven't noticed your beauty these last couple of years. It's weird after growing up around each other, then seeing you in a different light."
"It's the red hair," I blurt out. "It got redder as I got older, and now, I stand out like a sore thumb."
Brett releases a small laugh. "That's not what I meant."
"Oh." My heart is beating so hard, I can feel it through every inch of my body, and it's making me lightheaded.
"It's true, though, I'm leaving in a few months for boot camp," he says.
It's my turn to stare down at my shoes. I tangle my fingers together and squeeze my hands to release some tension. Not even a second passes before I gasp in response to the sensation of Brett's soft finger slipping beneath my chin as he encourages me to gaze up at him. "If I wasn't leaving—" He leans down, and the side of his nose brushes against the side of mine. Then he pauses, allowing me to feel his breath tickle the curves of my mouth.Is this really happening?My heart stops racing, and my lungs feel weak. I close my eyes as his lips touch mine, ever so lightly. His hand sweeps against my cheek, and his fingers slide beneath my ear. Our mouths linger in the same spot for what feels like the longest, most amazing minute of my life.
Until another hiccup ruins everything.
I jerk away and slap my hands over my mouth, mortified.
Brett grins and shakes his head as if he's amused. "Don't gulp the bourbon next time," he says, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Thank you for a memorable night, Melody."
That's it. Brett walks past me and returns to the party. I'm left standing here in the middle of the storage space behind the shop, touching my fingertips to my lips as heat spreads through my chest.
He kissed me. I have dreamt of a first kiss like that. All those movies I've seen, wondering if real life could hold a flame to the fictional world. It's all real.
And I ruined it.
1
Current Day
This is my dream.This was my dream.
I close my eyes, trying to remember whythiswas my dream, or what was so desirable about a life likethis.
