Page 43 of For Three Seconds

We were so close to our lips touching. I wanted it to happen—no, I needed it to happen.

“I have a claim on you.”

“Yeah?” I taunted.

His chest was rising and falling, as was my own, but neither of us wanted to back down.

“I have your first kiss.” His forehead rested on mine. “Your whimpers and moans.” His lips grazed my nose. “Your virginity.” He groaned.

My eyes were lost in his, lost in a trance.

“Your first orgasm.”

“That doesn’t—”

He growled, pressing his body against mine. “Bullshit, Scar. I know when you feel, and baby, you didn’t feel shit.” His lips were hovering over mine, and when he spoke, he did it against my own. “Let’s see if I can still make you feel.”

This kiss—this kiss reminded me why I was ruined. It wasn’t perfect, nor sweet, but it was real. He tasted like lies, and I tasted like regret. My mouth opened for him as if he belonged to me, and he didn’t give me more. Three seconds too soon, and Gavin pulled back with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Looks like I’m still in there.”

My breath was coming in pants. Those flutters I only felt when he was near were roaring, demanding to be fed the emotions he evoked in me. A game of spin the bottle changed me, and by the looks of things, it looked like it had done it again. Unfortunately, with feeling cameallthe emotions. You didn’t get to pick and choose. Life didn’t work that way.

“You always were,” I whispered.

His eyes flashed with surprise.

“But you made sure to ruin it.”

I pushed him off from me, and when I walked out, he didn’t stop me. When I made it down the stairs, Audrey was sitting on the stairs on her phone. When she heard me come down, she turned and looked relieved.

“Are you okay?” She rushed to me.

I managed to nod. “Can we leave?”

“Yeah, of course. I was waiting for you.”

I turned to look back at her, surprised. Gigi had never done that for me. She usually ditched me if I wasn’t in a partying mood. I looked at Audrey, who didn’t bitch or moan that we were leaving the party. It made me think aboutthatnight—the whole reason I’d had to call my parents because I got ditched.

When we got home, I didn’t change. I lay on the bed with Gavin’s taste still on my lips.

* * *

“Scarlett,you need to help me, please.” The voice was frantic.

“Baby, get out, please.” This one was begging.

I opened my eyes and immediately felt dizzy. My seat belt felt suffocating, strapped against my body. Moving my head, I couldn’t figure out where I was. Everything was wrong. When I blinked, then did I realize I was upside-down.

“We have to leave. This thing will blow,” a masculine voice said.

“No!” was shouted.

I was going to close my eyes, but met my mom’s through the rearview mirror. God, the look in her eyes screamed defeat.

“M-mom,” I croaked.

“Get out,” she begged.

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