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I nodded, a smile on my lips. “There’s nothing better than watching Marvel movies with 3D glasses while the waves crash on the beach.”
A moment of silence washed over us. I wondered if Cole was thinking about how much he would miss this. We’d grown so close over the past eight weeks that I felt I had known him forever.
“What’s next on your list?”
I scribbled the next bucket list item on the paper.
Attend a party
“It’s about time I throw a party at Fort Marshall, don’t you think?”
“That sounds perfect.”
Going to a real party with people my age sent a ripple of excitement through my body. Even if it was only one night, I wanted to feel normal.
“Keep going,” Cole instructed. “I might need time to plan.”
I hesitated for a moment because the things Ireallywanted to do involved him. What came next was the actual bucket list. The other stuff was filler.
I hoped he wouldn’t freak out or act weird. Our time together had been so perfect I didn’t want to waste it. So I sucked down my nerves and added the most important items to my list.
Kiss a boy
Get asked out on a date
Lose my virginity
Fall in love
Cole’s eyes didn’t leave the paper. My heart clambered in my chest, beating so loudly I couldn’t hear anything else.
What did I do?
He stayed silent for a minute, and I couldn’t tell if he was breathing. His chest didn’t rise and fall in its familiar pattern. Meanwhile, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
Kneeling on the floor in front of him, I gripped his thick bicep. Our eyes met, so I took this as my cue to lean in and test the waters. I could tell Cole had been fighting his feelings for me all summer and needed a push.
I wet my lips with my tongue, and his eyes followed the simple movement. He sat there, barely breathing, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I pressed my lips to his, tasting a hint of mint from his breath.
“Cole, please,” I whispered when he didn’t part his lips for me. “Just kiss me. I know you’re trying to follow my grandfather’s rules, but he’s not here. And he will never know about us.”
After a long pause, he sat back, avoiding my gaze. “There must be other things you want to check off your list.”
What the fuck?
I shook my head. “Not as much as the last four.”
“I can’t help with these. I’m sorry, Grace.”
After he left the tent, I buried my face in the blankets, feeling stupid and regretting everything.
ChapterNine
COLE
Iwas an asshole for walking out on Grace, but I didn’t know what else to do. Following rules was coded into my DNA. And after seeing the last few items on her bucket list, it was impossible to be around her. Too hard not to think about giving Grace her first kiss or taking her virginity.
Fuck.
