Page 23 of Unfriend Me
God, she was beautiful. And fierce. And defiant. And literally everything I’d ever wanted in a partner.
I cupped her face gently, like one would with a wild animal that might dart away at the first sign of trouble.
“Babe. Rip has a really rough past with his father and has worked hard to separate himself. Don’t bring him into this investigation of yours. I beg you.”
Amelia took a couple deep breaths, continuing to hold my gaze as we stood there in the middle of the dark.
“Fine. I’ll cut it out, but only because you begged.” Her expression cleared and now her eyes danced with the knowledge that I’d begged her for something.
Everything she was punched me in the gut with a want so badly I couldn’t breathe.
I had to kiss her.
I couldn’t bear to go one second longer in this life without learning what her lips felt like under mine. If she tasted as sweet and spicy as she talked. If her passion bled through to her kisses too. I leaned down, the action so natural I wondered why I’d never done it before. Her gaze slipped down to my mouth and I knew she was right there with me.
10
Titus
Amelia’s long eyelashes fluttered before her eyes finally shut, her head tilting back to give me the access I wanted—no—needed. As much as I wanted to slam my lips on hers and indulge in everything I’d been missing all these years, I also wanted to savor the moment. Sixteen long years of dreaming about this moment couldn’t be rushed.
My lips had just caressed hers in the barest of touches when a loud noise in the brush to the right of us had our eyes flying open. My first thought was that a fuckin’ mountain lion could be standing there and I would still go back to kissing Amelia. But her body stiffened and I knew the moment was shattered. Disappointment of a magnitude I didn’t know was possible to withstand nearly buckled my knees.
“Stop throwing rocks. I know that’s you behind me, dumbass.” Lucy’s voice floated over to us from lower on the trail, her irritation at most likely Bain loud and clear. “You always think you’ll scare me, even though you do this every time.”
Amelia inhaled sharply and stepped back, spinning and nearly jogging up the rest of the path to my truck. My hands floated back to my sides, empty and cold, watching her go. Lucy and Bain must be leaving the campfire early too, probably because little Roxy was home with a babysitter.
In a flash of anger at their untimely interruption, I reached down and grabbed a rock, cocking my arm back to throw it at Bain in payback as he came up the hill, but I held back at the last second. Lucy was probably in front and I didn’t want to hit her. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and acting in anger wasn’t my style. Even though I agreed with Lucy’s assessment of Bain being a dumbass. Fucker interrupted what would have been a life-changing kiss.
Instead, I dropped the rock and ran after Amelia. When I got to the top of the cliff, she was already in my truck, facing forward, unnaturally still. Alarm bells sounded in my head. She probably regretted what almost happened and was now retreating in true Amelia fashion. She was more stubborn than a donkey. I had my work cut out for me. But then again, I always did when it came to Amelia.
“Dammit,” I muttered, then opened my door and climbed in.
I started the truck and pulled out onto the road. Clearing my throat, I did what worked best. Reverse psychology in the form of teasing. “Wow, that was a close call. I almost kissed you and that would have been really, really disgusting.”
Amelia spun on me with the speed of an attacking puma. “Hey! You would have enjoyed that kiss. Believe me.” She whacked me in the arm as I chuckled.
“I don’t know. You remember Bobby freshman year? I don’t think he’d vouch for you.”
Amelia crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed. “Come on. That was my first kiss, and to be fair, Bobby had a ridiculous amount of metal braces to overcome.”
I tossed my head back and laughed. “I know. I was always amazed you chose him for your first kiss. Thought maybe you were challenging yourself or something.”
Amelia’s lips twitched in a barely there smile. “I’ll have you know my kissing skills have improved dramatically since then.”
My heart sped up. “I could take your word for it…or you could show me.”
She side-eyed me, seeing if I was serious. My teeth were clenched so hard I was sure to pull a jaw muscle. “Maybe I will…” Her voice was soft, not teasing any longer.
Her phone rang, splitting the charged silence. Because of course it would. Every time Amelia and I got close to crossing that line of friendship, something interrupted us. I’d have to kidnap her and rent a cabin somewhere deep in the woods to get some goddamn alone time with her for all the things I wanted to do to her.
Her phone screen shined bright in the dark cab of my truck. She silenced it, but not before I caught a glance at the caller ID.
Daire.
“What the fuck is he doing calling you?” I asked before I could check myself. Yelling at her wasn’t going to help anything.
She shrugged and put the phone in the back pocket of her shorts. “Who knows?”
