Page 110 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

“Why?”

My hands spread over his abs, then up his chest as I kiss the back of his shoulder. “I’ve heard about this thing called making up. I think that comes before the talking.”

“Which means leaving the venue, Sky,” he hums.

“True.” I lick a bead of water off his back, and he groans. I press my forehead to his back. “I’m sorry again.”

Drawing back, I let him put on his shirt; then he kisses me hard and hungry. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I pant, clutching Ash tighter against me. “So much.”

He pushes his hands under my jacket and kisses me again, and again, and again. I’m going to O.D. on his mouth at this rate.

“So, you two are back together?” The voice pulls me off Ash to see his mother. I cover my mouth with my hand, and she smiles. “Good. Remember what I said, Ash?”

“I remember, Mom.” He tightens his hold around me. “I won’t fuck up twice.”

That sounds a whole lot like we’re back together, but I still need the words. I need the conviction. I need to be sure.

Chapter 33

Ashton

Sure, we definitely need to do some talking, that’s obvious as hell. But Sky came to me. I did nothing, I was patient, and she came back. Ready to talk, ready to explain, willing to dive in and do the work. That’s enough for this exact moment.

My mom gives me a kiss on the cheek after mumbling, “Congrats,” before walking away. Sky pushes her hair back and takes a slow breath. “So … talking? I think we should do that first. I like being distracted too much.”

“Let’s go.” I drag her to my car, but I hate the space between us. “Can I kiss you?”

“What, now?” Her eyes flick to me.

God, it’s killing me. Finally, she nods. “Yeah. I mean, I want to make out and-”

I kiss her when she tries to buckle up, then kiss her again when she gives in, parting her mouth to welcome me back. Groaning, I clutch her tightly and devour her, memorizing the little sounds she makes when our tongues touch, how her body pushes against mine, her fingers claiming me wherever she can reach.

When I finally draw back, we’re both panting, and the car is steamy. I rub my thumb across her bottom lip, and she kisses it softly. “I didn’t stop wanting you. I almost texted you a hundred times.”

I don’t know what to say to that, and luckily, she keeps going. “How was I supposed to think at all with all that pressure around us? In one second, things went from bad to worse, and then we were in an anxiety-fueled nightmare!”

“I shouldn’t have demanded an answer or pushed you that hard,” I answer.

“And I shouldn’t have just shut you down like that. But I did say no,” she reminds me.

“I didn’t respect it, and I said hurtful … I shouldn’t have called you immature or told you to go be miserable. You’re not miserable,” I say.

“I was, actually.” She plays with her fingers and then struggles to get the buckle in.

I do it for her and see she’s shaking. She pulls on the seatbelt like she needs the extra space to breathe. “Really miserable. Forced my dad to take care of me, but it brought him back. He’s definitely not a ghost now.”

“That’s … positive.”

But I hate knowing I hurt her that badly. I was just impatient. Needy. After the half answers, the radio silence, the constant pushing to be in her life … were we forcing things?

“If you agree to continue this … I want more than us making out and hanging out in my room,” she says, teeth chattering. “I’m going to push myself to share more and include you in more, to let you in and all that. But I need you to tell me that you’re going to respect my boundaries and that you … you want more than sex. I have to hear it.”

“It’s never been just sex, Sky,” I say, clearing a spot on the windshield and rolling down my window. “I’ve wanted to take you on dates, to go hiking again – bugs and all by the way – and … and I’m going to work on controlling how impulsive I am.”

“I heard you’d been flirting with girls the night before everything … happened. That you were drinking and with those shitty friends you used to have.”

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