Page 15 of This Feeling

Her mouth fell open. “You’re going to make me wait two whole days?”

Slipping into my car, I called out, “Bye, Bry!”

“You’re a terrible friend. I hope you know that!”

I shut the door and started my car. It wasn’t very nice of me, but I giggled. It would kill Brystol not knowing what was going on. I gave her ten minutes before she texted me and asked what the heck was happening.

I wasn’t even out of the alley before my phone buzzed and my car alerted me that I had a text from Brystol.

Laughing, I hit the screen to play the message.

“Brystol said, ‘You’re really going to leave me hanging like that? Well, I have news too, and I’m not telling you what it is.’ Would you like to reply?”

“No,” I said, laughing harder as I pulled out onto Main Street.

I pulled up to Sean’s parents’ house seconds after he did. His look of relief was almost comical. He got out of his car and motioned for me to hurry.

“Tickets?” I said, as I held out my hand.

Sean looked around as if we were making some clandestine exchange.

“For the love, just hand them over.”

He handed me an envelope, and I peered inside to find two season-pass tickets.

“Who are you going to go to the game with?”

“Me, myself, and I. I don’t need to go with anyone.”

“Then give one back. I’ll take it.”

I gave him a look that I’m sure said,Go fuck yourself.

“Like I would want to sit beside you while my beloved Giants are playing? No, thank you.”

The sound of a car approaching from behind caused Sean to grab me, pull me close, and plant his lips on mine. I was so shocked, I just stood there, frozen.

“Kiss me back,” he mumbled against my lips.

Instead, I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away. I wiped my mouth and glared. “Let’s set some ground rules.”

Sean rolled his eyes.

“Do noteverkiss me like that again. We need to devise a system where you silently ask to kiss me, and I say yes or no.”

“What?” he asked, confusion all over his face. “Have you lost your damn mind?”

I laughed. “Clearly, I must have to have ever agreed to this.”

“Sean? Harper?”

We both turned to see Maddie, Sean’s mother, standing on her front porch.

“Hey, Mom.”

When he reached for my hand, I didn’t pull away, even though I wanted to.

“Hi, Maddie,” I said, with a wave of my free hand.

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