Page 129 of Nothing Like the Movies

“No way,” she said, smiling in spite of herself.

“You were absolutely right when Michael moved back and you thought he walked on water,” I said, nudging her shoulder with mine. “He does, I swear to God.”

“I’m glad I was right,” she said, nudging back, and I knew she was acknowledging the way he’d helped me last year. “Question two, asked under duress, of course.”

“It’smyturn,” I said, scowling at her while wanting to do a goddamn happy dance because she’d leaned her shoulder into mine.

And she wanted to askmequestions.

Please, God, don’t let this be a dream.

“Don’t care,” she replied. “Question two. How did you recognize me? I must’ve forgotten some tiny detail and I need to know what it was.”

Was there a way to answer that wasn’t a verbal vomit of my obsession with her?I was looking for your perfect fingernailswas psycho enough to require a restraining order.

Still, what was the point of lying? I didn’t want to lie to her anymore.

“Your smell,” I said, andof coursemy voice cracked like I was alovesick teenager. “I smelled your perfume, and then I saw your mouth.”

“My mouth?”she repeated, scoffing like it was a silly accident.

“Libby, I don’t know if you know this, but I am obsessed with your mouth,” I admitted, knowing I should back off, but I felt bold as she started fast-blinking. “I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as the way your lips slide into a smile, so that slick red lipstick served as, like, a matador’s cape—”

“Please don’t call yourself a bull,” she interrupted.

“To this bull right here,” I said, unable to look at anything but her mouth.

“God save me,” she sighed, her voice light as a breath. “From a boy who refers to himself as a dangerous bovine.”

“Dangerous bovine?” I looked into her eyes, so close, and didn’t even know what we were talking about because her lips were so close to my lips. “You really know how to make a guy feel uncool.”

She shrugged. “Any guy comparing himself to a raging bullisuncool.”

“So mean.” I shook my head, and my eyes were back on her mouth, on those slick lips. “I can’t keep my eyes off of your mouth for real, though.”

She swallowed but didn’t say anything, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign.

“Can I ask you a question?” I said, my gaze on hers as an invisible string pulled me closer.

“That’s the game,” she said, but it came out as almost a whisper.

“If you and I were just a random Batman and Batgirl at a Halloween party, with zero history, and we were locked in an attic and taking refuge on the roof,” I managed, feeling like I was drugged as she watched me with interest in those eyes.

“Yeah?” she replied, and itwasa whisper this time.

“And I did this,” I said, lowering my head and sipping at her breath with my own. “Would you let me kiss you?”

“In that scenario,” she said, her lips almost touching mine. “Probably yes.”

My head exploded.

“That’s not who we are, though,” she whispered, her eyes heavy-lidded.

“But.” I ran my knuckle over her cheekbone, my hand shaking as she watched me, as she didn’t pull back. “What if we pretend?”

She swallowed and said nothing.

But she still didn’t pull back.

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