Pushing his body against mine, he lifts his other hand and pushes his fingers through my hair, and in that split second, his hot breath brushes my face. He crashes his lips to mine, eager yet gentle, and he kisses me deeply straight from the get-go. It’s so sudden yet so familiar, and I can’t stop myself from sinking into him. It’s the first time he’s kissed me in almost two years, but it feels like it’s only been a couple of days. Everything is exactly like how I remember. The movements of his mouth against mine, my body trembling beneath his touch, both our hearts pounding against our chests. Throwing my arms around his neck, I pull him closer to me, pressing my lips even harder into his, my fingers tangling into his hair. His hands drop from my face to my thighs, and he grips them tightly as he lifts me onto the hood of his car, pushing my body back as he does so, knocking the Yankees cap off my head. His touch is electrifying, his lips even more so, and the power surging through my veins right now makes me feel euphoric. Tyler groans softly just before he bites down on my lower lip, kissing me carefully once before I feel him smile against the corner of my mouth.
Before he captures my lips with his again, he whispers against my skin, “I hope Dean’ll forgive us.”
14
On Saturday, I’m perched on the kitchen worktop, my legs crossed and a frown on my lips. My eyes follow Tyler across the living room as he slips back into the apartment and makes his way to the kitchen for the third time now. He’s carrying another crate of beer, and he flashes me a small smile as he slides it onto the worktop beside me, right next to all the others.
“Is all of this necessary?” I throw a pointed glance down at the worktop. Covering every inch of it, except for my reserved spot, there’s alcohol. Endless amounts of it, from crates of Corona to bottles of Cazadores to vodka, it’s all there, waiting.
“Did she just ask if this was necessary?” Snake gasps, slightly dramatically as he slides through the door. He kicks it shut behind him as he carries over the final crate of beer, dumping it atop the rest. He turns to me then and shakes his head in disapproval. “Oh, little Eden from the forests of Portland, welcome to the real world.”
“I live in California, Stephen,” I shoot back. I place emphasis on his real name, drawing out the syllables slowly as I raise my eyebrows at him. “I’m well aware of the real world.”
Snake’s smirk falters and he looks to Tyler for backup, but he’s standing there watching us with his arms folded across his chest and a smile on his lips. He shrugs, and Snake quickly fires his eyes back to me. “Don’t call me that.”
“Don’t call me ‘little Eden from the forests of Portland’ and don’t assume that I’m not game for a party.” I smile, victorious, and hold out my hand, which Snake hesitates to shake. He eventually does, though, and he rolls his eyes at the same time. Agreement made, I place my hands back in my lap and glance at the alcohol once more. “What I meant was,” I say, clearing my throat, “is all of this necessary for ten people?”
Snake fixes me with a hard look, his gray eyes narrowed. “Of course it’s necessary. No one likes a party that runs out of booze after the first hour.” Slowly, his mouth alters from a bold line to a small smirk. “Except small girls from the forests of Portland, apparently.”
Tyler lets out a laugh just as I raise my fist in a threatening manner, and even though I’m only being playful, he reaches out and clasps my wrist. Just in case. “Alright, alright,” Tyler says, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I snatch my hand back and flip Snake off instead. “As great as it would be to watch you kick his ass, we’ve got a party starting in three hours.”
Snake scoffs and grabs a crate of beer, yanking out a bottle and popping the cap on the edge of the worktop by my thigh. He shakes his head at me again, but he’s smiling as he tilts the bottle to his lips. It’s right then that the bathroom door creaks open, and Emily steps into the kitchen with her hair damply thrown up into a ponytail.
“Ah, the Briton has finally decided to join us,” Snake remarks. He points his beer to the collection of alcohol next to me. “Impressed or nah?”
Emily runs her eyes over all the bottles and breathes a small laugh. It’s light and giggly and it makes me want to sigh out loud, but I refrain from making my irritation known, so I close my eyes instead. I’m trying my best to like her, but it’s getting more difficult each day.
“Dude, I thought you said we had limes?” Tyler says from the refrigerator as he glances over his shoulder, his lips parted and his eyebrows furrowed.
Snake’s eyes widen. “We don’t?”
Groaning, Tyler gently elbows the refrigerator door shut and reaches for his car keys on the counter. “I’ll head back out.”
“I’ll come with you,” Emily offers.
Immediately, I push myself off the worktop and get to my feet, blurting, “I’ll come too.” No, I think. No way in hell is she spending any time alone with him.
Tyler glances between the two of us for a second before shrugging at me apologetically. “Only got two seats, Eden,” he says. Shifting his eyes to Emily, he smiles at her right before the two of them make for the door. I stare after them in disbelief, and just before they disappear, Tyler calls over his shoulder, “Don’t kill each other.”
There’s a moment of silence after they leave and the only sound I can hear is Snake gulping more beer. He sighs in satisfaction, yet he doesn’t say anything.
“Did he really just do that?” I ask, finally. He chose her over me?