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Then all of the sudden, the ball is removed from between me and Brie, and I am shoved from behind. I fall forward, my face and my mouth colliding with Brie’s. Warmth floods through me, and I nearly miss catching the wall with my hand. Brie’s body thuds back against it, and I hesitate. It’s like I’ve been seven years in a desert, and I had no idea how thirsty I am for this kiss—accidental or not. I’m not going to make a scene and embarrass her, but I lean in for a moment, and for a sweet second, I breathe in Brie Holland.
I don’t expect for her to push up on her tiptoes and lean into me. I break away before I lose my head. Because even though I really don’t want to, my brain registers something important. Brie might be hurt from hitting the wall. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” Her blue eyes blink slowly, dazed as I am. “What happened?”
Besides how I have her pinned against the wall with my body and kissed her? I reach up to feel the back of her head. Nothing is sticky or wet with blood. “I’m not sure.” I step back and register people shrieking and yelling. The noise previously dulled around me with Brie in my arms becomes more pronounced as I pull back.
“You cheated!” Bear yells. “We win!”
Barb throws the ball at Brad and nails him in the back. Brad is laughing so hard he can barely breathe and doesn’t even register the slap of the rubber bouncing off him.
“Tie! It’s a tie!” Braxton screams, whooping in victory.
Mr. Holland waves his arms in the air and gives an ear-splitting whistle. “Once again, Brad cheated in the family games. Brie and Rockwell would have won if Brad hadn’t stolen their ball. Their team takes the victory.”
All I care about is how the chaos covered my second of indulgence. But audience or not, it takes a single second to change a man’s life. And on the other side of our unexpected collision, I’m questioning everything. Tonight represents a lot of things I’ve been avoiding. Facing them isn’t as terrible as I had made them up to be in my head. I can’t believe I’m admitting this. Kissing Brie thawed a layer of ice inside me, and I’m warming to the idea of doing it again.
What seemed to be impossible before now feels possible. Is it Brie or Bearwood casting a spell over me? Since it’s been slowly happening since the moment I saw her again, I’m inclined to think it’s her. I glance at Brie, and our eyes meet again. I see questions and a flicker of hope. I only have one answer for her—the next kiss isn’t going to be accidental. The exit door on the friend zone is blaring red. She can’t still want me in her life—wrecked as I am—but I’ve never wanted so badly to find out.
Chapter 13
Brie
Doesakisscountif your brother is the reason behind it? Because I want to simultaneously kill Brad and thank him. My heart is pounding dangerously, but I don’t think anyone has ever died of an accidental kiss before. I might be at risk for hyperventilating though, especially if Rockwell keeps staring at me, his eyes dark and probing.
“I’m fine, really,” I say, as my dad announces the next game. We’re switching the kids’ places and heading back to the kitchen. Our team suffers from drinking disgusting concoctions. When Rockwell hesitates during his turn, I might have tipped his glass up for him, catching him off guard and hurrying the gross deed along. I make up for it in the escape room challenge when I find the hidden cell phone in between the couch cushions.
The time is ticking when Rockwell thinks to try the special face recognition app provided on our mystery phone. He holds it up to the puzzle of Santa Claus’s face we’d previously put together. The code it unlocks works on the bike lock Dad has put on the door and pulls us through a narrow win.
I grab Rockwell’s arms and jump up and down. He laughs and pulls me into a hug. Bear hugs me and Rockwell at the same time and whoops a call of victory. My family can be a drag when it comes to my single status, but they really know how to put on a fun party. I might not have given them enough credit in the past. Having Rockwell’s arms around me might make the whole thing a little rosier too.
Is it any surprise when the two of us win the couple award? Besides how everyone wants to put an emphasis on our couple status, we slayed the games. I hand the envelope containing our prize to Rockwell.
Rockwell rips it open. “A prepaid picture with Santa?”
I snort and bust up laughing. The look on Rockwell’s face is too hilarious for me to be disappointed. Yes, I would have preferred a fancy dinner out or even movie tickets, but Bianca and Jet get points for creativity.
“Thanks, Mom, for a wonderful party!” I say to her after a quick hug. She’s standing guard at the front door, bidding everyone goodnight. When I turn to give my dad a hug as he approaches, I see my mom out of the corner of my eye give Rockwell a hug.
I love her for it. He might act like a tough guy, but the Rockwell I know has a heart of a gooey cookie. It’s hidden pretty deep these days, but it’s there.
I’m not expecting a goodnight kiss on the steps, but we linger for a long time.
“Thanks again for tonight,” I say. “You really showed up.”
“It was the lucky duck sweater.”
I cough on my sudden laugh. “If you don’t wear it to every game in the future, it’ll be your own loss.”
“Oh, I’m saving this baby for pajamas. I sense a grandma somewhere knitted it with love, and that’s why it’s so soft.”
Like a sucker, I step close and rub the fuzzy duck on his sweater showing from inside his open jacket. I’ve touched it a thousand times tonight already, but I want the excuse to be near him. “I can see it now, a sweet grandma in a rocking chair by the fire, thinking of a lost boy somewhere in need of a sweater.”
“Lost boy, huh?” Rockwell squishes his face up. “Is that what I am?” His hand catches on the bottom of my jacket by the zipper, and he gives it a little tug.
“Yes,” I obediently step closer. “A lost boy who sleeps with his lucky sweater and is scared of cats.”
He shakes his head, a mock glare on his face, and steps closer too, the toes of our boots touching. My heart starts skittering. Is he going to kiss me again?
