Itwasimportant. It just also happened to be the clearest sign that he’d neverreallywant me, that I had nothing to offer him other than the occasional eager, out-of-place kiss because I thought he was amazing and I wanted to be closer to him.
Wantingwasn’t enough. I knew that.
Maybe I could play the kiss off as necessary, as cover to cement the idea that we were really dating.
Maybe I could wander into the woods and hope a bear ate me. Were there bears around here? I hadn’t seen any signs, but I could always hope for a lost, starving one to take pity on me.
“Well, maybe you two can talk about Shakespeare all week,” Brad spoke up, rolling his eyes so dramatically they were in danger of falling out of his head.
“I think it’s hot,” Chris said. “You should’ve told me you were smart, I get off on smart.”
Alex nudged him playfully, Chris laughed and nudged him back, and they both fell off the low bench they’d been sitting on, tussling on the ground, tangled up in their shared blanket and giggling as they rolled around.
While everyone’s attention was on them, I took the opportunity to look up at Morgan and found him looking directly at me.
He blinked at first, obviously not expecting to be caught, but then the corner of his lip twitched up into a hesitant little smile, and I relaxed just a tiny bit.
Maybe kissing him wasn’t the end of the world, after all.
“Sorry about that,” I said softly, keeping my voice low so no one else would hear.
“Don’t worry about it,” Morgan murmured, equally quiet. “Wasn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
11
Morgan
This wasthe worst thing that’d ever happened to me.
As soon as I worked up the courage to step out of the tiny, cramped bathroom, I’d be staring down the barrel of having to spend the night in a bed that wasn’tthatbig with Devin.
Devin, who’d just kissed me. Devin, who I’dwantedto kiss me for years.
My phone vibrated on the edge of the vanity, threatening to fall into the sink before I caught it.
Aiden: what happened to keeping me updated?
I hesitated. Normally, I’d tell Aiden everything, but this was about hisbrother. It was weird.
Devin kissed me
I hit send before I could second-guess myself. I needed advice, and I needed itright now. Aiden was the only person in the world who I could turn to.
Aiden: was it everything you ever hoped and dreamed?
It was sticky
His lips had still been covered in melted marshmallow, and every now and again my tongue darted out and I tasted sugar and another little thrill ran a lap around my stomach.
He’d justdoneit.
And then he apologized,I added in my next message, figuring I might as well tell the whole truth. That was the confusing part.
Aiden: pretty sure I apologized to Carter the first time I kissed him, maybe it runs in the family
That… wasn’t as helpful as Aiden clearly believed it was going to be.
Aiden: what’s happening now?
