Page 85 of Even After Sunset

“Okay… What is it?” I ask. But I think I already know.

I hope I do.

“I want to kiss you,” he says, and something warm unfurls inside me, because it’s exactly what I was hoping he’d say.And yes yes yes, of course he can kiss me!

I swallow.

“Um… That’s… It’s—yeah.”

He chuckles and part of me wants me to melt into the floor because I am acting like such a Grade A dork about this. But another part of me doesn’t care. Becauseit’s Silas. He knows me, and he knows I’ve never been cool, or smooth, or eloquent with words.

“Was that a yes? Or…”

“Yes.”

He flashes that grin again. But then it’s gone, and he’s leaning in closer and his lips are on mine. They taste like cotton candy.

If I had to choose any flavor for a kiss, this would be it.

His right hand slides from my shoulder to the back of my neck, and I can feel the sticky sugar on the pad of his thumb against my skin. His other hand pulls me in closer with his palm against my back, and he makes this low sound in his throat that is so… alluring and sweet and sexy all at the same time.

And thankGodI did not say that out loud.

I’m not sure how much longer we kiss, but it’s a while. Long enough that the voices outside have died down to just the occasional holler or whoop of laughter. Silas eventually pulls away and looks down at me, his hands on the counter where I’m leaning now, boxing me in.

“Wow…” he chuckles.

“Yeah,”

He blows out a breath, then pushes back, dragging one hand through his hair.

“Well, that was unexpected.”

I nod, looking away; suddenly self-conscious.

“Sorry…” he says, and when I look back at him, his eyes seem almost sad. He glances off for a split second, then back down at me. “I hope you aren’t gonna regret that.”

I have no idea why he would say something like that. It almost ruins the moment.

Almost.

“Why would I regret that?”

I’ve only kissed one other boy before. Trent Milton, last year in tenth grade. We were sort of dating for a few months. He was my first… well, my first everything. We never went all the way or anything. Still, I don’t have a lot to compare this to. But kissing Silas was… amazing.

And then a thought suddenly occurs to me.

“Wait—doyou? Regret it?”

Please say no… Please say no…

He smiles.

“No.”

“Okay.” I let out a breath. “Okay, good.”

Somewhere nearby a trailer door slams. Muffled laughter rings out in the warm night and then it’s quiet again.

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