Chapter 28

Dylan

Past…

“Would you stop it,” Jace growls. “Every time I go to kiss you, you try to stick that thing up my nose.”

“The sooner you let me do it, the sooner I’ll stop.”

Scowling, he looks around the band room closet. “Fine. But only if I get to kiss you after.”

“That depends,” I say coyly.

“On?”

I shove the tampon up his nostril. “If you and Britney are over for good.”

I need to hear him say the words.

“Over? We never even started.” His hand finds my waist. “How could we when the only girl I want is you?”

It’s all I can do not to pinch myself to make sure this is actually happening. “Really?”

His lips curl in a slow smile. “You have no idea, do you?”

“About what?”

The intensity of his stare makes my breath catch. “How deep my feelings for you run.”

No, but if what he feels for me is even a fraction of what I feel for him, I fear we’ll both spontaneously combust.

“How deep are we talking? Puddles? Ponds? Lakes?”

Tell me oceans, dammit.

His hands frame my face. “The Mariana Trench isn’t deep enough.”

My heart flutters like the wings of a hummingbird.

Jace Covington just told me he loves me…with a tampon in his nostril.

This is officially the happiest moment of my life.

“Can I kiss you now?” he huffs. “Trust me, I’m much better at that than this romantic shit.”

I start to laugh…until he slants his mouth over mine.

Then I’m soaring, flying…

“I can’t do this,” he grunts.

My lungs seize. No, no. no. I knew it was too good to be true.

I’m so stupid.

“Whoa.” Concern flashes in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Lord help me, I’m going to kill him. “Please tell me you’re not that dumb. You just said you can’t—”

“Kiss you with a tampon stuck up my nose.” He yanks on the string until it comes out. “Not only is it a mood killer, it’s screwing up my incredible kissing abilities.”

I look down. “Oh.”

Evidently, I’m that dumb. And insecure.

Seeing him with Britney seriously screwed me up.

As if sensing my internal distress, he wraps his arms around me, drawing me into a bear hug. “I’m sorry.”

I breathe in his cool, clean scent. “Why Britney? Out of all the girls you could have chosen to go to the dance with. Why her?”

“Because I wanted to hurt you and push you away. I hate that it worked so well.” He tips my chin. “But it won’t happen again. Promise.”

He looks so earnest; warmth floods my chest.

But just as quickly, a spark of jealousy blooms. “Did you kiss her?”

“No.”

I peer into his dark orbs. “Have sex with her?”

He looks at me like I’ve sprouted another head. “Seriously?”

Considering some of our classmates have started going at it like rabbits, it’s not entirely out of the question.

“If I didn’t want to kiss her, what the hell makes you think I’d screw her?”

He has a point.

Exhaling, I look up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I’m just…”

Jealous. Bitter. Anxious. All of the above.

“I get it.” A muscle in his jaw flexes. “I wanted to rip every limb off Tommy’s body and bash his head in with them when I saw you two in the hallway before.”

“Wow, that’s quite the visual.”

“What can I say? It sucked.” He gives me a lopsided grin. “Now kiss me and make it better.”

I rise up on my tiptoes. “For what it’s worth, you don’t have to worry about Tommy. I’m all yo—”

Warm lips crash into mine before I can finish my sentence.

It doesn’t take long for the kiss to go from sweet and gentle, to intense and all-consuming.

Slow shivers dance over my skin when he presses me against the wall and flicks his tongue against mine.

“It’s not fair how good you are at this.”

His lips curve. “I excel at things I love doing.” Tenderly, he nips my bottom lip. “Kissing you is my new favorite thing.”

“Mine too.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tease him right back.

“Jesus, Dylan,” he whispers before he cups my nape and kisses me deeper.

I claw at his shoulders as he explores my mouth. Every sense of mine is heightened, and my hormones are spinning out of control.

I can’t get enough of this. I want to taste, touch, and feel every part of him.

“We should have done this sooner,” he murmurs.

“Yeah—” My ears perk up when I hear a faint click. “Did you hear that?”

“What?”

I crane my neck, but it’s impossible to see around the large filing cabinet we’re next to. “I thought I heard the door open.”

He kisses down my jaw. “I’m pretty sure I locked it.”

“Oh my God.”

The tremble that runs through me when Jace’s lips brush my neck is almost violent.

He does it again, only this time he gently suckles my skin.

I shiver and my legs turn to putty. “You’re killing me.”

Jace laughs, sending another quake down my spine.

“It feels so good.” I dig my nails into the back of his head. “I want more.”

His fingers pause on the first button of my dress. “Is this okay?”

When I nod, he kisses the spot and groans. “You have the softest skin.”

I’m about to tell him to unbutton the next one, but my phone rings.

“Don’t answer it,” Jace mutters as he kisses my collarbone. “We still have an hour before the dance ends.”

Normally I wouldn’t, but it’s my dad’s ringtone. Given he’s so preoccupied with Savannah, he never calls me unless it’s something important.

“It’s my dad.”

Jace bolts upright. “Yeah, you should probably get that.”

I fight the urge to laugh as I fish my phone out of my purse. Nothing ruins a make-out session like the father of a teenage girl calling.

“Hey, Dad,” I answer. “What’s up?”

“Grab your things, tater tot,” he says, sounding flustered. “I’m parked out front.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if he’s been drinking because he hasn’t called me tater tot in years.

“I appreciate you coming to get me, but the dance doesn’t end for another hour. Mr. Covington said he’d pick us up since I was planning on hanging out with Jace for a little while afterward.”

I’m not sure what to make of the expression on Jace’s face, but I don’t have time to dwell on it, because my dad’s next statement has my mind reeling.

“Sorry, honey. Tell Jace there’s been a change of plans. I need you to get your things and meet me outside.”