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“World domination.” What was I saying? I was rambling like an idiot. But I was also talking to Ryan with more ease than I ever had before. That was something.
He let out a bark of laughter. “I’m a James Bond villain now?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, of course not. Don’t be silly. You just have this incredible drive and focus. It’s like you could do anything you set your mind to. You know?”
He gazed at me for several moments, his expression slightly stunned.
“Wow, Sam,” he said. “You really know me, huh? I didn’t realize you were paying such close attention to me.”
I nodded, my breath hitching at the heat in his eyes. He’d never looked at me that way before. It made my heart race, and I momentarily lost my ability to speak.
At length, I managed to choke out, “Yeah…I have been”
Ryan was silent for several moments as he looked at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it made me anxious. He wasn’t usually so hard for me to read.
“You’ve grown up,” he murmured, almost to himself. “When did that happen?”
I furrowed my brow and glanced down at my thin, flat body. What was he talking about?
As if snapping out of a trance, he blinked and cleared his throat, jerking his gaze away from me.
“Was there something you wanted?” he asked in a rough tone.
“Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you,” I said. “Alone.”
He looked back at me in surprise but slowly nodded. “All right. sure, I guess.”
My heart skipping a beat, I turned to lead him away from the party.
I could hardly believe he was actually following me and that this was actually happening.
I tried to think of what exactly I was going to say to him. So many things raced through my mind, but I couldn’t seem to land on anything that didn’t sound stupid and pathetic.
We made our way deeper and deeper into the forest. The sounds of the party dulled, and when it was quiet, I finally stopped.
Slowly, I turned around to face him. It was dark except for the rays of moonlight that managed to filter in through the trees above. He was watching me with a curious expression, and I felt shy under his scrutiny.
I cleared my throat and scratched nervously at my cheek.
“Well, you’ve got me out here.” He chuckled in a rumbling voice that made me shiver. “What did you want to talk about?”
Taking a deep breath, I murmured, “Well, I wanted to tell you…that is, I wanted to ask…um…I have a birthday wish.”
His brows shot up. “A birthday wish?”
I nodded. “Yes. I have a birthday wish, and only you can make it come true.”
“Is that so?” He grinned, appearing amused. “Well, color me intrigued. What’s your wish?”
“A kiss,” I blurted.
Ryan appeared shocked, and there was a moment of tense silence as he simply stared at me.
At last, he stammered, “You…you want what?”
“A kiss,” I repeated in a softer voice. “Just one. Please?”
Ryan blinked and shook his head with a tense chuckle. “That’s cute, Sam, but I’m sorry, I can’t.”
