He traces a circle around my wrist with his fingertips, and the whole world tilts on its axis.
“That’s not bad,” I murmur.
“And then maybe I could tuck her hair behind her ear.”
I feel him brush my earlobe.
“What do you think?”
The skin there is burning. He’s too close. Way too close.Stay away, Carrie!
It doesn’t matter how firmly I warn myself to step back. My body won’t obey.
“A kiss to end the class is the only thing that makes sense,” he insists.
He takes a step toward me, the toes of his sneakers skimming mine. I’m like a deer in headlights. A deer with a death wish.
“Don’t tell me you’re freaking out again,” he whispers.
I shake my head. “I just don’t want some guy drooling in my mouth.”
“Thing is, all your misconceptions turn out to be bullshit. Ever notice that?” He leans in. “You were wrong about the walls. Remember? Maybe you’re wrong about this, too.”
He’s good—I’ll give him that. But I’m not cracking. The harder he pushes, the harder I plan on pushing back. We lock eyes. I can feel the energy rising off him like a current. I’ve always caved with him. Until now, that is. This time, I need to win.
“You’re gonna ace this, I can feel it!”
I pull back, and the spell is broken.
I dart around the table and lunge for the faucet, grappling for a glass. I’m parched. The moment the water hits my lips, I feel myself level out, and when I turn around, I realize he hasn’t moved. He’s just standing there, laughing softly.
“What’s the problem?” I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
“I’d never have guessed you’d be the sort to freak out over a quick kiss.”
“Dude, why can’t you just accept that I don’t want to kiss you?” I shoot him a level look. “I get that it’s not great for your ego, but still.”
“Trust me, Carrie—my ego has pretty much been fucked since we met.”
“Guess I’m good at my job, then.”
He shrugs. “I accept my fate. After weeks of hard work, I’m about to crash and burn, and all because of one little kiss. Too bad for Cheyenne.”
“You should be on Broadway.”
“I hope you remember this moment when you’re still trying to shake me off a few months down the line. It’s almost November,” he reminds me. “That gives us—what? Eight months until the end of the year? And anyway—even when I graduate, I can still carry on my classes with you…”
“Are you blackmailing me, Wolinski? Because I can do damage, too, you know.”
“Is kissing ‘triggering’ for you?” He hams up the air quotes. “Because this is a whole lot of stress for one of the most basic things you can do…”
I hate the way he’s completely steamrolling me, the way his sentences just trail off.
“Why don’t we talk about how obsessed you are with this whole kissing thing?”
I eye the glass of milk. Now would be an amazing time to give him a practical demo.
“I am.” He nods. “Iamobsessed. Because there’s always a method to your madness.” He walks around the table and stands in front of me. “It’s got me wondering. You’re not usually this uptight.”
