I’m feeling uneasy about this whole situation. “It’s not a big deal, Lane. Okay?”
“Look at you, Lois. You’rethisclose to breaking down.” He rests his hands on my shoulders. “Take it from a friend.”
A friend… I lower my eyes and bite my lip.
“Okay—but no tongues.” I can’t believe I’m actually agreeing to this.
“It’ll be more impactful with,” he says. “Trust me. I’m a screenwriter.”
“On the lips?” I blurt out, without thinking.
He leans back to give me a pointed look.
“I mean, it’ll be kind of hard to make out with your cheek, but I’ll try anything once.”
“Come on, don’t make fun of me. It’s just that—”
“He’s looking straight at us, Lois. It’s now or never.”
I can hear Kirk’s latest rebound giggling over the music. Her screeches are piercing right through me. Nails on a blackboard.
I stare at the ground, then glance at the sea. I watch Lane’s Adam’s apple as it bobs, and when he parts his lips to talk, I find myself closing my eyes. Lane is a guy—he knows what he’s doing. And I have to admit, there’s nothing I’m craving more right now than the sweet taste of revenge.
“Do it,” I murmur—so softly, I’m not sure he even heard.
A second trails by, then a handful more. I’m just about to open one eye when I feel a soft, warm pressure. His full lips are shy and featherlight against mine, so foreign yet stirring something so sweetly familiar all the same. I’m rooted to the spot. Lane’s kiss is slow and smooth, tracing my lips with his without nudging any deeper, maybe because he’s scared I might run away screaming. And he’s right to hold back—because the truth is I’m terrified. I’ve only ever kissed one other boy before, and right here, right now, I feel out of my depth. Maybe Kirk broke me. I’m not sure what to do with myself, and so I just stand there, frozen. Maybe this was a bad idea.
“Stop thinking.” Lane hushes the words against my lips. “It’s just a kiss.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You want me to stop?”
When I don’t reply, he ends this…kiss that means nothing at all, widening the space between us. He’s appraising me in silence, his hands still resting on my shoulders. He brushes my cheeks with his thumbs. I know his eyes by heart now, I know they’re green—but in this moment, they somehow look different to me, though I can’t pinpoint how.
“Want to head home?” he asks, not letting go.
I can’t stop staring into his eyes. This is Lane, right? Kind. Generous. And I know it’s strange, but it’s like I’ve only just realized that he’s someone I really trust.
“Lois?”
Kirk didn’t break me—he just silenced my inner voice by slowly drowning it out. If I’m hoping to move on, I need to take back control.
“Okay, let’s go…”
He starts to step away, and as he does, all my doubts evaporate. I’m done with the icebreakers. I catch him by the collar and pull him in, my mouth crashing into his as I part his lips with my tongue. I’m about to pull away when his hands rise to cradle my jaw and his mouth opens, tentative and warm. His tongue probes for mine, once, then again, bolder this time. By the third time we’re melting into each other. My mind goes weightless, and all that’s left is him, and the way we fit.
One of his hands slides to cup my neck and bury itself into my hair. Steadier now, more confident, he tilts his head and kisses me deeper, pressing into me like he can’t get close enough. He lets out a groan and I tighten my grip on his T-shirt, holding him near, desperate to keep him here.
I don’t know how long we spend kissing, but when we finally break apart and I feel the cool breeze against my wet lips, I am completely dazed. I let go of his T-shirt, flexing my stiff fingers and take a step back, disoriented.
“That was… solid work,” he says hoarsely. His forehead is creased.
I let out an uncontrollable laugh, and rub my arms to collect myself.
“Kirk looked pissed,” he says, nodding over to the campfire.
Wait, he was checking Kirk out while we were kissing?Because personally, I was in no state to be paying attention to anything else.
