Page 165 of Falling Backwards
I stammer in a rush, “Is—is there any chance you wanna kiss me again?Right now?”
New surprise flickers across his face.
Then he steps up to me as his expression falls serious.Breath skipping, I move to him, too, like the magnet for him that I am—still, he tugs me in by the shoulder and the hand he’s still holding, angling his face over mine as we run out of room to close between us.Our noses bump.
“Baby, Ihaven’t stoppedwanting it,” he says lowly.
I take in the stomach-swooping words.Take a fistful of his hoodie with my shaky free hand.Take this chance to be honest myself.
“I haven’t either,” I whisper, and I lift my chin to—
His mouth takes mine.
I return the kiss, pressing and earnest.I draw him closer while his hand on my shoulder drops down my back, drawing me in, too, as much as he can, our hips just meeting, his body bowing just slightly over mine.
And it isnotjust for show.
It’snot.
The savoring cling of this kiss and the next and the lingering emotion from our earlier conversation hit me in a burst of warmth that goes straight down my spine, electric.That stirs me and soothes me at the same time becauseI’ve missed this, not just because Kyle is around.It’s so perfect that I almost wish I hadn’t started it since starts have to have stops.
Luke smoothly straightens us up, and another claim of my mouth by his has me summoning all my self-control to keep from wrapping him up in my arms and kissing him the way I’ve been wanting to: again and again, unabashed, heartfelt and carefree.
A throat gets cleared from nearby, making my pulse jump, unwanted on more than one level.
This kiss ends, too, and I hear the quiet sound Luke makes.It matches how I feel on the inside: unfulfilled.
And unhappy.
I’m unhappy—and nervous—about Kyle being here, about him not hanging back anymore, about him clearing his throat like he has the right to interrupt any kind of moment Luke and I might have.I had hoped our moment wouldsendhim away.I hoped he would leave if I ignored him and if he saw me and Luke doing something real that was more than just talking.
Luke nudges my nose with his again and confirms in a hum of a tone, “He’s still here.”
That damn breath of his on my lips threatens to drive me insane…especially when I replay him calling me‘baby’in a similar fashion.
But no, near-insanity isn’t all I feel.
Kyle says, “Maggie?It’s me, Kyle,” and it kind of snaps something in me.
We’ve been advised not to get in his face or cause a scene because avoidance is smarter than confrontation, but between this mood he’s put me in and me not being vulnerable, I can’t stop myself from moving.I let go of Luke and shift and turn until I’m at his side and facing Kyle.The sight of his slow approach and his direct attention unsettles me even more, but all that does is make me burrow against Luke when he puts his arm around me; it doesn’t freeze the resolute words building up in my throat.
Kyle’s eyes go between us, then up and down me.“Hey, how are you?”he asks.“It’s great to finally see you again.Lately I’ve looked for you at Mellow Burger and the—”
“Please stop, Kyle,” I interrupt, my raised voice wobbling slightly.“The night you asked me out, I told you to forget about me because I have a boyfriend.Please do as I said.”
Luke squeezes me and makes me feel even stronger.
But I notice Kyle has a frown on his face, showing displeasure I’ve never liked.
“What?”he asks.“Are you serious?”
Luke interjects, “Excuse me?”and gets the frown turned onto himself.“You said,‘Yes, ma’am.I’m sorry,’entirely fucking wrong.”
“I’m just trying to be friendly.”
“Try being respectful instead.”
Kyle’s frown shifts into a glare, which has Luke dropping his arm from around me and standing straighter.I look up at him and see he’s glaring right back at Kyle.Every inch of his body looks like an answer to a challenge.
