“Maybe I’m just really friendly.” He smirks.
“Oh, trust me I know just howfriendlyyou can be.”
“Does that mean you think about me?”
“Never.” My voice squeaks, giving away the lie.
“You don’t think about how we were together?” He reaches up and moves the hair that’s fallen in front of my eye off to the side. I don’t stop him. Even as his hand lingers longer than it needs to. “You don’t think about what it was like the first time we kissed?”
I swallow roughly. “No.”
His voice drops lower. He’s moved even closer; there’s barely any space between us now and I’m completely frozen. “You don’t think about how it felt?
“Never,” I whisper the lie.
“I do,” he admits. “Maybe we should jog your memory.”
I open my mouth to say no. I really do, but nothing comes out. Parker moves closer, our foreheads almost touching. I need to stop this; I have to stop this. I don’t want this.
Right?
I don’t.
No, I can’t. No, it’s Parker and he hurt me, and a million other reasons why this is a bad idea.
But he’s moving closer, and I’m not stopping him. Not even when his mouth is dangerously close to mine. This would be amistake, but I’ve made many of those. What would one more do?
“Why’s Lily’s car here?” Ethan’s voice breaks through the haze I’ve found myself in.
Parker doesn’t immediately move away from me. I push against his chest to create some distance right before Ethan sees us.
“Because I’m here to pick you up,” I say as soon as he’s rounded the firetruck.
“Why? I thought mom was going to pick me up.”
I shrug. “Don’t know, she’s the boss and asked me to.”
He groans. “Fine. I’ll see you later, Parker.”
We start to leave, but my name is called. I pause, but don’t turn around because I don’t think I could stand looking at his face right now. His blue eyes that were just looking at me with so much heat I was close to combusting. His body, larger than before, towering over me.
The feeling ofrightnesshaving him so close.
“You both should come over one of these days.”
Now I do turn around.
“Why would we do that?” I snap, finally regaining some of my composure.
“My cat hates me, and I could use some help with her.”
“Hah! Of course she does.” I laugh, but don’t answer him because I can’t help but laugh even harder when I think of all the jokes I can make.
Ethan doesn’t seem to find it as funny. We get to my car, and I’m finally able to calm my laughter. We head home, but I can’t stop thinking about how close I came to kissing Parker. And how I can’t find it in me to regret it.
CHAPTER 16
Parker