Page 189 of Snap Shot

“You.” His eyes dart between mine. “Always. You're the best part of my day, every day.”

Am I supposed to be breathing?

“Every moment we're together, Indi. It feels like winning.”

“I—”

“Just listen, okay? I've been holding on to this for so long, and every chance I get to tell you, it doesn't seem like the right time.”

“They weren't supposed to be there.”

I return a blank expression. “Who?”

“The boys. Our teammates. After the last practice we had together.” Landon's hands clasp behind me. “I thought they'd leave, and it'd just be us. But they stayed, gave me crap and you overheard them. I ruined it.”

My lips part in preparation to say something, but he keeps going.

“I wanted you alone—no Newt, no Bennett, none of them—so I could ask you to the year-end dance at school.” His head tilts. “God, I liked you so much, Indi. I wanted you to myself, away from those idiots. I wanted to see what you looked like dressed up, to see if it'd be the same as I dreamed. I wanted to hold your hand.”

He hides his eyes by lowering them as his fingers push between mine, laughing through a soft smile and shaking his head. “I practiced how I'd ask you in the mirror. I thought—or hoped, I guess—at the end of the night, maybe you'd let me kiss you.”

There's no air in my lungs or brain or anywhere in my body. Every last iota has been stolen by Landon Radek.

“You don't think you have any of my firsts, but you do. You were my first crush. There's a slice of myself that I kept for you. I didn't realize it until we met again, but it's always been yours.”

Landon releases our grasped hands, guiding my palm onto the left side of his chest, as if showing me exactly which part of him is mine. “I love you, Indi. I loved you—wanted you—when I didn't know what it meant to truly want or love someone. I still want you. Sofuckingmuch.”

He lets go of my wrist to run his knuckles under my jaw. “Andgoddamn it, I need to kiss you before I fucking lose my mind.”

“Do it.”

Landon's as surprised by it as I am. “Youwantme to kiss you?”

“I've been denying it, telling you the exact opposite of what I actually want. Hell, six months ago, I didn't believe anyone could ever want me—and definitely not you. Then you show up for me over and over and I'm tired of lying to myself, to you, about what I know is the truth.”

The spread hand over his heart presses down in confirmation. “I love you.”

Relief in his exhale encourages my admission. My legs shift to straddle him, blanket sliding off my shoulders and piling behind me.

“I loved you when we were twelve and didn't know better, I loved you when we were sixteen and I hated you too much to give you my number when you asked. And I love you now, after you proved me wrong for thinking I was unlovable.”

My hands reach for his cheeks, the bristles of his beard tickling my palms. I slot our faces together, rubbing my nose against his for a final confession. “I have always, always,alwaysloved you. It's always been you. So, kiss me. Kiss me like—”

The moment stalls before the hand cradling the back of my head shifts to grab my throat, robbing the rest of my sentence by Landon crashing his mouth into mine like a fierce wave coming in to kiss the lip of the shore. There are no fireworks, only an unexpected and much-needed calm. I sink into its power, letting it deepen and deepen until I drown.

Landon pulls away, but I keep hanging from his lips, parched from the loss of their touch. “Indi.” He keeps his eyes closed as his forehead drops to mine. “My heart's beating so fast.”

“Me, too.”

“I can feel it.” He presses his thumb on my pulse. “This all for me?”

“Kiss me again and find out,” I challenge. “With tongue. Use it like you do on my pu—”

No hesitation on his part this time, every surface of my body wakes when our mouths connect once more, and his tongue sweeps over mine. I moan against it. His smile stretches.

“Remember what I said this summer? You owe me a grand.”

I laugh out a scoff. “You're such a little shit. Shut up and keep kissing me.”

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