Page 52 of Never Have I Ever
I smile, too, so wrapped up in this moment. I look down at the flowers in my hand, seeing how big and beautiful they are. I frown a little. They must have cost him a lot, and Grayson needs the money, right? “But… these flowers look expensive,” I tell him. “You probably need the money. You don’t have to spend it on me.”
He grabs my face with both hands, cupping it while staring into my eyes. “Listen to me,” he says. “If I’m kissing you and licking your body like it’s a fucking feast, then the least I could do is get you some flowers.” His thumb strokes back and forth on my cheek, and my breathing becomes heavy. “I don’t give a fuck about the money, Rosie.”
He leans in, and his lips meet mine in a soft, gentle kiss like I first gave him. But this time, he tastes of smoke, and the taste of cigarettes fills my mouth. I try not to let it affect me because his kiss is still perfect, but he must notice that I grimace because he pulls back.
He searches my face, his brows drawn. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say way too quickly before leaning in to try and kiss him again, but he stops me.
“What’s wrong, Rosalie?” he asks again.
I sigh, giving in. “You taste of smoke,” I say. I see him frown a little, and I instantly wish I hadn’t said anything. “I’m sorry. I just hate the taste, and the smell, and the way it made me feel,” I tell him, honestly. “I don't know how you do it. It seems like every time I see you, you have a cigarette in your mouth. It brings me back to when I smoked on that day when you taught me, remember? Anyway, I didn’t mean to hurt you or embarrass you. I just thought I should tell you, but it doesn’t—”
He interrupts me with another kiss. This one quick and hard. Just the press of his lips against mine. “I’ll quit,” he says.
My eyes widen. “What? No. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry, please don’t quit this now. I didn’t mean it. I love the taste. Do you have one on you now?”
“Angel,” he says, laughing. I shouldn't have said anything. Now he wants to quit on me. That's the last thing I want. “Calm down,” he says, still laughing. “I meant I’ll quit smoking.”
“Oh.” I breathe out. My shoulders relax a little. “I thought you were quitting on us,” I say. “I mean not on us, just this… arrangement. You know what I mean.”
“I do.”
“But you don’t have to quit for me. I’ll get used to it. I promise.”
Isn’t smoking hard to quit? And seeing as Grayson smokes every day, he obviously likes it, and I don’t want him to quit just for me.
He shakes his head. “I don’t want you to get used to it,” he says. “You’re right. It’s horrible. I hate the taste too.”
I squint my eyes at him. “That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not,” I say. “You have one every time I see you.”
He takes out the pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and crushes it in his palm. I gasp at the sight, but he just smiles. He disposes of it in the trash and walks back over to me.
“As long as I get to taste this,” he says, running his thumb over my bottom lip. “I don’t give a fuck what I have to give up.” I stop breathing. I don’t even remember how to breathe in this moment. “I want this more than smokes.”
“You do?”
He nods. “I do.”
I smile, and I can’t help it. I don’t care what he tastes like. I crush my lips to his and kiss him.
He pulls back after a minute and looks down at the flowers in my arms. “I didn’t know if you had a favorite flower,” he says. “So, I just got roses. It seemed fitting, you know… Rosalie.”
I grin, knowing he thought of me. The idea of him trying to figure out my favorite flower makes my chest tight. “I don’t have a favorite flower,” I tell him. “I tend to get a new type every time. Whatever the saleswoman suggests.”
He nods. “Okay then, useful information for next time.”
“I told you; you don’t need to do that.”
He rolls his eyes. “I don’t care what you say, Rosie. I’m buying you flowers.”
I don’t really want to argue with him, especially about him buying me flowers, so I smile. “Okay.”
He lets out a laugh under his breath. “Okay.” He grins. “But that wasn’t the only surprise I had.”
