Page 234 of Collided

She presses the screen, and the countdown of three seconds starts.

It snaps a photo of us which isn’t good because we’re sitting away with sour faces.

“Maybe we should get closer,” she suggests.

I comply with her request. My shoulder presses against hers. Her brown eyes quickly shoot up, then soften.

“What kinda photo do you need?” I ask, my voice unreasonably deep.

“Um…a nice one?”

My lips quirk up in amusement. Mischief fills my mind, and I can’t stop myself.

I lift my hand and cup her chin. Tilting her head back so our gazes align, I drop my eyes to her seductive mouth that’s going to make me a kissing addict.

“Are you ticklish?” I whisper lowly.

“Wh-what—”

I hit the timer with my other hand and then place my fingers on her stomach. I tickle her and she starts cackling. I can’t help but laugh with her.

The noise of the snapshot rings and I stop.

Hope is blushing hard, but a smile is on her lips. Wrapping her arms around her stomach she holds it tightly. “Heath!” She attempts to glare at me but fails miserably.

A Polaroid slips out. I grab it and give it to her. “Here’s yournicephoto.”

We both look down at the black and white grainy photo that’s captured a perfect moment.

“Wow. This is…”

“Perfect.”

“Yes.”

I hit the timer again and both of us don’t notice anything around us because we’re staring at each other. A Polaroid slips out and hits the floor.

I let my eyes drop to her lips and the urge to kiss her hits me.

Fuck it.

“I’m going to kiss you,” I tell her, just as I click the timer again.

When I meet her lips she goes soft against me and kisses me back like she wants it as much as I do—not a fucking chance, I’m a starved man for her taste.

“I can never get tired of kissing you,” I murmur.

We get the photos and exit the booth. Marie and Sebastian are nowhere to be seen so we wander on our own and play games.

It’s the most fun I’ve had since Emery’s death. For once, I don’t feel guilty for experiencing happiness. I know she wanted this for me, but I rejected it because I thought I was betraying her. Today, I realize, it’s okay for me to have a good time.

The crowd gets thicker the darker the sky gets. People bump into each other like idiots and it’s full of chaos.

I grab Hope’s hand and steer us away to an open space so we can fucking breathe.

“You okay?” I ask, squeezing her hand.

“I’m fine.”

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