Page 164 of Only With You

Her lips purse, but I know it’s to stop the smile she’s trying to mask.

“Did I make myself clear or do I need to elaborate?” Letting go of her hand, I grab her hips and pull her toward me. Easily, she lets me bring her closer and she lifts a leg over mine and straddles me. “Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” She coyly smiles, but still, I can sense there’s something else bothering her. “I need to know something. Why do you call me Hollywood?”

I blow out a stiff breath, drifting my gaze downward, because I know she’s not going to like what I’m going to say. It’s not an excuse, but in retrospect, we didn’t get along and I thought she was entitled and spoiled. But I was wrong and I regret ever assuming shit about her.

Meeting her stare, I sigh. “Do you really want to know?”

“It’s bad then? Nikki wasn’t lying.”

I withdraw back. “What did she say to you?”

I didn’t say anything to Nikki, but she probably overheard me.

She seems upset but shakes it off. “Not much, but we talked things out and I think we’re okay. Definitely not friends, but there are no more misunderstandings between us.”

“Are you sure? I know she likes to talk shit, and I will?—”

Amusement glimmers in her eyes. “Chill out, you don’t need to do anything. We talked it out. We’re good. So, tell me why you call me Hollywood.”

I should be honest because I always am, but I don’t want to hurt her, so I give her the watered-down version of it.

“I saw your California licence plate and overheard you telling someone you’re from Beverly Hills. The name stuck becauseHollywood is around there and it reminds me of all the fake things. All of the things people pretend to be, but aren’t.”

I keep it at that because the longer version is a much shittier one. There’s no point in further elaborating because I was wrong, and I regret it so much.

“I’m sorry I made assumptions about you.” I tuck a wisp of her hair behind her ear and squeeze her hip because she doesn’t say anything or look at me. “I’m really sorry. If I could, I’d take it back. Please say something.”

She gives me a half shrug, staring at my chain, and loops her finger around it. “I don’t know what to say. I’m upset, but I’m not? It’s not like I gave you the best impression the first time I met you. I literally hit your car and pinned the blame on you. It was such a shitty thing to do, so I guess Hollywood is fair. I also did call you a piece of shit, Spawn of Satan, the Devil incarnate, and an asshole throughout the years…”

She shocks me when she sputters a laugh.

“Stop looking at me like that, but I hit your car, you spilled a drink on me, I called you names, you called me names. We’re really petty and stupid. All these years, we’ve hated each other. And now look at us, I’m sitting on you, and I really…” Her laugh subdues and the haze in her eyes becomes fervid, the tips of her fingers searing the skin around my chain.

“You really what?”

“And I really want to kiss you.”

46

LANDON

Her heavy-lidded eyessink to my lips as I wet them, aching to connect them with hers, but I stop myself.

“Don’t you want to rest?” I glide my fingers underneath her shirt, thumbs rubbing gentle circles on her stomach. “I can make you some tea.”

She bites her bottom lip, trying to hold back a smile. “I don’t start my period for another two weeks. I just wasn’t in the mood to go to the party.”

My brows jump at her admission. Although I shouldn’t be surprised because I knew that.

“Was it because of Nikki? I’m really sorry about that. I promise I didn’t say anything to her. She must’ve overheard.”

Her chest falls as she exhales a conflicted sigh. “Actually, it wasn’t because of that and I’m over it. We’re not the people we were a few months ago, so it really doesn’t bother me. It was about something else. Although, now that I think of it, I do have to ask you something.”

“Ask me.”

“The day you bought my oatmeal and latte at the Student Union, why did you do it?”

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