His lips slowly curved into a smile, but at the first crinkle of his eye, I tipped my mouth up to his.
Every nerve in my body reacted when he kissed me back, so hypnotically that light flickered behind my eyes. The breeze swept up around us, but we were impervious. If anything, the air between uscrackled. Small shock waves ran through me, and I tried not to groan when he pushed up the hem of my sweatshirt, to rest his hands on my waist.
“You weren’t supposed to tell me,” he breathed when I moved to tangle my fingers in his thick hair. “I was supposed to guess.”
“I couldn’t wait any longer,” I whispered, right before I realized that Ishould’vewaited longer. “Holy shit!” I pushed him away, maybe a little too suddenly. “Connor!”
He made anoofsound, like I’d knocked the wind out of him. “What?”
“We kissed,” I pseudo-squeaked as he righted himself. “I kissed you, and I…” Chocolate, caramel, and all things tree nuts came to mind. “Your EpiPen.” I took Connor’s hand and tugged. “Where is your EpiPen?”
“Back in our room,” Connor said with zero sense of urgency. He didn’t even move; instead, he attempted to twirl me back into his arms. “But I don’t need it, Olivia.” He looked a bit sheepish. “It’s okay to kiss someone tree nut–free after several hours.”
“Oh.” I said, exhaling in relief. “It’s been several hours?”
“It was several hours when my alarm went off.”
It was quiet for moment, all calm except for a wave crashing in the distance. “You didn’t wake me up for the stars,” I ventured as I spotted a second shooting star. “Did you?”
He sighed. “It was a happy coincidence.”
“Mmm, I see.” I looped my arms around his neck, heart swelling in my chest. “You couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”
You couldn’t wait until tomorrow either, part of me expected him to say.You couldn’t wait until tomorrowfirst.
Instead, he nodded—slowly, then very quickly. “Yes.” He broke into an unashamed grin. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”
“Because you’ve been waiting to kiss me?” I asked, hoping to milk it just a little bit.
He laughed and pressed his lips to my temple. “Yes,” he repeated as a ripple went through me, his voice a whisper in my ear. “I’ve been waiting to kiss you.”
* * *
I did not know what to do when the sun rose; I was vaguely aware of my Apple Watch buzzing on my wrist, but I only slipped deeper into dreamland. It was almost nine when I woke up for real, tucked into the top bunk. “Do you tuck Teddy in like this every night?” I remembered teasing Connor while he so chivalrously arranged my covers for me.
“Not quite,” he’d replied. “He’s much more particular.”
Then he’d given me quite the good-night kiss, leaving both of us breathless for more.
Every moment of last night felt like a dream.
But I didn’t know what we were supposed to do next. Walk into the kitchen for breakfast and announce that we were going to hang out more together?
I could hear Maisie’s voice in my head.You alreadydohang out a lot together.
God, what was my dad going to think?
Connor was supposed to be strictly a nice young man.
A good kid.
I descended my ladder deep in thought and let out something akin to ameowat the bottom, caught off guard by Connor’s awake presence in the room. “Hey,” he said, fully dressed and texting on his bunk. “You sleep well?”
“You’re awake,” I observed.
“Yes.”
“But you’reneverawake.”
