Page 13 of The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad

My eyes pricked with tears, but I wouldn’t let them fall. I especially wouldn’t let them fall in the presence of the person who had just gotten back into the car. Colton leaned forward, putting his head between the seats, and looked over at his brother.

“I figured we owed them both a ride considering Kyle was all over Anna at the party.”

“Yeah,” I said, hearing the bitterness in my tone, “and you being all over Liz had absolutely nothing to do with it.”

I swallowed my feelings, locked them inside, but as Colton turned, his eyes seemed to look right through me. His clear gaze proved that he was not nearly as drunk as I’d first thought.

“You’re wishing it was you aren’t you,” he said.

I scoffed. “If you think for one second I’d want your mouth on me—”

“Not that, you idiot. You’re wishing Kyle had kissed you instead of Anna.”

“Shhh,” I hissed. My eyes shot to the side. Luckily, Kyle was absolutely dead to the world. “I was not.”

“That’s good,” he said. “It didn’t mean anything, and Kyle felt awful afterward. That’s why he got shit-faced drunk and nearly puked on her.”

“Oh,” I said, looking away. “Like I said, I wasn’t wishing that.”

“Sure you weren’t.”

Pulling back onto the road, I began driving the familiar path to the Bishops’ house. It was about three blocks from where I lived, and I knew the way like the back of my hand, could find their little two story in my sleep I’d been there so often. This, of course, meant there was absolutely nothing to distract me from my thoughts of Kyle…and Anna…and Kyle kissing Anna…and Anna kissing him back…and—

A low chuckle brought my focus from the endless kissing cycle to the backseat.

“What?” I said, capturing Colton’s eyes in the mirror.

“I was just thinking about what you said.” Another chuckle escaped.

I knew I shouldn’t ask, but… “What did I say?”

His blue eyes were swimming with mirth. “In case you didn’t notice, Liz was the one all over me, not the other way around.”

“Oh from what I saw, it seemed pretty mutual.”

“I can’t help it if girls want me,” he said, stretching his arms out. “Being this damn fine is both a gift and a curse. Great looks come with great responsibility.”

I laughed. “Do you even hear yourself? Because you seriously sound like such a dork, right now—and a little like Spiderman.”

“And as for my mouth being on you…”

The words were like a shock to my system.

“You should be so lucky, Sadie Day.”

When we reached their house, I pulled into the driveway, shut off the engine and turned to face the boy who had always known just what to say to get under my skin. His pierced eyebrow was cocked like I’d known it would be. He wore his usual grin. Colton’s whole face was a mixture of smug and arrogant, and as usual, it pushed all my buttons.

“Get over yourself, Colton. Like I’d want what every other girl has already had.”

Slowly leaning forward, not taking his eyes off mine, Colton rested his arms between the seats. He lifted a hand to toy with the ends of my hair.

“One kiss from me would ruin you for life.”

I hated how that one sentence affected me. I didn’t know why, but his words, the way he was looking at me sent a shiver down my spine. Revulsion, I thought. I was just freaked that he was touching me—well, my hair. Pushing the offending hand away, I scoffed.

“Yeah, right.”

“It’s a fact.” Colton’s chuckle feathered against my face. “I corrupt good girls like you, Sister Sadie. You really need to let loose.” He plucked at the top button of my cardigan, and again, I slapped his hand away. “Stop being so buttoned-up all the time. Stop being so good.”

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