“She’s just…” I sigh. “Cara was different beforeHannah got here. She dressed differently, she never blew off our plans, and…” I sound so self-absorbed. Of course she’s going to wear what her girlfriend likes and spend more time with her than me. “Cara said I don’t know a thing about relationships because I’ve never been in a serious one.”
“Ouch,” Miles says. After our conversation last night, he knows it’s a sore spot for me.
We’re at the flower shop by then, and I follow him around to the back of my apartment and up the balcony stairs. It’s pretty dark on the balcony—looks like Mom forgot to turn the back light on. She’s on-site at a wedding tonight but left a light on inside that’s casting a dim glow through the sliding door. When Miles gets to his bike, he suddenly turns to me instead of unlocking it. In the low light, I can’t make out his expression. Why is he looking at me like that for so long? Is he going to say something?
Finally, I can’t take it anymore. This is awkward. “Did you forget your lock combination?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I just wanted to say, I don’t know Cara or Hannah well enough to comment on their relationship, but Cara is your friend. I think… I hope she’ll realize that you said it because you’re concerned about her.”
I nod. “I hope so. I… I just don’t understand why she’d be so nasty to me. It’s not like her. I hope she’s okay.”
“People can be a little irrational when they’re stressed,” he suggests. “You could have touched a nerve. But Cara knows you. She knows you care a lot about the people around you.”
“Thanks.” I exhale. “I should apologize for sticking my nose in her business. It’s not worth losing a friend.”
He smiles. “And she may need you when sheisready to talk,” he says, leaning against the railing just a foot away from me.
My eyes have adjusted to the dim light by now, so I can see that he’s looking at me intensely, like always. But there’s something else in his gaze. Amusement. He looks happy. “I wanted to ask you something else… D-did…?” He stutters. “I mean did you have a good prom night?”
I nod, my bad mood melting away thanks to his smile. “It was great. Thanks to you. And that cake.” I take a deep breath in, smelling the dirt from the house plants Mom was transplanting earlier and the faint floral scent that always surrounds the flower shop. And Miles.
We keep looking at each other, and it feels like we’re back on the dance floor at my prom. He’s always looking at me like this. I feel like I could stare into his brown eyes forever. I have no idea what’s going on right now, but I don’t think I’m imagining it. Somethingiscrackling between us, and I’m almost positive he’s feeling it too. My skin is tingling, and my heart is racing, and it takes actual effort not to swoon like a historical romance heroine. Miles takes a step closer, and everything that isn’t Miles Desai in front of me blurs to nothing.
He lets out a shaky breath while looking into my eyes. “I had a slick line I was going to use now,” he says quietly. “But I can’t remember it.”
I chuckle softly. How is this guy so adorable? “What were you going to do after saying the line?” I ask.
“This,” he says. And then he puts his soft hand on my cheek, leans down, and kisses me on the lips. Right there on my dark balcony in front of his bike and Mom’s extraplant pots, Miles kisses me. Is this really happening? It takes too many moments for me to process it. To process how strong yet soft his hand on my face feels. Or how soft his lips are. Or how, up close, he smells faintly of rain, on top of the cardamom scent.
Eventually my brain catches up and screams at me that this is Miles! His lips are on mine! The lips I have been obsessing over since the first time I saw him at LoveBug.
I don’t think I’ve… Actually, scratch that. IknowI’ve never felt like this before.Ever. My skin feels like it’s on fire, and my heart is pounding, and when he starts to pull away, I can’t help it. I move even closer. I put a hand behind his neck and pull him down to me… And I kiss him back.
Both his arms wrap around me as the kiss deepens. The skin behind his neck is soft and smooth. His hands are pressing my soft sweater into my skin. I get my own hands into that silky hair, and it feels so good running my fingers through it. It’s like we’re the only ones in the world—like this is what was always supposed to happen. This might be the best kiss I’ve ever had.
It’s over before I want it to be. Miles’s arms drop to his side, and I already miss when they were around me. I exhale. His eyes are a little glazed over, and the smile on his face is downright sultry. I feel like I was just hit by a truck and like I had a taste of the best caramel crunch cake in the world.
“Wow,” I say. I blow out a long breath. “Now I really wish I knew what you were going to say.”
He laughs softly, then turns to unlock his bike. I want to ask him, what did that mean? Why did he kiss me? But I’m still a little shaken up.
I step out of his way when he pulls his bike off the bike rack. He starts climbing down the wood stairs off my balcony. When he gets to the bottom, he looks at me. He’s so… gorgeous. His eyes are so striking.
“Sleep well, Sana,” he says. His voice sounds a little raspy. Like he isn’t really thinking straight either.
I nod. “You too. I’ll let you know about Tuesday.”
“Okay. Bye.” He gets on his bike and rides away. And I stand there, leaning on the railing for a while before I’m able to walk into my apartment on my wobbly legs.
CHAPTER SIXTEENSERENITY WINS AGAIN
Of course, I don’t do anything when I get into my apartment except analyze and replay that perfect, breath-stealing, toe-curling kiss on my balcony. I can’t even believe it.
Miles kissed me.
And it was amazing. Seriously like a once-in-a-lifetime kiss. And the way his adorable awkwardness just melted away the moment his hands were on my face… Wow. Miles Desai has surprised me before, but never as much as when his kiss deepened.
But as much as I want to luxuriate in those sensations all night, my mind starts overthinking. Is the reason he doesn’t want me to set him up anymore because he wants to keep kissing me? And what’s supposed to happen now? Are we going to talk about the kiss? Are we going to carry on like it never happened?
