Page 15 of The Kissing Challenge

He shrugged. "It's the one my parents gave me."

"Do you play sports?" she asked. "You look like you do. Is that the reason? For the name, I mean?"

"Lord no." Captain faked a shiver. "My mom just liked it, and Dad didn't have an objection."

"That's too bad. I love sports and all the muscles that come with them."

Well that was kind of forward. The feminist part of me was like: You go girl! But the part that had loved my bestie forever was like: Back off, he's mine! Trying to be a good friend, I stuffed what I was feeling down deep. It wasn't like we could happen anyway.

"You seem to have those in spades," she said, putting her hand on his biceps. "No sports required."

"Yeah uh, thanks," Captain said while he ran a hand through his hair and looked to me.

I had to say something then because he seemed so uncomfortable.

"He's great at basketball," I put in. "Was actually the captain back in middle school when they won state."

"Anne," he said, blushing profusely.

"What? You were," I said.

Captain smiled. "That was a team effort, though."

"And you were a big part of the team."

He shook his head while Gwen gave me a look.

"Thanks for the info," she said.

I shrugged. "No problem."

Gwen looked from me to Captain. "Are you two, like, brother and sister or something?"

Knight who'd been chatting up her friend, Dorothy, clearly overheard. He turned and draped an arm over Cap's shoulder.

"He's actually her best friend," he said.

"Yeah," Liam sidled up next to him. "But they kissed not so long ago."

Okay, now Captain and I were both blushing. Thanks a lot, Liam.

"You really just said that," Captain remarked.

Liam cocked his chin. "It's true. Isn't it?"

They were having a staring contest, but it looked like there was some message being conveyed that I wasn't in on. A second later, my attention shifted to Dorothy as she gasped. She pointed back and forth from me to Captain.

"Oh my gosh," she said, the excitement clear in her tone. "It's you! I knew I recognized you both from somewhere!"

My brows furrowed.

"You're the couple from that video," she proclaimed then leaned over to Gwen. "These are the kissing friends I told you about. It's what made me come in the first place."

Gwen hummed, but I noticed her assessing me unlike before.

"How sweet," she said, though it didn't sound like she meant it.

Dorothy shook her head, the smile still playing on her lips. "No way. That kiss was hot. Though I guess there was some sweetness. It was sweet hot."

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