My brows pinch, trying to puzzle out what he thinks he saw.
“It looked like more than pool, Ash. What the fuck? Do you have some kind of crush on him or something?”
“No? He’s my friend.” Crossing my arms, I say, “Kind of like how I thoughtyouwere my friend.”
“Friend?” He scoffs. “You don’t even know him.”
“Right. I just met him, but he’s already a better friend than you.”
He rears back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He doesn’t ignore me. News flash. I got here a week ago, and you’ve barely acknowledgedmy presence. You haven’t even spoken to me tonight until now. You’ve been too busy with that redhead.”
He rolls his eyes. “I wasn’t trying to ignore you, Ash.”
“Well, you did.” I feel like a child throwing a tantrum, but I don’t care. My feelings are hurt. “I thought—I mean, all those letters, I—” Pressing my fingers into my lips, I sigh and look away.
He steps in closer. “What?”
I blink a few times, trying to keep the tears at bay before quietly saying, “I thought you liked me.”
His jaw tics.
“Look, I should go. This was a bad idea.”
As I start to walk away, he grabs my wrist, spinning me to face him. He stares down at me. His throat bobs, but he still doesn’t say anything. My eyes sting, and it’s like someone’s laid a brick on my chest.
“Fuck—” he mutters and bites his bottom lip. “Iwastrying to ignore you. I’vebeentrying to ignore you.”
He lets go, and my skin feels bare without his warmth. Giving me his back, he lifts his face to the ceiling with his hands on his hips. His shoulders rise with a deep inhale.
I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or himself when he says, “This is wrong. You’re Shane’s little sister. I’m not supposed to?—”
When he turns back to me, there’s something different in his eyes. They burn into me for a moment too long before he mutters, “Fuck it.”
“What—”
He cuts me off when his mouth slams into mine.
Holy shit. I was right!
He guides me until my back is against the wall. His lips are soft, and he smells faintly like the cigarette he smokedearlier. Normally I wouldn’t find that so attractive, but it is on him. One of his hands slides up the back of my neck into my hair, and the other squeezes my hip. His tongue darts out, and I open to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I don’t want this moment to ever end.
I’m completely lost in him when he breaks the kiss, staring at me for a moment before squeezing his eyes closed.
“Shit,” he whispers, taking a step back.
“What?”
His face scrunches, and he runs his hands over it. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Before I can ask what he means, he adds, “We can’t do this.”
I shake my head, searching his face for answers. My neck heats, and my heart pounds against my sternum. “I don’t understand.”
He exhales, tilting his head to the side. “Ash, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but?—”
He regrets kissing me.
