Being the youngest person in your grade by multiple years makes it hard to build relationships. Friends were hard to come by and dating even worse.
I’ve never complained. It’s not my style.
And besides, it wouldn’t really get me anywhere.
Except now, I’m wondering if I should have paid more attention.Are all kisses like this?
All-encompassing.
Life-altering.
Arousing.
I don’t know what to do or where to touch. I only know it can’t stop. Not anytime soon.
Far quicker than I’d like, Andry pulls his mouth away from mine. He presses another soft kiss to my lips, then leans his forehead against mine.
Though I’m not super short, he still has to bend down to reach me. I feel guilty for all of a second until I realize he’s shaking.
“Are you ok?” I whisper.
Did I do something wrong? Is this really bad?
Or worse, is he laughing at me? Was this all part of the prank, and I’ll have to live with the memory of my first romantic encounter being destroyed?
When he leans back enough for the low lighting to illuminate his features, I nearly gasp. He’s smiling.
It completely changes his features. Gone is the hard edge I’d seen before. He’s gorgeous and open. All bright, with a magnetism the school would be stupid not to use to draw in fans.
“I am not ok. I am, how you say, excellent. Amazing. Stupendush,” he says with a thicker accent. I can tell he’s teasing me from the way he smiles.
“Stupendous.” I over enunciate the word to show him I can play along.
“Yes! That’s what I am.”
I giggle at the excited way he agrees with me. It’s been an odd night. One I doubt I’ll ever forget.
Even if he turns out to be a royal douche-noodle, then I’ll have tonight and all the joy it’s brought me. He can’t take that away.
My phone dings before either of us can speak again. I look down to see a text from Yaz.
Yaz:Party is a bust. The girl showed up with her boyfriend. UGHHHHHH. Save me. I want to leave.
I frown at the screen. How am I meant to leave him here when I want to explore this thing more? It feels real. And if it’s not, then leaving will end the illusion.
“What’s wrong?” he asks sharply.
Looking back up at him, I shrug. “My friend is ready to go. The person she came to flirt with is dating someone else. I need to get her out of here before she drowns herself in booze.”
Andry nods. “Do you need me to walk back with you two?”
“Oh!” I hadn’t considered that option.
“I don’t mind it. You need a good protector.”
“That won’t be an issue. We parked pretty close by. I’ll make sure she gets back and then I’ll go home too.”
His frown tells me he isn’t a fan of this plan. It doesn’t matter because there is zero chance of him being able to ride with us. Yaz would embarrass me to no end. That or she’d interrogate Andry the entire drive. Neither feels like a good idea.