Page 28 of The Draft

“You are. Me,” I said with a grin. It was supposed to be a joke, but the way he looked at me made me realize it wasn’t funny. “Although she saw me walk in here. Do you think she’d say anything?”

“Sienna is trying to become a bona fide reporter. She’s not going to write about idle gossip. She wants juice. A story that’s never been seen before, and she’s not getting one from me.”

My smile quickly faded, and I nodded. Dash had always been the no-nonsense kind of guy, and I used to tease him about it, but right now, nothing felt particularly funny.

“But Sienna wasn’t what you came to talk about, was it?”

“No. You’re right.” I raised my hands and pressed my lips together because I was the one making a fool of myself here. Sienna and Dash didn’t matter. Dash didn’t want me. He made that clear, so now I had to say my peace to move on. If that was even possible at this point. “About the other night.”

“What about it?” He was looking at me as though he was bored and this conversation meant nothing. I shouldn’t be offended, as that was his normal facial expression, but it was making me feel tiny in this context.

“I kissed you.”

“And you slapped me. Twice.”

“And you don’t think that’s something we should talk about?”

“Nope,” he quipped. “Not really.”

I chuckled bitterly. “Are you serious?” When he didn’t answer, I knew hewas. I played with the ends of my hair, thinking about how to word my next sentence. Finally, I dropped my shoulders and said, “I think I need to apologize. I let my schoolgirl feelings get the better of me. I guess I was just running on adrenaline, and I took some bad advice from those football players. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

There. Getting it out wasn’t so bad. In fact, it felt a little relieving.

“What did they say?” His voice startled me. It was so low he was nearly growling.

“Huh?”

“Do I really have to ask again? What did those football players say to you?”

“Nothing.”

“It was clearly something if it gave you the courage to kiss me.”

So, this was how it was going to go? I could feel my face flushing with embarrassment because I didn’t want to tell him that the football team convinced me that he might actually like me.

“It wasn’t them. They didn’t say anything. I’d had too much to drink.” He was still glaring at me, and I’d lost my nerve. Talking to him wasn’t erasing any of my feelings. It was only highlighting them. “You know what? I’ve had too much to drink right now too.”

I stood without thinking, and headed straight for the door, because I would die of embarrassment if Dash told me the football team was wrong about his crush on me. Like literally, I would expire on the floor, right now, and then there would be an awkward conversation with my brother as to why I was sprawled out on the carpet, dead for no apparent reason except embarrassment.

“Madison,” I heard him drawl out in annoyance as I skittered past. I couldn’t look back. Not after everything.

“I know, I know. I’m just the embarrassing little sister.” I tried my best to sound lighthearted, like I was laughing it off, but I was certain Dash knew me better than that. Instead of worrying about it, I focused on the blue lettering of the pizza box taped on the door. I was getting out of here if it was the last thing I did.

“Madison.” He spoke again, but I was too off in my own rambles to really take heed of what he was saying.

When I got to the door, I turned around, thinking one final apology might make me feel better. “It’s stupid. I should remember that I’m always going to just be the little sister. And that should be fine.”

“Madison,” he said much louder now, which made me jump, and when I glanced up to look at him, I realized just how close he’d gotten. My knees were knocking against him, and he was staring down at me, all brooding and angry. It was hot and terrifying at the same time. “Will you listen to me?”

“O-Okay.”

Dash watched me for the longest time before letting out a long, slow sigh. “Madison,” he drawled out my name again, and I wasn’t afraid to admit how much I liked it. It was like audio porn.

“Yes, Dash.” I swallowed, staring into his deep brown eyes, already feeling like I was drowning in his mere presence.

“I don’t know how to say this.”

“Then don’t say it.”