Page 13 of Keep Me

Fuck. I heard it in her voice. Disappointment laced with pity. I’d gotten it all wrong, hadn’t I? I could see it in her eyes. She pitied me because I just put it all out there, and she didn’t feel it. She would tell me she liked me as a friend or some stupid shit like that, and I would have to pretend I was okay with it.

Giving her my best forced smile, I said, “Don’t say anything. A girl like you, I bet you hear it all the time. I mean, what guy isn’t looking at you? I think there are at least three cowboy cousinswaiting for me to back away so they can ask you to dance. Something I can do, by the way, if that’s what you want.”

I was rambling. So much for me taking my destiny by the horns.

She shook her head, stopping me as I stepped away. “No. No. That’s not what I want. It’s just that it doesn’t make any sense.”

“What doesn’t? That everyone’s looking at you? Because, believe me, I know they are. I always am.”

She swallowed, seemingly unsure. “But you had Olana.”

Ah, there it was. How could I think Britt was the most beautiful girl in the world when I had Olana on my arms? Easy. “I stayed with Olana because we had history. A hell of a lot of it, and it was only after some of that history smacked me in the face that I realized Olana and I should never have lasted as long as we did. It was in part because I didn’t think I deserved better, and by better, I mean you.”

Britt’s eyes widened. Yeah, I was probably getting a little too open on the dance floor, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“You are so far out of my league, it’s not even funny. I never thought you’d be interested in a guy like me, so I decided to go for the next best thing. Friendship. Little did I know how much torture that would put me through.”

There. I put it out there. I said the words that solidified my feelings. Not only did I think she was beautiful, but I wanted to take things further. I always had.

Her lips pursed, and her eyes searched mine. I didn’t know what she was looking for, but my heart was beating so fast it echoed in my ears. She was still staring, and I was still waiting for her to say something.

“Matty…” Her chest deflated as she said my name, and her lips turned up. “That’s a heck of a lot to take in,” she said with an almost sarcastic smile. “Ineverexpected to hear those words come out of your mouth.”

My body was preparing for the worst.

“You have been by my side for the last three years and watched me try to date other people and fail miserably. Do you know why they always failed?”

“Because you’re perfect and no one is good enough for you?” I tried to make it sound like a joke, but I wasn’t in a joking mood, and it definitely came across as stalker-like.

“Nooo, because I was always comparing them to you.”

My eyes snapped to her for confirmation, and she smiled before continuing. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

Those words. That was all I needed to hear. I stepped toward her and cupped her cheeks, then before anyone could stop me, I kissed her.

Her hands went up to my wrists as she kissed me back. Her body melted into mine, and when I heard clapping, I assumed it was for the bride and groom, but after I pulled away from her overly plump lips, I realized it was for us.

“Finally,” Reign cooed, skipping to Britt and hugging her like I’d asked the woman to marry me, which would have been a huge faux pas at a wedding. Although, our kiss was drawing so much attention that it was feeling like its own faux pas.

Devin smirked at Adam. “You owe me fifty bucks,” he called to his blond-haired friend across the dance floor.

Adam grinned. “Nope, you said it would happen at the after party, so I win.”

I laughed. Of course they had a bet on this. That was why they encouraged me to speak to Britt in the first place. I really was at prom again. Only this time, instead of Olana bitching at me about how it was my fault she didn’t get prom queen since I refused to rig the results, I had Britt.

Beautiful, perfect Britt smiled coyly to her friends from over her shoulder. Did I have the same goofy grin on my face?

Everyone was acting as though it was the first time I’d been kissed.

It sure as hell felt like it. I’d only ever kissed Olana before, so feeling someone else’s lips—someone I’d been drawn to for years—was more intense than I could’ve ever imagined.

As the music shifted, thankfully, people started to lose interest, leaving Britt and me alone again.

She was a few steps away, so I swallowed the distance and brought her back into my arms. Britt squealed, but I took no encouragement to wrap her arms around my neck. Happiness consumed me as I looked down at her. With my hands on her hips, my lips were still wet from hers. I couldn’t believe this was something I was allowed to do. Her hand moved across my cheek, her thumb brushing the freshly shaven skin. For the first time in my life, it felt like I had everything I ever wanted. I felt complete, so I’d just kissed her again.

When I broke the kiss, I rested my forehead against hers to keep the connection between us. We swayed haphazardly to the beat, not caring about anything else but us, and I was living for every single moment of it. Her eyes were closed, but she had this small, serene smile on her face that made me want to kiss her for the rest of the night.

“So,” I said, and her eyes fluttered open as her face broke into a wide smile. “That happened.”

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