Page 48 of Twisted Violet

I lean in, closing the space between us one breath at a time, and when he doesn’t pull back. When he stays perfectly still, letting me come to him…

I kiss him.

It’s soft at first, hesitant, like I’m testing a boundary neither of us has spoken aloud.

His lips are warm,still,but not pulling back, not stopping me. My hand drifts to his jaw without thinking. His stubble scrapes the tips of my fingers, rough and real and grounding.

Then he kisses me back. Slowly. Deliberately. It’s the kind of kiss that feels like a warning and a promise all wrapped into one. His mouth moves over mine with a quiet hunger, restrained but deep.

His hand wraps around the back of my neck, anchoring me. I feel it in my chest, in my stomach, and in my thighs. Heat blooms low and steady beneath my skin. It’s dizzying.

His breath brushes my lips when he pulls back. I don’t open my eyes right away. My pulse is in my throat. My fingers are still digging into the fabric of his jacket.

I feel flushed, breathless, like I just did something reckless I can’t take back, but I don’t regret it.

When I finally open my eyes, he’s watching me.

He doesn’t look confused, or angry, just… unreadable.

I don’t speak. Neither does he, but I can still feel the kiss lingering between us, like it’s echoing in the silence.

As we makeour way back to the car, I let myself believe I can have this. That the life I’m building with him,with all of them, is safe, whole, and permanent.

But then I think about the fact that I’ve been lying to them, and I can already see the way he’ll look at me when the truth comes out.

He won’t be angry or disappointed; he’ll just be done with me.

And when that happens, I’ll have no one to blame but myself.

SEVENTEEN

VIOLET

It’s beena couple of days since I kissed Rome.

We haven’t talked about it. Haven’t acknowledged it, but things have changed between us. It’s not a bad change. It’s just… different, but in a way that feels good.

I think.

I don’t know. I’m honestly still having a hard time processing my feelings about it and sitting here toying with the bracelet he got me - the one I haven’t taken off since he slipped it on - probably isn’t helping.

I know it’s just a bracelet. That giving it to me probably didn’t mean much to him at all. But I’m weirdly attached to it now.

God,if Stevie ever finds out what happened between us that night, I’d never hear the end of it. Especially after she warned me to be careful.

That night will just have to stay between Rome and I. At least, until I can figure out how I feelabout everything.

My eyes are gluedto the TV as the two leads in my favorite K-Drama move towards each other in slow motion.

“Oh, my God.” I gasp.

They move one step closer, then another.

The rain is coming down hard, and it’s dripping down their faces and soaking their clothes, but their eyes are locked on each other like magnets.

They’re about to kiss.

I freeze, my mouth full of half-chewed potato chips, my blanket bunched around my knees, and my breath caught in my throat.