Page 95 of The Executioners Three
Unfortunately for Freddie, this plan was dashed to pieces as soon as it began. Because Theo tasted like honey. Like honey and boy and breathless moments by a historical water mill.
So instead of pulling away, Freddie just stood there, her fingers wound into Theo’s jacket. Her lips resting against his.
She actually would have stayed like that forever if a car hadn’t rumbled past and distracted her. Distracted him too, and forced them both apart.
Blinking, Freddie watched the SUV putter by. It had been the last vehicle in the parking lot, save for Theo’s.
“What,” Theo began roughly, “was that for?”
Freddie glanced back at him, dazed. Her brain, which had hardly been organized before, was a fun house of chaos, noise, and distorted mirrors everywhere she turned.
She slowly released his blazer. Then she brought her cold finger to her lips.Honey.
Freddie swallowed, knowing she needed to say something. Theo was staring at her, and each second that slid past sent his brow slanting farther down.
Find words, Gellar.Anywords.“I like you,” she said.Not those words, though.
She rocked back a step. Then two, and oh god, what had she just done? She pressed her fingers harder against her lips, as if this could somehow suck her confession back in.
Theo’s face—his handsome, broken face—went very, very still. “Oh,” he said. More exhale than actual word.
And Freddie’s heart sank low.
Low, low,low. All the way down to her toes and into the asphalt—because ohgod,what had she just done? She must look like a royal fool, soaked through with snow and confessing feelings that appeared to be one-sided.
OfcourseTheo didn’t like her back.Obviously. They were enemies of Verona Beach, and Freddie had just let her fear-addled mind erase all sense.
“I know we don’t know each other well, but I feel like… like if wegotto know each other, then maybe we would…”
No, no. This was making it worse. Freddie could see Theo retreating. She could see him flinging up walls, and at any moment, he would scrub a hand over his hair and then stuff both fists into his pockets.
“I mean,” she blurted, voice lifting. Words coming faster. “I… I feel like we’re a lot alike. We both like finding answers, you know? And we both like plotting pranks… And you like boy bands, and I like boy bands. And sure, thereisthe issue of Backstreet Boys versus NSYNC, but I don’t think that’s a dealbreaker, do you?”Oh my GOD, Gellar, STOP.
Freddie couldn’t stop. Her ears were ringing, and her blood was positively boiling—both with the adrenaline from earlier and now new surges to muddy the water. Meanwhile the mirrors in her brain were warping her in every possible direction, so she couldn’t keep track of a single coherent thought.
The only thing that made sense or stood out right now was the truth. And the only truth that she was actuallyallowedto talk about was the one that was currently tumbling from her mouth.
The truth about how much she liked Theo.
The truth about how much she wanted to see him when he wasn’t around and how kissing him made everything in the world fall away. About how he made her laugh, even if he was the enemy, and how his lips tasted like honey.
“Whichwhy,” she demanded, “whydo you taste like honey? That doesn’t make any sense, Mr. Porter, and that wasnotmentioned in the PG-13s. Neither was the fact that hormones would make me completely silly.
“But then that makes me wonder if thesearejust hormones—or if maybe they’re something else. I don’t know. I’ve been so fixated on fulfilling my sacred vow to Divya because I don’t want to mess up her shot with Laina that I haven’t really considered all the angles. All these… these feelings.” Freddie clutched at her stomach; it was on fire in a Very Bad Way Indeed. “And look, I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way about me.”
“Freddie,” Theo said. Cold sunset swept over his face.
“Actually, that’s not true,” she amended. “Idocare if you don’t feel thesame. But no matter what happens, I need to tell Divya the truth. Because best friends aren’t supposed to lie to each other, you know? And I did. I lied by omission.”
“Freddie.”
“God, I bet this is what Y2K feels like.” She shook her head.
“Freddie,” Theo repeated again. Now he looked slightly annoyed.
“Don’t say anything. Please.” She lifted her hands, half-beseeching, half-defensive. “In fact, can we just pretend this conversation never happened? I’ll go my way and you can go yours. And… I’m sorry,” she finished. “Really, I am.”
Freddie shifted, ready to bolt. Theo’s voice cut out,“Wait.”He had also removed his blazer and was holding it out to her. “Here,” he said curtly.
