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This kiss, Tyler’s kiss, seems different, softer maybe. Butterflies dance in my belly. Maybe he’s into me for m
ore than just sex. But, he is a guy, and guys usually only want one thing. Why else would he bring me out here? I want him to know that I’m into this moment—that I’m into him and am willing to go all the way if that’s what he wants.
“So where do you want to do this?” I whisper.
“Wh . . . what?” he stutters.
“You know—do you have a blanket to put down or . . .” I trail off, waiting for him to fill in the rest of my sentence.
He pulls away from me and grimaces before turning to put his guitar in the case. He doesn’t look at me, only concentrates on clasping his case shut. If I didn’t know that he’s a boy who had just been offered sex, I would say he looks pissed. That’s not possible, right? What guy gets mad because you tell him you want to sleep with him?
He slides down off the tailgate of his truck, and lands with a soft thud into the semi-wet soil below. I’m puzzled. Am I being rejected? That never happens to me.
“Hey! Where are you going?” I ask loudly as he turns toward the cab of his truck.
He shakes his head. “I think this was a mistake. You’re not the girl I thought you were.”
Mistake? What the hell does that even mean? He looks disgusted, like the idea of sleeping with me offends him. What’s his deal? I’m pretty. I’m hot. Guys practically line up to be with me back at school.
He’s pissing me off. How dare he try to make me feel bad about myself? It took a lot for me to put myself out there like that, and his reaction crushes me.
“Whatever,” I huff, jumping down to the ground, still feeling the sting of rejection.
Suddenly I can’t wait to get out of here and away from him.
I take a couple big strides toward the passenger side of the cab, and Tyler, seeing that I’m ready to leave, heads toward the driver’s side. Before I make it to the door, he grabs the side of his truck and looks at me from across the bed of the truck. “Hey, wait. Avery . . . look . . . I’m sorry. It’s just . . .”
It’s hard to make eye contact with him, knowing now that he finds me repulsive, but I need to hear him explain what it is about me that he dislikes so much. I stop in my tracks and meet his gaze from the other side of the bed.
“Just what?” I practically growl, fighting back the humiliating tears that sting my eyes. No one sees me cry anymore. I made a pact with myself after I saw the complete new me in the mirror the first time that I would never cry over a guy hurting my feelings ever again. So far, I’ve stuck to that promise, and I’m not about to let him have the satisfaction of knowing he’s getting to me. “You don’t like me, that’s fine. I get it. I’m not the girl you thought.”
It nearly kills me to say this out loud because it hurts way more than I thought it possibly could after only knowing him a few days.
Tyler doesn’t reply. His hands grip the side of the truck, like he’s holding on for dear life while he stares at the ground. I cross my arms while I wait for him to respond. It’s like he’s figuring out an explanation to let me down easy. I wish he would just come right out with it though. I need to know what he finds so repulsive about me, so I can fix it and never feel like this again.
“Shit,” he mumbles. “I like you, Avery. You’re funny, beautiful, and smart. And I can’t believe someone like you would be into me like that. I want to have sex with you. Believe me, there’s nothing more I would like to do than throw you down in the back of my truck and fuck you senseless, but I can’t.”
That makes no sense. This only confuses me even more.
“Can’t? Do you have a girlfriend or something?” I ask. “I hope the answer is no because you know how I feel about cheaters. This time I won’t chicken out when I get my hands on a crowbar when it comes to your truck.”
He shakes his head. “No. No girlfriend.”
I furrow my brow. “Then what’s the problem? I like you and I thought you liked me too after the way you sang that song to me. I don’t understand.”
“I know it doesn’t make sense, and I’m not really sure how to explain it. Get in the truck,” he says, not responding to my question, merely dancing around it.
“Why? Why should I?” I snip and it comes out sounding all kinds of bratty, but I’m hurt and it’s in my tone.
Tyler’s eyes soften. “Please, Avery. There’s something I want to show you.”
I stand there unmoving for a few moments wondering what on earth he would need to show me that would explain the reason he doesn’t want to sleep with me. I should say no, because he’s already said enough to hurt me, but my curiosity wins out and I hop into the cab, ready to solve this mystery.
AVERY
We bounce down the rocky path away from the Sucker Hole toward the road. Neither of us says anything else to the other. I don’t have the faintest clue what Tyler wants to show me, but now I’m curious as hell. Besides, I don’t have any other choice but to go with him. Being stranded out in these woods wouldn’t exactly be the ideal situation.
The tires chirp against the blacktop as they make contact with the main road. He’s in a big hurry now for some reason. I hope he doesn’t think my offer still stands, because he totally ruined that moment.
