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He scowled into his mug. “It’s all an illusion.”
“I just wanted to be your friend. Why wouldn’t you let me?”
He leaned forward to set his tea on the coffee table before answering. “I didn’t see the point of making friends when I knew I was going to be leaving soon.”
She imagined him as a little boy, saying the same thing as he moved from one new school to another, and it broke her heart. She curled her fingers into his palm. “There doesn’t need to be a point to having friends.”
“I’ll bet you have a lot of friends.”
“And I’ll bet you don’t have very many.”
When he didn’t say anything, Penny turned his hand over and laced their fingers together. Her whole body ached for him. Being this close to him was suffocating. But she made herself wait. She needed to be patient. She didn’t want to scare him away.
He swiveled his head toward her. “Do you still just want to be my friend?”
“No,” she said quietly. “Not just. Not since you kissed me.”
He looked down at their clasped hands. “Were you surprised when I did that?”
She took a chance and scooted toward him on the couch. “Yes. But it was a good surprise. The best.”
His fingers squeezed hers. “I didn’t mean to do it. It just happened.”
She scooted a little more and the couch cushion helpfully tipped her toward him. “Do you regret it?”
“No.” He lifted his other hand to her face and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Do you want to kiss me again?” she asked as his fingertips explored the curve of her jaw. Desire was surging like an electric current inside her. She’d never felt this helpless and this powerful at the same time.
He took his time answering. “Yes.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because I’m afraid if I start, I won’t be able to stop.”
“Then don’t stop. I’m not made of glass. You’re not going to break me.”
Something stirred in the depths of his eyes. “Maybe you’re going to break me.”
She almost laughed. “Somehow I doubt it.”
His smile washed over her. “Did you know you’re the best part of most of my days?”
She blinked at him. “Me?”
“You. You’re amazing, Penelope.”
“If I’m so amazing, why aren’t you kissing me?” She’d meant it to sound light and teasing, but it didn’t come out that way. Because that was the question, wasn’t it? What was wrong with her that he kept holding himself back?
His frown deepened and she looked away.
“Hey.” He tilted her chin toward him. His eyes roamed over her face, so soft and deep, she could sink right into them.
She wanted him to kiss her so badly, every nerve ending in her body was craving it. But she’d been the forward one last time. She wasn’t doing it again. There was signaling your interest in someone and then there was relentlessly throwing yourself at them. If he wanted to kiss her again, he had to decide to do it.
“Penelope.” He looked sad. Regretful.
He was about to tell her he hadn’t meant it. She could already hear the excuses. That she was a great girl, just not his type. How he liked her a lot, but not in that way. He’d just gotten carried away in the moment when he kissed her before. This wasn’t what he wanted. She wasn’t what he wanted.
