Page 15 of Meet Me at Midnight

I turn to him quickly, crossing my legs like applesauce and holding out a pinkie. “You can’t tell anyone.”

He nods, linking his finger with mine and promising purely. I take a deep breath and then, shakily, let it all hang out. “Avery had her first kiss tonight. Which is awesome for her. I’m happy for her, really. But… I don’t know… It just feels like it’s never going to happen for me. It feels like every other girl in my class has had their first kiss besides me.” I sigh. “I know it probably sounds dumb to you…”

“No,” Beau refutes immediately. “It’s not dumb.”

I tilt my head to the side and let myself meet his gaze for the briefest of moments. His chocolate-brown eyes are soft and warm. Basically, the opposite of judgy. “You don’t think it’s stupid?”

“Of course not,” Beau comments and nudges my knee with his. “But can I give you a little piece of advice that I wish someone would’ve given me when I was your age, worried about the exact same thing?”

Beau Banks worried about getting his first kiss?Puhlease.Every girl in school—and a lot who didn’t even go to the same school—has been in love with him at one time or another. His girlfriend istheBethany Williams, known by everyone as the B Triple Threat—blond hair, blue eyes, and big boobs.

Beau and Bethany have probably been tongue-kissing each other for years now, and they probably even havesex.

My stomach pitches at the thought. I don’t know much about anything, but looking at Beau right now, I’m pretty sure sex with him must be the ultimate freaking experience. Bethany is so lucky it’s not even funny.

“You want the advice?” he repeats, his voice teasing, and I realize how long I’ve just been sitting here. I try not to blush, but I fail. I’m beet red; I can feel it.

I nod instead of replying, and he smirks at me.

“Don’t rush your first kiss,” he says. “Don’t worry how long it takes to come. Don’t worry about being the only girl in your class who hasn’t had it. Don’t worry about any of it. Focus on making sure you find the right boy to give that first kiss to. Because, Juniper, it’s an honor. Any boy who gets your first kiss should consider himself lucky, not the other way around.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He winks. “You’re not waiting to get it. You’re waiting togiveit. Don’t settle for anyone who doesn’t deserve the gift.”

Goodness, how does he always make everything sound so good?

“Thanks, Beau.”

“Anytime, Juniper.” His smile is brighter than the moon. “You going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” I nod. “I will.”

He leans toward me and wipes the remnants of my tears away from my face, and the feeling of his touch sends me into overdrive. He leans in to kiss me on the cheek, and I turn my head at the last minute, just barely catching his mouth with the corner of mine.

It’s subtle, so much so, I’m not even sure he notices. But to me, it’severything.

“Night, Juni,” he says before climbing to his feet and heading back for the house.

My chest pounds and my ears ring, but now, it’s for an entirely different reason. I can still feel the sensation of his lips, right on the corner of my mouth.

It’s not the traditional first kiss any of the other girls in my grade got, nor anything like the one Avery got tonight from Brandon, but I think it might be better.

Beau Banks dried my tears and gave me my first kiss all in one night.

I’m a goner. Hook, line, and sinker.And I’m going to marry that man someday.

I rub at the Cartier ring my father’s assistant sent me in the mail on his behalf for my high school graduation and yawn while my second cup of coffee gurgles in the fifteenth floor’s break room Keurig.

Sleep for the last week has been…tricky. Between Avery coming home at all hours of the night and the intense awareness of Beau being nothing more than a wall away now that he’s moved in next door to us, my circadian rhythm has been bouncing off the walls. I can’t be sure, but I think it’s gone from circadian to straight-up cicada.The noisy little bastards.

“Hey, Juni,” Beau’s smooth voice greets, startling me so hard I bang my knee against the cabinet in front of me, trying to stand up.

“Ow,” I groan, grabbing at the joint and biting my lip so hard it almost pops. A million trashy words run through my mind as I try to subdue the blinding pain and embarrassment, but Beau does me the favor of saying one aloud.

“Fuck, June, are you okay?”

I nod manically to shake it off. “Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. Totally fine.”

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