“But... what about your car? How the hell are we supposed to go downtown? It’s miles from here…”
“Leave the car. Fucking go.”
I guess Dane knows me well enough that he senses the threat in my voice. He pulls his friend away, saying, “Let’s go, Liam.”
“The fuck,” grumbles the latter, but they both walk off, trudging through the pebbles that surround the shore.
I feel Piper shiver even harder in my grasp, and I wonder with a pang if she was looking to those two assholes for safety.
That’s wrong. All wrong.
Ishould be the one keeping her safe.
But I know I’m the farthest thing from safe as I slowly turn back to her.
“Quill,” she breathes, and even though she’s soaked through, I can tell her eyes are sparkling with unshed tears. “Please, Quill… please…”
Again, I’m not entirely sure what she’s begging for. Her voice seems to tell me she wants me to let her go, and yet, her hands are squeezed around my wrist. I can’t tell if she’s scared or not. I don’t want her to be scared.
Gingerly, I let go of her hair and peel off my mask. Then I find the back of her head again and bring her just a little bit closer to me.
Her eyes glitter in the darkness, and for the first time, now that she’s not wearing her glasses, I can figure out their color.
Or not. I still have no idea if they’re green or blue. Honestly, I’ve never seen such fucked-up eyes as hers. And the color is just the beginning.
“You’re cross-eyed,” I say.
“Huh?”
“Your left eye. It’s cross-eyed.” I pull her just a little closer with the hand that’s clutching the front of her shirt. The other one is still wrapped in her hair. “It’s kind of blue.”
Her needy expression suddenly hardens as she spits out, “Heterochromia. My eyes are all kinds of messed up. Are you going to let me go now?”
I flatten my lips to keep them from twitching into a smirk. She’s even more adorable when she’s angry.
“It’s cute,” I blurt out before I can help it.
In fact, I can’t help those words any more than the kiss that follows it.
Or the way my hand lets go of her shirt to encircle her, hugging her to me as I deepen the kiss.
“What the h—”
But I don’t let her get another word in.
I’ve never kissed anyone before, but this feels so fucking right.
It feels like I’ve suddenly found my missing puzzle piece, like the space where I’d always assumed my face ends was only the beginning of it.
The hand I’ve got against her head grabs at her curls, running their texture between my fingers, as my mouth crashes into hers, my teeth hitting hers from how violently I’m devouring her. My tongue slips past her lips, exploring every single inch inside her, hooking itself around her tongue.
Fuck. It’s like I’m coming home.
My hands roam all over her body, desperately clawing at her, needing to feel the touch and shape of her, until suddenly, I come to an abrupt stop.
My cheek is wet, and I know it’s not from the water of the lake.
She’s crying.
