Page 309 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol 4

Felix’s lips pressed against mine. I closed my eyes even tighter, wanting to believe my lies. I wanted to remember this moment. Ingrain it in my mind more than Matt’s kiss. Because this kiss was the one I was meant to remember until I was old and gray.

His lips were softer than Matt’s. He tasted like tequila instead of cinnamon. His fingers didn’t dig into my skin with urgency, he held me like we had all the time in the world. He didn’t make me feel like a dirty secret. He kissed me right there in the middle of the busy city sidewalk because he wasn’t embarrassed of me. And his fingers felt like ice on my already cold skin as the apartment door beeped open behind me.

Kennedy. Shit.I opened my eyes and saw her disappear into the building. All my lies came crumbling down around me. I was inNYC. My mom was dead. I’d been kissed three times. Nothing was right. I pulled away. “I’m sorry.”

“Brooklyn?” Felix called after me.

I ran to the door, catching it before it closed behind Kennedy.

“Brooklyn!”

I ignored him and ran after my best friend. She was the only constant I had now. The only person that was always on my side. What if she really did like Felix? What if I’d just messed everything up? “Kennedy!”

She turned around on the step she was on. “Good way to end the night,” she said with a smile. Her arms were wrapped around herself like she was holding herself together.

“No. No, not really.”

She pulled her lips to one side as she studied me. “Why? I strongly doubt it was a bad kiss.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t even focus on the kiss. Her words spun around in my head. She knew what it was like to kiss Felix. Wasn’t that what she was saying? “Do you like him?”

“Who?”

“Felix.”

She started to shake her head.

“Rob said that you had feelings for him. Is that true?”

“What? I don’t even know Rob.”

I joined her on the step she was standing on. “You didn’t deny it. You can tell me. I would never date him if you liked him. Just tell me.”

“Well, I’m denying it now. I do not, in any way whatsoever, like Felix Green. If anything, I hate him. He’s so annoying.”

I didn’t believe her. I didn’t believe her because of the way she said it. And the way she looked when saying it. And the way she’d been acting the last few days. And the way she’d run away when he’d kissed me. “Kennedy…”

“I like…Cupcake. Okay? Happy now? The truth is finally out.” She threw up her arms like she had never been more exasperated with someone in her life.

Oh. Wait, what?“Cupcake?”

“Yes. Joe. Joe Dickson. Cupcake. And I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t know if he’s into me. But there it is. I have the biggest freaking crush on Cupcake. Even though he has a stupid nickname and he’s kind of short. I can’t help it. And I have no clue if he likes me back. I feel so…pathetic.”

“You’re talking about Cupcake? The guy that hit me in the face with a dodgeball?”

“You can barely see the bruise anymore. And I’m sure it was an accident. Besides, Brooklyn, he’s actually really nice. And have you ever tasted one of his father’s cupcakes? He brings me test samples of new flavors all the time. They melt in your mouth.”

“Yeah, they’re good. My uncle loves them.” I didn’t mention the fact that they were pretty much banned from our apartment now.

“My whole plan tonight was to make him jealous. Which I’m pretty sure worked great. Especially since you disappeared for like half an hour trying to find a bathroom. I got to dance with Felix the whole time and you should have seen Cupcake’s face. It was practically green.”

“Well that’s…great. That’s awesome.” I breathed a sigh of relief. It all made sense. The way she kept putting herself between me and Felix. She wanted it to look like Felix had asked her to the party. To make Cupcake jealous.Cupcake.Who would have guessed?

“God it feels good to get that off my chest. I love Cupcake!” she screamed in the stairwell.

“Shhh!” I tried to scold but I started laughing. I was so relieved. She wasn’t mad at me. We were okay. And it left me hope that I could fix things with Felix too.

“So what is this about Felix being a bad kisser?” she asked.