“You okay?” I ask.
She nods again.
“Frankie,” I say quietly. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
She looks up at me. Her green eyes are big and nervous. They almost glow in the dark.
“No, I do,” she says. “I just—give me a second.”
I wait.
I really do.
I lean back against the wall, hands up.
I don’t rush her.
I don’t tease her.
I just stand there and let the seconds pass.
Finally, she steps closer.
I tilt my head down.
She tilts hers up.
The kiss is soft. Barely there. Her lips are warm and uncertain. Her scent is doing a weird thing to my gut.
My heart jumps straight into my throat.
I like it.
I like it more than I thought I would.
I lean in more but she pulls back.
When we part, I smile without meaning to. “See? That wasn’t bad.”
She doesn’t smile back. Instead, she glances at the door.
“There’s still time.” I step closer. “One more?”
“Za’s gonna know.”
I frown. “Know what?”
“That we—” She trails off, shaking her head. “We should stop.”
I lean in again, instinctive, trying to catch the moment before it disappears. “Why? It’s fine. No one’s gonna?—”
She puts a hand on my chest.
“No.”
Something in me twists.
“You didn’t like it?” I ask, and I hate how defensive it sounds.
