Page 190 of We Shouldn't Be Together
I suck in a breath, and it cements in my chest. “Is that a problem?”
His hands rub circles on my back. “Well, I didn’t think I liked labels, but when I think about you, I really want them.”
I bounce against him, unable to contain my excitement. “Really?”
He laughs, holding me in place. “Really. Do you wanna do that? Call each other that?”
“You’re cool with me saying you’re my boyfriend?”
Something between nervousness and embarrassment ripples across his face. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I am. Will you be my girlfriend, Tabby?”
“Eep!” I squeal. “Yes, Kai! Yes!”
He laughs as I kiss along his jawline. “Good thing you don’t shy away from letting your feelings known.”
My lips meet his in a kiss, and I sigh when we pull apart. “How could I hide them? There’s no one who’s even made me feel a shred of how you do.”
“There was no one before? That’s hard to believe.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re beautiful. I would never have guessed you were single.”
I blush. “I was basically dusty on the shelf.”
He brushes back my curls and tucks one behind my ear. “I’d never call you dusty. You’re preppy, polished, and perfect.”
“You don’t hate that I’m all those things?”
He smirks. “I should.”
My anxiety bubbles into my chest. “But?”
Kai caresses the side of my face, and whispers, “But I don’t.”
His mouth melds against mine, and even if his words were slow to fill me with confidence, his kiss makes my toes curl in my shoes. I latch onto his collar and sigh against his mouth. His hand presses between my shoulder blades, his strength the best comfort.
When we pull apart, I dab a finger across my lower lip, blushing. “Okay, now I should text my mom.”
“Go for it.”
“Hey Mom. I’m out with friends…”I delete that last word and retype,“with my boyfriend. I’ll be home after dinner.”
I send the text and squeal. “I just typed the word boyfriend to my mom. She’s gonna freak.”
“Does she not want you to date?”
“No, she’ll…” I pause because my phone buzzes with a new text, making me laugh. “I could've predicted this.”
I show Kai the text from my mom."What's his name? What do his parents do?"
Kai flinches. "She cares about who my parents are?"
"Mom likes to know status levels."
Kai grimaces. "Does an accountant and part-time legal clerk cut it?"
"It'll lead her to ask which firms and your parents' company rankings."
