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“Alanis Morisette?” I suggested.
He shook his head, his nose scrunching up. “Radiohead?”
“Oasis.”
He grinned. “I’m kind of feeling Radiohead.”
“I’m feeling Oasis.” I knocked his knee with mine. Warmth trailed up my leg, my thigh, blooming with fireworks in the pit of my stomach.
Reed held up both CDs, eyes panning between The Bends by Radiohead and Definitely Maybe by Oasis.
I rubbed my lips together. “We could figure it out the old fashioned way.”
“How’s that?”
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
He considered the proposal for a second before dimples popped on his cheeks and his eyes glittered. “All right.”
Hands in position, we slammed our fists to our opposite palms twice before we both shot out two fingers on three, making scissors.
We tried again.
Scissors.
We tried again.
Scissors!
“Oh, my God.” I laughed. “Stop that.”
“I figured you’d switch it up by now.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“No more scissors. Let’s try again.”
One, two?—
Scissors.
Still laughing, I tilted forward, my forehead brushing his shoulder and my hair splaying out like a golden waterfall down his inked upper arm. “Well, we suck at this.”
As I lifted back up, I realized how close we were. Sitting on a bed in a dimly lit room. Music as our backdrop, unseen heat as our firelight.
I swallowed. Our thighs were smashed together as we sat on the mattress amid piles of CDs, our faces inches apart. Everlong by the Foo Fighters played, a distant hum to parallel my revving pulse.
Our eyes caught along with my breath. I wondered for a heart-stopping moment if he would lean in and kiss me. I bet his lips were as soft as they looked. His hair, too. I wanted those lips on mine, his tongue in my mouth, his hair spilling between the cracks in my fingers.
Electricity sizzled as I fidgeted beside him, uncertain, but so goddamn sure. I considered how late Father would be working tonight and if he’d notice I was gone. If he did, I’d be punished. But the consequences seemed worth it when Reed’s eyes panned to my parted lips, gleaming with mystery, intrigue, and living. God, how I wanted to live. True living was steeped in risk and adventure in spite of the consequences. Ten lashes to my mangled back felt worth it as Reed’s gaze slowly drifted back up and snagged with mine.
His Adam’s apple rolled in his throat, his irises flickering in the lowlight, almost like they were trying to brighten every shadow inside me.
He inched forward.
Leaned in.
I inhaled sharply. “Is this why you came back?” Our mouths hovered a millimeter apart, his warm breath coasting over my lipstick stain in shaky bursts. “For a kiss?”