Page 8 of Dare You to Love Me
Someone needs to explain how one tiny kiss has rocked the very foundation of our friendship.
It doesn’t make sense.
“Stell?”
I blink out of those thoughts and refocus my attention on Riggs. His head is cocked and he’s staring at me with a heavy-lidded look. It’s almost as if he knows exactly what’s circling through my head.
Heat stings my cheeks.
How embarrassing would that be?
That kiss probably meant absolutely nothing to him and here I am, obsessing about it like a loser, because when it comes down to it…I can’t remember the last time I locked lips with someone and it blew my world apart.
Have I ever been knocked off balance like that?
I almost wince, privately acknowledging the harsh truth to myself.
The only consolation I have is that there’s been a long string of lousy dates in my not-so-distant past. Including the one tonight. That has to be the reason all these weird feelings have been roused, right?
It’s embarrassing to realize that I have to redirect my thoughts for a second time. “Yeah?”
“I asked if you’re ready to hit the sheets.” A smirk curls around the edges of his lips.
For some reason, that question makes me feel even more tense. Like a tightly wound spring just waiting to go off.
As difficult as it is, I tear my gaze away from his and glance around the living room. With the late hour, the crowd has thinned. Maybe the best course of action would be to crash at Juliette’s apartment. A little time and distance from Riggs would probably be enough to set everything to rights again.
Except…
Neither she nor Carina are anywhere to be found. When did they take off? And how didn’t I notice?
Ugh. I’m stuck here. Guilt suffuses me because I don’t mean it that way. Under normal circumstances, I love spending time with Riggs. But right now, it feels like we’re in this really weird place and it’s exactly where I don’t want to be.
Left without any other recourse, I say, “Yup. I’m super tired. I’m sure I’ll be out as soon as my head hits the pillow.” At least, that’s my hope. I just want to put tonight firmly behind us.
As soon as the words leave my lips, he pops to his feet and pulls me up. Before I realize it, he’s dragging me through the crowd to the staircase and then up to the second floor. A handful of moments later, we’re in his room. I stare at the queen-sized bed that dominates the space. I’m always popping over and hanging out, and this is the first time I’ve been hyperaware of it.
My hands tremble as I beeline for my duffle and rifle through it. Once my fingers lock around the soft cotton of my tank top, I hightail it to the safety of the bathroom. As soon as I slip inside and close the door, I lean against it and squeeze my eyelids tightly closed.
I really need to get a hold of myself. I’m acting like a twenty-one-year-old virgin who’s never been within five feet of a boy before, and that’s not who I am.
I need to stop dwelling on that kiss.
It didn’t mean anything.
We were playing a stupid game.
It takes a full five minutes to wrangle my emotions back under control. By then, I realize I was right—all I needed was a bit of distance. The entire night, Riggs had his arm slung around my shoulders. The beachy scent of his cologne had slyly tangled around me, inundating my senses until I’d wanted to inhale a big breath of him.
It had just been too much.
It’s almost laughable how wound up I got about it.
Ridiculous, even.
I’m sure in the morning, we’ll both have a good chuckle.
That’s what friends do, right?