Page 8 of Only for Love

CHAPTER FOUR

Emma

I’m so glad this week is over. After kissing Gray and walking around like a grinning lovesick puppy for about twenty-four hours, I immediately realized I was going to screw this up. For the rest of that day, I hid in my room, blowing up Cherry’s phone with emergency SOS texts. When she called me, her advice was perfect. Then she dropped the same message, but a thousand times more concise, into a text.

Cherry:Whatever you do, don’t let him go. He’s perfect.

Yeah, no kidding. But how wasn’t I going to screw up? I have no idea what to do about kissing Gray, other than finding a kickass dress for Sadie Hawkins. Then I scroll back to her next text.

Cherry:What are you gonna tell Ryan?!

The thing is Ryan would handle it well. We’re all friends, and Gray’s not a dick. Still, telling Ryan, that’s unnerving. But there’s nothing to tell Ryan if I can’t pull my act together and stop avoiding Gray.

I’ve been a complete baby about it. In my defense, it was the world’s most perfect kiss. I still get the feels thinking about it. As far as I can tell, there’s a significant chance that it can’t get any better than it was in my bed.

Well, in my imagination, it can. But real life?

Sadie Hawkins is tomorrow night, and I have no choice but to see him since I’m his date and all. Shit. The slow pound of my heart begins its predictable cadence, thinking of the dress that took three days of shopping to find. The blue fabric and curving fit have one purpose: explain to Grayson what I want when I can’t manage to talk.

Scrolling back to Cherry’s text—shit—I catch the time, and I’m late. I grab my camera bag and bolt downstairs. If there’s any way I’m going to hit the sunset that curves over Three Sisters Mountain, I needed to be in my car five minutes ago.

If I skip around the Parkway and hit the 613 Bypass, I can get there. I need this shot. Everything is tied into it. The perfect picture lands the final, perfect grade and pretty much secures my acceptance into Trydan College’s uber-elite art program. I’m already lined up to attend next fall, but if I don’t secure a seat in that program, what’s the point?

I jump the last two stairs, spin around the corner, and slam into an unexpected wall of muscle.

“Ems.”

Grayson… Shit. “Hey, um, sorry.”

I right myself, slinging the camera bag back on my shoulder, but I can’t tear away from him. How did I not know he was here? As much as I’ve avoided him, now I don’t want to go anywhere. Every second counts as the setting sun’s light shifts over the thick forest cap. But his hands, his gaze. God, I’m not going anywhere to take that photo.

His hands move to my biceps, steadying me when I haven’t realized I’m swaying. “You good?”

I nod. Yup, totally good. What’s the question? What isn’t the question? Because that thing where I can’t think, breathe, function, move… I spiral into total Grayson reaction.

He lets me go and crosses muscular arms over an expansive chest. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“No. Not really.” I cringe. “Maybe.”

“Can’t do that, Ems.” He steps forward. His hand is on my side, backing me against the wall.

Oh, God. What if he kisses me again? I don’t think I can keep upright. “I know. It’s okay. I just…” Have no idea what to say or do.

“Want to tell me why?”

Ha. No way.“I was shopping after school this week.”

“Haven’t seen you at lunch, haven’t seen you text, haven’t seen you at all.”

“Well, um…”

“We’re still good for tomorrow?” His brows are up, but his smile is down. A concern mars his handsome face, and nodding is the only thing I can do to confirm Sadie Hawkins.

“See, this is the thing.” He leans closer. “Me kissing you, you disappearing, that’s my nightmare.”

Hisnightmare?

He leans down. His face comes closer. “We’ve been tight since we were six. Don’t let anything screw that up.” The strongest guy I know shows a slice of vulnerability. “You don’t know what you mean to me, Emma.”

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