Page 37 of P.S. I'm Still Yours

“Hads,” Kane breathes against my mouth.

I part my lips without even realizing it, and the next thing I know, his tongue is slipping past my teeth. He takes his time at first. Then he goes all the way, his tongue tasting mine, and I swallow a gasp.

I have no clue how to do this, so I surrender all control to him. We’re both clumsy in the way we explore each other, and I love that we’re figuring it out together. I kiss him until I can’t anymore, and it takes all of my willpower to separate from him.

Only, as soon as I do, fear grips my insides.

What if he regrets it?

My shoulders drop with relief when I catch a glimpse of his face. For what it’s worth, he doesn’t seem horrified.

He even smiles at me.

But… his smile is tarnished by guilt.

Probably because he made out with his best friend’s sister, but I couldn’t care less about my brother’s rules right now. This is the happiest day of my life.

“Thank you,” I croak.

After all, I asked him to kiss me as a favor.

That’s probably all this is.

A favor.

He catches on right away. “Wait… you think I…”

I lower my gaze to the floor.

My admission makes him cringe, and he shakes his head, grabbing my face to force our eyes to meet. “Don’t thank me. That’s not why I did it.”

A tear rolls down my cheek.

Kane notices and draws me into his arms for a hug. The kind you lose yourself in. I return his embrace without hesitation. He whispers something when he buries his face in the crook of my neck, and it gives me pause.

Call me crazy, but it sounded like…

Goodbye?

I pull away. “Did you say something?”

“No.” I think I hear his voice crack before he jerks me back into his arms.

I wish I had known then…

That I wouldn’t see him again until the day we buried my brother.

Five Years Later…

HADLEY, 19

“You better text me as soon as you get settled.” Maggie throws her arms around me, squeezing the breath out of my body for the third time in five minutes.

“Cross my heart.” I return her embrace, the laugh in my throat morphing into a painful lump.

Shit, I’m really going to miss her.

She pulls away from me. “I’m serious. You keep me updated about our pact, or I will selfie-bomb the shit out of you—don’t think I won’t.”