Page 15 of Infatuated
She knocks her shoulder against mine, and I want to pull her toward me. “The likelihood of it coming true just because I wished on a star is pretty low. But I like your optimism.”
“Never say never. Great things can happen when you least expect them to.”
Like meeting you.She blushes as if she can read my thoughts, and we look out again. The sun is almost completely hidden behind the horizon. I reach my hand out, brushing my fingers against hers. When she opens her palm, I interlace our fingers.
Warmth radiates from my palm up my arm as the sun fully sets behind the horizon.
“Wanna go for a walk?” I turn my head to look at her.
“S-sure. Let me tell my parents.” She releases my hand and walks off.
I glance down at my palm and seek her out again. It’s like I need to see her and can sense her around me.What a strange feeling. Without her hand in mine, I’m left bereft. She kisses her mom on the cheek and walks quickly back to me.
“Have me back to my cabin in an hour.”
I smile and take her hand in mine then lead the way. I have no idea where I want to go; I just wanted to get us away from everyone. I want to talk to her without ears around—mainly my mom’s.
After an extended moment, she risks asking, “How long have you and your girlfriend been broken up?”
I sigh.Holden.“We broke up yesterday before you got here, but it was a long time coming.” I continue my story and tell her all the reasons Kasey and I aren’t right for one another. “It’s been an infatuation, that’s all. Hot cheerleader, her parents are friends with my parents… It seemed inevitable that we'd end up dating.”
She pulls her hand from mine and links her fingers behind her back. The moon shines down, cascading us in a soft blue glow.
She points around but avoids eye contact. “Where are we?” She changes the subject and takes a small step away from me.
“Are you mad?”
She shakes her head. “No. I’m not going to be a rebound, though. The girlfriend is away, the boyfriend will play—”
“That’snotwhat this is, Lana,” I snap. My voice comes out louder than I mean it to.
She jumps and takes another small step away. “Okay.” Her voice is small. “What is it then?”
“It’s two people taking the time to get to know one another. I’m not with Kasey anymore.” I swallow my fear and continue. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you. You’re different.”
“Oh, great, just what a girl wants to hear,” she mutters.
“Trust me, it’s a good thing. Most of the girls I know only care about superficial shit like hair and nails. There’s more to you. I like that. I think you’re special, and that guy back home is the dumbest fucker around if he can’t see how special you are. Hell, I’ve been around you for a day and a half, and I can already see it.”
She looks up, and her eyes are bright. Her lips pull at the corners into a lazy smile. “You clearly don’t know a lot of girls. There are more girls like me than you think. Thank you for saying that, though.” She pulls her arms in front of her and grabs ahold of her left elbow, then ducks her head.
I step closer into her space. “Lana, I’d really like to kiss you now.”
Chapter 9
Lana
“W-what?” I snap my head up, my eyes and mouth wide. My heart speeds up, and my palms become clammy.He wants to kiss me.
He dips his head and rubs the back of his neck. “Please don’t make me say it again. This is going to be really awkward if you don’t want to.”
“N-no, it’s not that. I, um, I want to,” I fumble. He tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear and leans down, stopping mere centimeters from my lips. He waits for me to seal the deal and close the gap. I press up on my toes until our lips lock.
Fireworks doesn’t even describe what this kiss is like. It’s an explosion of light behind my eyelids. Every atom in my being fires on all cylinders. He holds the side of my face tighter, threading his fingertips through the hair at the nape of my neck. My hands fall to his waist, and I pull myself closer to him, feeling every hard contour of his body.
I whimper when he sucks my lower lip between his teeth and then pulls away with a pop. My eyes are still closed, and I lean in, urging him to continue.
When he chuckles, I blink my eyes until he comes into focus.What the hell was that?That was not a typical kiss. That was an entire fourth of July fireworks show condensed into less than a minute. I felt that kiss in my core—that’s dangerous. It was more than it was with Joe. With Joe, it was my body reacting to his. With Tristan, it felt as if our souls collided.