AllFreeNovel
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“I wasn’t going to come over here tonight. I was going to make up some excuse for why I couldn’t. I was going to drop off the groceries and leave.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Because I wanted to see you so fucking bad. You calm me, Sage. I don’t know how you do it, but you do. And you make me laugh, which if you knew me, you’d know isn’t easy to do. Or, it hasn’t been for a really long time. Even when you’re yelling at me or scolding me, I still want to be with you. Because I know you aren’t doing those things to piss me off. You’re doing it because you care. You cared about some strange guy walking down the side of the road. You cared that my head was bleeding and bandaged it up. You were worried I’d get dehydrated so you brought me water. You know how fucking rare that is? To do all that for someone you don’t even know?”
Again, I remain silent, and wait for him to finish.
“So I made a deal. I told myself I could come over here but I had to keep my distance. I was here to have dinner. Nothing more. But then…” He cups my cheek with his hand. “Then I kissed you, like I’ve wanted to since the second I laid eyes on you.”
I close my eyes and feel his lips over my mouth. This time the kiss is softer, his lips barely brushing over mine.
“God, I can’t stop,” he says, frustration in his voice. “I keep telling myself to, but then I don’t. I can’t.” He rests his forehead on mine. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come over here.”
I pull back and look at him. “I think we should make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“We’re both outsiders in this small town. We’re both only here for a short time. And we both can’t stop thinking about each other so I say we—”
“You can’t stop thinking about me?” he asks with a smile. “And why is that?”
“Because you’re…” I look away, feeling embarrassed.
“I’m what?”
“You’re cute. I’ve already told you this so I don’t know why—”
“Cute?” He laughs.
“Handsome,” I say, feeling even more embarrassed. “Whatever. Can you just let me finish what I was about to say?”
“Go ahead.”
“In regards to kissing, and whatever happens next, I think we do what we want to do and not worry about what comes after that.”
“And risk getting hurt when it ends? That’s really what you want?”
“After what I’ve been through the past few months, I don’t know what I want. So for now, I’m just taking each day as it comes. And as of today, right now, I like this. I like being with you. I like how you make me feel.”
“Sage, as much as I would love to start something with you, I just wouldn’t feel right doing that, knowing it wouldn’t end well.”
I shrug. “Then I guess we’ll just go back to how things were. I’ll keep bothering you and you’ll keep telling me to go away.”
A smile slides up his face. “You ARE very persistent.”
“And you’re conveniently located for frequent drop-ins so expect to see me at your house all hours of the day and night.”
“I actually wouldn’t mind that. And just so you know, you were never bothering me. Even that day on the road, I knew you were only trying to help. I just didn’t want it, especially from some girl I’d just met who was already making my heart beat out of my damn chest.”
“It did?” I smile, loving that I had that effect on him. He had that effect on me too.
“I don’t think I can do this. I like you too much to risk hurting you.”
My smile drops hearing his words. I really wanted this. I wanted just a few short months with a guy I really like to make this summer not so bad. To keep my mind off what happened. This was my distraction, just like my mom distracts herself with her art. But Kyle turned me down. I guess I should be happy about that. It proves he’s a good guy, not just out to use me for sex, then toss me aside. But he wouldn’t have been using me. I wanted this. I wantedhim.
“Do you want me to leave?” he asks.
“No.” I force out a smile. “It’s fine. I understand.” I sniff the air. “Oh, shit, I think dinner’s burning!” I race over to the stove and flip the sandwiches. “They’re ruined. I have to make new ones.”
