Page 18 of The Penalty Box

Another silence settles on us. I look out of the windshield. There is nothing out there, only eerie darkness and quiet. “I should go home.”

“It is getting late,” he agrees, but we have yet to pull back. His eyes fall down once again, zeroing in on my lips. “But before you do…”

I kind of expected him to ask, but he doesn’t. Noah closes the distance between us, giving me just enough time to pull back if I chose to, but I don’t.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart kicks up a notch, beating rapidly as Noah leans in, closing the distance between us until his mouth touches mine.

His lips are soft. They brush against mine slowly, almost tentatively.

My palms are sweaty, but I press my free hand against his chest to find some sort of balance. Because even though we’re sitting in Noah’s car it feels like my body is falling.

All the thoughts disappear from my mind with every tender swipe of his lips.

Noah keeps kissing me for a while, not once deepening the kiss. His hand cradles my cheeks as his mouth swipes over mine. The tip of his tongue teases my lower lip, nudging for entrance.

Startled, I press my hand against his chest more firmly. Breaking the kiss and pushing him away.

“I-I…” I start, my voice breaking at that one word.

Noah slowly blinks, eyelashes fluttering open, hazy gaze meeting mine. The pang of hurt flashes through the passion burning in his icy irises, but nonetheless, he pulls back, giving me space he knows I need.

“You better go,” he says quietly, his rough voice breaking the silence that fell over us. “If you don’t…”

My cheeks flush underneath his heated stare. Gulping down, I nod. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Good night, Evie,” he whispers behind me as I open the door and slide outside.

“Night, Noah.”

Chapter Eight

LIAM

What the hell is taking so long?I lean my elbows on my knees so I can see better, although really there is nothing to see. It’s darker than the inside of a pit, and Russell’s car is parked on the other side of the road.

How long does it take to say goodbye? Surely not as long as it seems to be takinghim.

Wait… Is he kissing her right now?My fingers clench tightly at the thought. The anger I’m not accustomed to feeling spreads through my body.He better not. If he just lies one hand on her…

The door opens, stopping my thoughts from moving down an even darker road. Evie’s blond head pops out. She waves at him, closing the door behind herself, and starts walking to her house.

The douchebag doesn’t even wait for her to get inside safely before speeding off.

“Fucking jackass,” I mutter as I watch Evie cross the street. She fumbles with one of those small bags that hangs off her shoulder, looking for something. Keys probably.

The steps creak as she climbs on the porch. She’s so immersed in her search she doesn’t even see me, but I see her.

The short black coat she’s wearing barely covers her. How the hell she isn’t cold I’ll never understand. It does nothing to conceal that she’s dressed in one of those skirts she likes to wear. She told me a dozen times what they’re called, but I still have no idea. The only thing I know is they’re short, stopping at mid-thigh and revealing all that creamy skin. Something I probably wouldn’t notice.Before.But that was then and this is now. And now I can’t seem to get my eyes off that patch of skin.

“Where the fuck were you so long?” I ask, jumping to my feet.

Yes, I realize it’s fucked up. Waiting for her on her front porch in the middle of the night like I’m her older brother or angry boyfriend when I’m none, but ask me if I care.

“Liam!” Evie breathes, taking a step back. Her hand is pressed against her chest as she turns around to face me. “What are you doing here standing in the dark? You scared me!”

I feel a pang of guilt at scaring her, but the hot anger still boiling underneath the surface pushes it back. “I was waiting for you.”

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