Page 35

“I haven’t told you where to go.”

Oh, fuck. I nervously laugh and hope he doesn’t read too much into that. “Sorry, I just assumed since your car was pulled onto this side of the road.”

“It’s okay.” He exhales.

“Should I turn around?”

“No, you’re… this is actually right.”

“Okay, because I don’t want to disappoint you when you need to tell me the rest.”

Bailey relaxes and laughs this time and does that ever sound sweet. He continues giving me directions, which aren’t many since there are only so many roads and so many turns one can take out here. Finally, he says, “You can let me out here.”

I pull off the road and slow to a crawl, but don’t stop. “Long driveway,” I comment.

“It’s fine.”

Actually, it’s not. This isn’t his house. He lives across the street and one more driveway down from us. He really is paranoid and while I’m normally so self-involved that all I ever want to know is why someone won’t trust me, this time I’m wondering what’s got him so skittish—or who. Is it me? It can’t be me.

Once again, I’m not even supposed to know, so I can’t let any of my internal conflict show. I throw the car in park and politely wait for him to get out. Only he doesn’t move after.

“Thanks,” Bailey says. The car’s dark, but his voice sounds light. That gives me an ounce of hope.

“Don’t mention it,” I mumble.

“I still feel bad for taking up your time.” His voice drops to something slightly above a whisper.

I exhale and turn slightly toward him. “Don’t.”

“Is this the part where you say you didn’t have anything important going on?” He chuckles to himself.

“No,” I say. “I did. Well, I do. But I’ve got time and, well, I couldn’t leave you on the side of the road.”

“Why not?”

“We’re… sort of friends.”

“Are we?”

Guess not. “I’d like us to be. We should get together more. And by more, I mean at least once since we never have.”

Bailey seems conflicted by my suggestion.

“If it’s about Jess…”

“It’s not,” he quietly interrupts.

“Is it me?”

“Maybe,” he says even quieter.

“Hey, that’s okay.” I drop my voice to match his when he doesn’t say anything. “Bailey, can I just—”

I don’t get the rest out. All I want is honesty, but Bailey swoops in closer to me, pausing before our lips meet as if second guessing himself. Ah, no. I’ve only been obsessed with him for over a year and a half now. If he thinks that’s what I want, then I’m not ashamed to close the rest of the distance.

As soon as Bailey’s mouth crashes on mine, all I can think of is him. My mind chants his name over and over like a silent mantra, sending my urges into overdrive while I pull himeven closer. I swear, I will fuck him right here and now, given the chance. The way he pants into my mouth is not helping. Neither is how he smells sogood—clean and slightly sweet, almost citrusy—and… like me. The woody scent of my body wash permeates my sweatshirt, which I never noticed until I’m inhaling the mixture of us on him.

Instead of having to beg for admittance to his mouth, Bailey sweeps his tongue across my lips while trying and failing to crawl closer. When we separate with a soft smack of lips, it’s only for him to quickly unbuckle while I do the same before throwing up the center console.