Page 68 of Hypothetical Heart
“And you have a good reason for that. What I don’t understand is why no one has ever kissed you.” Winnifred Carter is the picture-perfect girl, inside and out. Everything about her would make any man fall to his knees in front of her.
In fact, I’m considering it right about now.
“Well, I’m giving you the chance, and you’re making me feel pretty stupid, if I’m being honest.” Her throat bobs after she says it, which tells me how nervous she is.
“Do you want me to kiss you, honey?”
She hesitates. “I think it would be good practice.”
My head tilts as I look at her. “That’s not what I asked.”
“I don’t want you to kiss me if you don’t want to,” Winnie snarks.
“Who said I didn’t want to?” My brow furrows, my hand still holding her chin. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than kiss you, Win. I just want to make sure you’re okay with me being your first.”
“Who else would I want it to be?”
My fingers twitch against her jaw in response because all I want to do is pull her lips closer to mine.
“I choose not to think about the boys you’re crushing on,” I say, teetering the line of neutral and more-than-friends territory.
“Well, I’m thinking about kissing him.” She smirks.
Bile threatens to rise in my throat at the idea. She’s asking me to kiss her while picturing someone else? Seriously?
“Well, maybe you should go find him,” I reply in a tone I shouldn’t be using.
“I already did,” she counters, reaching up to cover my hand with hers.
Her wit is rare, and I’m thrown off by her shift from embarrassment to arrogance.
“What are you trying to say—” She covers my mouth with her hand.
“Shut up and kiss me.” She smiles, and as soon as her hand drops from my lips, I lean forward in search of hers.
My blood boils as I watch her step closer, her hands pulling on my shoulders, silently begging for me to come down to her height. I reach behind her, shutting the door and simultaneously pushing Winnie’s back against it.
I crouch to her height, and she makes the move ofplacing her lips over mine. Her initiative shocks me momentarily, but the second she smiles into her first-ever kiss, I know I’m done for.
My hand grabs her jaw as I try to gain control of my senses. This is a dream, one I’ve had on countless occasions throughout my entire life, and if I go through the motions of this kiss without getting a grip, I’m going to ruin it for myself.
This is no longer a regular ‘let’s practice’ kiss. We have turned it into a full-blown makeout, and Winnie is continuing to blow me away.
We pull away, our chests pressed together as they rise and fall. Her head falls back against the door, and she smiles.
“I’m not sure I believe that was your first kiss,” I say through a ragged breath, touching my finger to my lips as if I’d be able to feel the beauty of the moment still lingering from them.
“Is it supposed to be that good?” She asks.
“Only with you,” I blurt out.
Before she can reply, there’s a loud knock on my bedroom door, making both of us jump and move out of the way. “Logan!” My mom’s voice calls. “Is Winnie in there? I thought I heard her come through the front door!”
I help Winnie smooth her ruffled hair while she fixes mine, trying not to give away what we were just doing.
I flip on the light and then open the calculus textbook sitting on my desk and take a seat, motioning for Winnie to get the door.
“Hi, Wren.” She smiles as my mom enters.
