Page 8 of Heartless Summer
Her expression softens as her eyelids lower. Before I can untangle her arms from around me, she stretches up onto the tips of her toes and crushes her lips against mine.
What the hell?
Unsure what to do, my muscles freeze.
It doesn’t seem possible that this girl—the one I’ve always considered a little sis—is kissing me, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
Now I have to figure out how to put a stop to it.
5
SKYE
When fifteen minutes trickle by and Hunter doesn’t return, I glance around, searching the darkness. Since Lanie is busy flirting with one of the football players, I decide to take off and look for him. I pass by groups of classmates, talking and laughing as they knock back drinks.
It’s only now as I weave my way through the thick crowd that I realize these people are really nothing more than acquaintances. Sure, we’ve gone to school together for the past twelve years, but I’ve spent all my time hanging out with either Lanie or Hunter. I never branched out and found a bigger friend group.
It’s not the same for Hunter. He’s always been popular. All the guys want to be his friend, hoping some of his talent and charisma will rub off on them, and the girls are desperate to catch his eye. Even though I haven’t come out of high school with a ton of friends, I wouldn’t change how I spent these last four years.
They’ve been the best of my life.
I search the sea of drunken faces for another ten minutes. Just as I’m about to give up and return to the bonfire, I catchsight of a couple in the darkness, standing away from the swell of people. My feet stumble to a halt as I recognize the broad set of his shoulders and dark head.
It’s Hunter.
And Hannah.
Air gets trapped in the middle of my throat, making it impossible to breathe. Not once have I ever thought Hunter would cheat on me. And if I weren’t witnessing it with my own eyes, I still wouldn’t believe it.
But there’s no denying the way her arms are tangled around his neck or the look of total adoration in her eyes. Even from this distance, with only bright moonlight to spill over them, the intensity of her expression would be hard to misinterpret.
My heart clenches, twisting beneath my chest, before beating harshly into overdrive as she reaches up and presses her lips to his.
A whimper escapes from me as I shake my head, trying to will away the image playing out in front of me. Instead of looking away, my wide gaze remains focused on them.
One gut-wrenching second passes.
Then another.
And still, he doesn’t push her away or tell her to stop. He stands there, allowing the intimacy to unfold between them. Nausea churns in my belly before rising in my throat until the acidic taste of bile fills my mouth as I swing away and stumble sightlessly through the crowd.
Hunter has always been my heart, and it now feels like it’s cracking in half.
It only takes a few minutes to find Lanie again. She’s making out with the guy she’d been flirting with all night. It’s tempting to leave without saying anything, but I don’t want her to worry when she realizes I’ve disappeared. As loathe as I am to interrupt, I tap her shoulder.
When they break apart, I say, “I’m going to head home.”
Her forehead furrows. “What? Are you serious? It’s not even ten o’clock.”
“I know.” I glance away, not wanting to tell her the reason for my sudden departure. “I’m really tired. It’s been a long week.”
“Where’s Hunter? Did he ever come back with our drinks?”
My teeth scrape across my lower lip as I lie. “I have no idea where he is.”
Moisture pricks the backs of my eyes as I swing away to gather up my straw beach bag before stuffing everything inside the tote.
“Wait a minute,” she says, voice rising. “I don’t understand what’s going on. You’re just going to leave?”
