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She can tell. “Yeah, you do. Inside, there’s a sensitive, very aware guy, but you never let him out.”
“Dude…”
She glares. “See? Right there. ‘Dude’. I am not your ‘dude’. We’re not just pals. When we kissed, it was like…”
My fingers curl. My stomach swirls. What did she think of that kiss? I do my best to keep my features neutral. Don’t want her to know how much that meant to me, that kiss.
What if it didn’t mean anything to her?
“Like… like what?” I growl.
“Like—I don't know—like we’re an actual couple or something. Like we can’t stand being apart, and we’ve kissed thousands of times before. In the morning to start the day right, at night before we fall asleep… It was like…. like fireworks on the fourth of July, only without all the teeth-rattling explosion sounds.”
What’s she saying? If it was that good, does she want to do it again? She pokes a finger at my chest.
“Butyou…you’re going to ignore all that because it doesn’t go with your tough-guy attitude. Why not just admit it?”
“What do you want me to admit?”
“Admit you liked that kiss.”
“Why?”
“Because,” she says.
“Becauseyouliked it?” I ask.
She blushes.
Got her.
“You just said it felt like fireworks,” I say. Around me, the room’s fading away. The hum of other conversations sounds like some far-off fan. Olivia’s in high definition, though.
Twin blossoms of pink rise to her cheeks. “So what? We hadonegood kiss. It’s not that big of a deal. You want to know what I think? I think that kiss was a fluke.”
“A fluke?”
“You know, like a weird exception. Like for some reason it felt great, but it won’t happen again like that.”
The thought of getting another shot at lowering my lips to Olivia’s makes me grin. “Hey, that might be a challenge I’m up for taking.”
“Cole quit joking around. I’m really trying to be open with you. I’m saying you and Trent both have trouble with admitting that you have actual feelings. You could’ve talked to me about that kiss, but instead, you barely said a word all morning. And maybe that’s got something to do with why you’re single. Every woman wants a guy who canfeel…and yeah, maybe eventalkabout how he feels.”
A grunt, groan sort of sound comes up through my throat. I look away, back toward the desert landscape.
Thisis why I didn’t want to come to a couple’s yoga retreat.
Thisexactscenario.
The circle.
The touchy-feely stuff.
The talking…
I feel like I’m being held hostage in this pavilion and all I want to do is leave.
“Is this class almost up or what?” I stammer.
