“That’s none of your business,” I bite out. “Can you leave?”

“No. Your dad asked me to watch out for you, and I don’t think he’d like you alone in here with him.” He jerks a thumb at Jack.

He’s a giant liar. My dad doesn’t even like Rainer, and he knows it. Also, my dad doesn’t give a shit what I do because he’s an emotionless dick.

“I think I should go,” Jack says, standing.

“I think you should, too.” Rainer grunts.

“Rainer!” I snap. “Can you please leave?”

“No.”

He keeps his arms crossed. I grind my jaw, wanting to throttle him. Jack turns to me, and smiles. “Let him act like a dick. We had a good time and he hates that he can’t control that. I’ll call you, okay?”

“What did you fuckin’ say?” Rainer barks.

I leap up and place a hand in the middle of his chest. “Enough,” I growl.

Jack glares at him, then leans down and kisses my cheek. “Good night, beautiful.”

I inwardly sigh. “Night, Jack.”

He walks to my door and swings it open, letting himself out. As soon as the door has closed, I spin on Rainer. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Me?” he yells. “What were you thinking? First date and you’re in here letting him grope you?”

“He wasn’t groping me, you tool. We were going to kiss but we never even got that far because you jumped in here and acted like a twat.”

“He shouldn’t have been in here, Emy.”

“You know what?” I screech. I’ve had enough of this. “I’m fucking done with this, Rainer. Done with it. You don’t get to decide who I do things with, and I’m sick to death of you being an asshole. Get out.”

“Jesus, I was just—”

“Get out!” I scream. “I’m so tired of you. Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

His eyes widen, because I’ve never screamed at him before. “Jesus, Emy, I didn’t realize it meant that much to you.”

“Of course you wouldn’t,” I yell, and my voice hitches at the end. “You’ve been kissed, you’ve been with people, you’ve made love, I’ve done none of it because no one wants to do it with me. No one wants . . .” My voice wavers and he steps closer. “No one likes me. I’m not pretty enough. Not good enough. Not popular enough. He was willing to kiss me. He was willing to give me that when no one else will and you took it away. That’s not fair. That might be my only chance. And you t-t-t-took it away.”

He takes another step forward and leans down so his eyes are level with mine. “You’re wrong about the lot of it. You’re more than good enough to have all of those things and more. Jesus, Emy, you’re better than anyone I know. And if you think he’s the only one who will ever want to give you that, you’re wrong. But I get it. You wanted it, and I ruined it. So there’s only one thing I can do to make that up.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” I whisper, dropping my head.

He takes my chin in his hands and lifts my face so my eyes meet his. “There is. I can give you what I took away.”

Before I can say anything or protest, he steps forward and lowers his mouth at the same time. His lips hit mine, and I’m so stunned I just stand there, completely shocked. His mouth is hot, really hot, and he smells amazing. I respond without even thinking, opening my mouth to let his tongue in. I’ve never been kissed before, and the feeling is foreign. His tongue is soft, and his lips are warm but slightly scratchy.

It feels nice.

Really nice.

He pulls back before I get the chance to enjoy it just a second longer. We’re both panting and when our eyes meet, I feel something tugging at my heartstrings. It’s probably just fondness for him. I adore Rainer. I always will. Yes, that’s it.

I smile weakly and he gives me a lazy half-grin in return. Then he surprises me by pressing a kiss to my forehead before turning and walking back to my window.

“I won’t screw shit up for you again, Emy,” he says, sliding it up. “You deserve whatever you want.”

With that, he leaps through the opening.

And my heart gives me another strange tug.

~*~*~*~

“So let me get this right,” Kenny says, skipping beside me as we walk to school on Monday. “Jack went to kiss you, but Rainer interfered and ended up being the one to kiss you?”

I shrug. “Something like that. He was just being nice because he ruined my first kiss.”

“Uh-huh,” he says. “Or maybe he wanted to kiss you.”

“Dude, no. Rainer and I are friends. Trust me, it was a friend kiss.”

Except the tongue. God, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the tongue.

“Or . . .” he says. “He likes you.”

“Trust me, I know him. He doesn’t. He’s all up in Missy’s space.”

Kenny snorts. “Slut.”

“Right?” I grin.

We reach the school grounds and Kenny splits, heading to his group of friends who play chess before class. I go in the opposite direction, weaving through the cars and making my way towards the front doors. I’m just about there when a hand lashes out, curling around my wrist and tugging me backwards. I yelp and spin around, jerking my hand back, to see Missy and a group of her friends standing by a bright yellow car.

“Can I help you?” I mutter, glaring at her.

“Yes, you can,” she says, throwing her hands on her hips. “I want to know what your relationship is with my guy.”

“Your man?” I snort.

She flicks her perfect hair over her perfect damned shoulder. “Yes, Rainer. My man.”

I roll my eyes. Rainer would love to know she’s strutting around calling him that.

“Rainer is my best friend. Deal with it.”

“Yeah,” she says, laughing bitterly. “See, I have a problem with that. I don’t like my man having female friends, especially when he leaves me to climb through her window . . .”

“He often climbs through my window,” I say in a taunting tone. “In fact, he spends a lot of time sleeping in my bed with me.”

Her face goes bright red and she nods to a big, butch friend. That friend steps forward and before I realize what’s happening, she slams me towards the nearest car so hard my head jerks back and bangs into it. Missy gets up in my face, while her butch friend holds me. “Listen up, you geeky, ugly little nerd. Rainer is mine. I don’t like your part in his life, and I’m not going to ask you twice to change it. This will be your only chance. Stay away from him, cut your friendship with him, or you’ll have me to answer to.”

“You?” I wheeze. “You mean your big, butch friend here? Because last time I checked, you had no balls and had to hire a gorilla from the local zoo to do your dirty work.”

Okay, so I probably asked for the punch that butch bitch lands to my gut after my crude comments. A pained grunt leaves my mouth and pain shoots through my stomach and ribs. It’s sharp and intense. That can’t be good.

“What did you say about me?” Butch growls.

“Only the truth.” I gasp between pants.