Page 4 of Gracefully Yours

Could the earth open up and swallow me whole right now? Why did I keep asking him this?

“Well…” He tugged at the collar of his shirt. “I guess it’s nice, with the right person.”

“And have you found the right person?” I danced my fingers across his bed, still determined not to look him in the eye. What was wrong with me tonight?

Sugar high. I was going to blame it on that. Or maybe someone spiked my marshmallows. That was the only explanation, certainly.

He shook his head. “No. That’s why I’m not kissing them right now.”

Sitting up, I pushed at him playfully.

We fell back into an awkward silence as I kept eating my marshmallows, letting my mouth be full so I didn’t keep saying stupid things.

I was going to say them anyway. I couldn’t help it.

“Daniel?”

“Hmm?”

“What if…” My cheeks turned hot, and finally, I turned to face him. “What ifyoukiss me?”

“What?” He sounded shocked. I hoped there wasn’t also a side of mortification along with it.

I could deal with a lot of things, but my best friend openly rejecting me was almost too much to bear. Asking anyone to kiss me and risking them saying no was a lot, but this…

“But… you’re my best friend.”

“I know. That’s why it’s perfect. It’syou,and I feel safe with you.”

“I thought…” He bit his lip, not finishing the statement.

Thought what?I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.

He said nothing, and I moved to get off his bed, tugging my sweater down. “Never mind, forget about it. It was a bad idea. I don’t know what I was thinking.” I tried to ignore the embarrassment of the whole situation. Why had I even brought it up?

“Charlotte,” he said, not a statement. A command. Ordering me to stay put. Not to disappear on him. I turned my head back to look at him. “Come here.”

He tugged me in close to his side.

“O—okay.”

Pulling me onto his lap, he brushed a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“Close your eyes.”

The smooth, confident tone in his voice had me instantly complying, my eyes fluttering shut.

I could feel him running his finger over my cheekbone before his hand cupped my face. He’d never touched me like this before. We'd done everything together, but never this.

We’d never touched each other like this.

He was my best friend, and I wasn’t even interested in him like that, and yet…

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered.

Nodding my head, I hoped he didn’t notice how my heart rate had sped up.

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