I look down at our hands, shyly, then back up into his eyes. “Thanks. I had a good teacher.” His smile lifts.
We just stand there. I feel awkward while he looks confident. If I only had a shred of his confidence. Releasing one of my hands, he grasps my arm, leaning toward me. His eyes move from mine to my mouth then back to my eyes. “I’d like to kiss you,” he whispers. I barely nod when his mouth covers mine. Warm. Damp. Sweet. He’s gentle. Tender. It’s the best first kiss in my history of first kisses. I feel a little lightheaded when he stops and takes a step back while still holding my hand. My arm feels warm beneath his. Another moment of awkwardness until his mouth lifts into a smile. “I’d love to do that again.” My heartbeat picks up. Leaning toward me, his lips press against my forehead. “Another time.” Oh my!
He walks around me and I watch him walk back across the street, thinking one of the two cars in their lot must belong to him. I wonder where he lives that he has to drive there. Feeling stupid at my gawking, I turn and walk to the front door, go inside and up the steps to my apartment. Once inside, I lean back against the door as it closes, letting out a long breath that I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Reaching up, I place my fingers against my lips, still feeling his there, and smile. My heart flutters as I turn off the lights and make my way to my bedroom, feeling a little lighter and a definite kick in my step.
Chapter 5
West
Spending time with Piper, all the last week, was amazing. So she wants the opposite of what I want. Where I want some time alone and just be me, she wants what I had in school. To feel popular, have people around who really like her and not be alone. I’ve had my fill of that so I watch from the sidelines and spend one on one time with her when we can. I’m finding that I’m cherishing my time with her and if I didn’t know better, falling for her a little more each time. Thing is, she’s been hanging around Cian, going out with him. I’d be happy for her but I don’t trust him. Is it jealousy? Maybe. I’ve watched him strut his stuff around other women and then drop them like they were nothing, crushing them. Yeah, I may have not been here that long but long enough to witness that – more than once. I should warn her. I’ve tried a couple of times but then her smile is so big, her excitement overflowing when she talks about him. I haven’t had the heart. I really need to. Maybe if I can get her away from here, somewhere she can be away from him.
Next week is Thanksgiving. Haven’t heard a word from Dad but Mom wants me to come home. Not sure I can take going to her house and hear her bitch about Dad and everything he’s doing. She keeps tabs on him and then complains about everything he does or doesn’t do. I really don’t want to hear it, especially at Thanksgiving. I thought about asking Piper if she’d want to go home with me, thinking Mom would put a cap on it while Piper is there. But Piper’s been talking about going home to see her parents. She’s lucky. Even though her parents are divorced, something we have in common, hers are like best friends. Kinda weird.
“So, Cian says he can’t come home with me for Thanksgiving.”
I focus back onto what Piper is saying, lost in my own thoughts. I’ve been working on my new song, playing bits and pieces on my guitar, as we sit in her living room. “Oh?” I look up from my guitar. She’s been sitting there sketching me, something I feel honored yet a little weirded out about it when she’s doing it right in front of me. She doesn’t look up as she uses her finger to smear parts of charcoal on her pad.
“Yeah. Says he has some things he needs to do next week.” She looks up, her beautiful blue eyes glistening with the sun shining in. “You wouldn’t…?” She looks back down and starts drawing again. “Nah. You wouldn’t.”
I can’t help my smile. She’s so cute when she’s awkward. I love that about her. “Wouldn’t what?” I let out a chuckle and nudge her shoulder.
I watch her look back up at me, stopping with her pencil up in the air. “You wouldn’t want to come home with me… would you?” My brows lower. Not sure I like the thought of being her second choice, especially when Cian was her first. “Of course, I had thought of you first until… Well, until Cian and I started going out. I mean, I really want my parents to meet my best friend.” My brows lift, thinking of being her best friend and that I really was originally her first choice. I like that, although I wish I was more to her than her best friend. Yes, I’ve been having those thoughts and feelings since we met. Guess I didn’t act on them soon enough. But for now, I love that we can be best friends. I’m honored.