Page 113 of Hope & Harmony

“From guys like you?”

I placed my hand over my heart. “Ouch.”

“Oh please … you don’t fool me with your witty comebacks and amazing cheekbones. I know all about you too.”

“Oh, so you’ve been asking around about me, Hayley?”

“Hardly, but everyone knows about you, Joshua.”

“I don’t care what everyone knows. I want to know what you know.”

“I know that you’re one of the most popular guys at our school.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t mean shit to me.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Wow. You must think very highly of me?”

“I don’t think anything about you.”

I touched my heart again, looking down at my hand. “Am I bleeding? Or do you want to dig that dagger a little deeper?”

She giggled in that girly way that usually annoyed me, but coming from her it didn’t. It was cute.

“So what else do you know?”

“That you’re with a lot of girls.”

I laughed, I couldn’t help it. She was adorable. “How much longer do you plan on stalling? You could just say I’m right and you’re a liar, and then you wouldn’t have to pretend like you’re unaffected by my awesome personality.”

“I’m not stalling.” She shook her head. “I just don’t have to prove anything to you either.”

“You’re the one who said I didn’t know what you were thinking, and I just proved to you that I do. Like right now, you’re thinking how much you want me to kiss you, but you’re worried I’m going to know that it’s your first kiss by the way your lips move with mine, so I’ll ease your mind since I’m a gentleman, and tell you that all you have to do is follow my lead. I’ll do all the work.” I winked. “You’re welcome.”

“Ugh! You’re unbelievable. You know that?”

“Oh, I know. I’m especially unbelievable at kissing, which you’re about to find out for yourself, Hails.”

“Hails? You have a nickname for me now?”

“Would you prefer I call you sweetness?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Sweetness?”

“Yeah, I know you’re going to taste as sweet as you look.”

“Dude! You just have a witty comeback for everything, huh?”

“What can I say, pretty girl? You bring out the best in me.”

She smiled, a real smile that time as she tucked her hair behind her ear. I instantly reached over and pulled it out to tug on the ends of it, letting my fingertips graze her cheek.

“Is this one of your moves?”

“Do you want it to be?”

“I have no interest in being another one of your girls.”

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