Page 117 of Friends Don't Kiss

“And grass!” Nathaniel says, lifting his fist in the air.

The room laughs, but Colton taps on the mic sternly. “Just a reminder, weed sales are regulated and I don’t think there’s a license for sale outside of 420.”

Declan stands and nods, but the whole room is laughing.

Colton rolls his eyes. “You guys are worse than a bunch of teenagers,” he says, laughing too. “Right, Ms. Angela?”

She smiles, holding her laughter in.

“A’right, meeting adjourned. Stick around for Kiara’s awesome cup-um… cookies.”

He jumps off stage and reaches me in three swift strides.

“You have ruined cupcakes for yourself, haven’t you?” I ask him after he’s pecked my lips. I’m still laughing from his private embarrassment.

“Nah. I’ve elevated them,” he says. “Hey, Mom,” he adds, looking beyond me.

My reflex is to jump out of his grasp, but he tightens his hold on me, turns me around, wraps his arm around my middle and plops a kiss on the top of my head.

forty-two

Colton

Momwrapsusbothin a quick hug, like I knew she would. Her eyes twinkle a little more than usual, but she doesn’t say anything. Mom could always read me like an open book, and treating this—us—like it’s the most natural thing is exactly what I want.

“Hey, kiddos,” she says. “We’re celebrating tonight. Lasagna is in the oven. See you at home?”

Of course Mom wants us for dinner. And although the only thing I want right now is to take Kiara home—wherever that may be—I’m not really given an option.

“We’d love to!” Kiara answers Mom’s question. Thatwenearly undoes me. In my mind, it states that we’re a couple, even if that may not hold the same meaning for her. No matter—I’m like a puppy now. I know it. And I fucking love it.

Kiara slides from the front of me to my side and latches herself tightly to me by fisting the side of my flannel shirt, to loosely grazing my back, and finally hooking her thumb in my jeans belt loop.

Our intimacy in front of the whole town and in front of my mom doesn’t bother me. It feels right and natural.

“Okay then,” Mom says with a chin tilt. “I’d better get going.”

Kiara twists to look me in the eye. “You okay?”

“It’s not like she gave us a choice,” I say. I’m torn between the soft happiness of seeing my life fall into place, and the raw need of making Kiara mine again right this fucking minute.

“I mean, about your mom seeing us together…” She looks down to her feet, seeming conscious of the people surrounding us.

“Give me a second.” I hop back to the stage, grab a folder from Ms. Angela, then pull Kiara from her group of friends and walk her to her car. “I’m following you to Sunrise Farms, then we’re driving together to Mom and Dad’s.”

She looks a little panicky. “I need to bring something.”

I take her chin in my fingers. “No you don’t. You’re family.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

I should have known this was coming. Imagining Kiara fussing over what dessert she should make to bring to my parents’, projecting how happy Mom will be that Kiara is now family and bakes truly just for us, is the icing on a cake I did not see coming. “This time it does. You had minus thirty seconds’ notice. Mom’s not expecting you to bring anything. She’d probably be embarrassed if she knew you’re worried about that right now. Now let’s get going. It’s late already.”

I hold her hand when we walk up the steps to my parents and damn it if I don’t see her eyes glistening in the dark of the front porch. “What’s up, sweets?”

Her mouth pinches. “Nothing.”

I squeeze her hand. “Come on, it’s cold. Tell me what’s eating at you before we go in.”

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