Page 11 of Off Trail Love
“I hate you.”
Well, maybe not everything feels right. “Why?”
She leans into me, as if her body doesn’t quite believe the words she’s saying. I don’t believe them either.
“This is why,” she says, then she grabs a fistful of my shirt and slams her mouth against mine. I blink in confusion. I can’teven process that she kissing me until she pulls away. It wasn’t soft and tender like I always imagined kissing Maggie would be. It was rough and angry.
And that’s almost worse.
Because now I know what she tastes like. I know how it feels to be kissed when she’s mad, and I know that this half-second kiss is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.
“Wh-what?” I stammer.
She takes a step back, putting space between us again. “I hate you. And that’s why.”
Then, before I can ask her what she means, she turns and walks away. Leaving me completely speechless in the dimly lit hallway.
CHAPTER SEVEN
maggie
Of all the stupid,careless things I could have done, I just did the one thing that makes me the queen of the idiots. But he was just there, looking so ruggedly handsome in the dark hallway, and I felt such a rush of the anger and humiliation I felt onthat night,that for some reason, kissing him seemed like the perfect solution. The one way I could get him back for messing with my head back in high school was by messing with his head.
But it might have messed me up more. As I hurry back to the table, I can still feel his soft lips on mine. He barely had time to register what was happening, let alone actually kiss me back, but I’m forever ruined.
His soft, pillowy lips are just so kissable. It was exactly like I imagined it would be in high school. Well, not exactly, because in all of my daydreams, he would kiss me tenderly and there would be fireworks.
It wouldn’t be an anger kiss. A hate kiss. Yup. That’s what it was. A hate kiss.
I’m breathing heavily when I reach the table. “When are we heading back to camp?” The words tumble out and I feel kind of like a crazed maniac. Maybe I am one. I just kissed the guy who’ssupposedly my enemy. No, he definitely still is and I should not have kissed him. No matter how kissable he looked.
I know why I did it. I know exactly why. Being around Jack has made me lose all sense of self control, and it’s only been a few hours. I was thrown back in time, when I watched as that girl wrapped her arms around him and kissed him—and he kissed her back, when he was supposed to be meeting with me. So yeah, a kiss is why I hate him.
But that didn’t mean I had to kiss him.
“You okay?” Fiona reaches out for me, touching my arm. I need to get my crap together because I’m obviously not okay, and if she can tell, then Jack might be able to tell too. I want to be more put together. Put-together people don’t go around kissing people.
I offer her a fake smile. I know that if I fake it long enough, I’ll feel fine again. “Just want to get some rest before our hike tomorrow.”
“Rest is good.”
I shiver as Jack’s deep, smooth voice sounds behind me. I don’t turn to look at him. I can’t look at him, not after I just told him I hate him and then kissed him. It was a hate kiss, but with all the flirting he’s been doing, I don’t know if he knows that.
“Let’s head back to camp,” Hannah says, sliding out of the booth.
Fiona eyes me and then Jack, who I still haven’t looked at. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I just really hate him,” I whisper. Hoping that no one else can hear our conversation. The restaurant is full of chatter, so maybe I’m safe.
“Uh-huh,” she says, but her eyes swivel between us again. “I don’t buy that for one second.”
I feel Jack’s eyes on me as we head outside, but I ignore him. I can do this.
Once outside, I take a deep breath of the glorious mountain air, but my chest still feels tight. I’m stiff as we head to the car. Just before I hop in, Jack appears by my side. “I loathe you, too, you know.”
Ignoring him, I jump into the car. Everything about this trip is a bad idea. I should have walked away as soon as I knew he would be here. But I’m here, and I have to make the best of it.
I kissed him.
