Page 7 of Pocketful of You

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, universe.

"Since when?" Stephie demanded, narrowing her eyes at Romi.

"Since forever," Romi replied, reciting Chris's earlier words, as she straightened her spine and glared back at her friend. "He's mine."

Snickering loudly, Presley muttered something in Chris's ear, causing them both to explode in a fit of laughter.

"Prove it," Stephie pushed, glowering. "Kiss him."

Romi's eyes widened at the same time my brows shot up.

"With tongue," Stephie goaded.

"You think I won't?" Romi challenged, face set in determination as she pulled herself onto her knees.

"I know you won't," Stephie countered. "You're too chicken."

"You're gonna break your own heart watching this," Romi growled before crawling across the circle and onto my lap. "He's mine, Gundersen," she declared, wrapping one skinny arm around my neck. "And don’t ever forget it."

And then Romi Dillon kissed me for the first time.

With tongue.

Dead or not, I could feel my lips smiling as I mentally recanted every single moment of our first kiss. Jesus, the girl took the air clean out of my lungs that day, and I hadn't been able to breathe easy since.

A flood of warmth hit me straight in the chest then, making every part of me feellightandfree.

Romi.

Romi.

Romi.

"Clear!"

Suddenly, the flood of warmth felt like a bolt of lightning surging through my flesh. Pain encompassed every inch of my body, and I could hear voices again.

"One more time."

"You sure?"

"He's flatlining again."

"Yes, I'm sure. Keep going!"

"Yes, doctor."

"Clear."

Goddamn, these voices needed to stop distracting me from Romi...

"Oh my god, Ro, don’t panic–" leaping to my feet, I grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the creek, "but I think you're bleeding."

"Bleeding?" she squealed, eyes wild with fear. "Where?"

"Uh, I think it's coming from your butt." Spinning her around so that I could examine what I thought I spotted when we were in the water, I bit back a sob when my eyes landed on her white bikini bottoms that were tinged with blood. "Holy shit, Ro, your butt is definitely bleeding," I told her, feeling queasy at the sight of the pinkish water droplets trickling down her inner thighs. "Holy fuck, did something bite you when we were in the water?"

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