Page 3 of Kiss Collector
“Zae, come on.” Wylie tries to pull my waist from behind, but I slap his hand without looking away from the girl.
“What’s your name?” I lower my voice at the girl, trying to sound kind and soothing, like a friend.
“Vonia,” she says, breathless.
“Vonia, okay.” I’m shaking so hard. I clench my hands into tight fists. “I need you to be honest—”
“Zae,” Wylie says louder. “Let’s go. Come on. You and me can talk.”
I ignore him, focused on the girl. I’ll narrow down the worst possible scenario first. “Did you have sex?”
Deny it.
She swallows hard and covers her mouth, cowering back from me.
Please just say no.Why isn’t she saying no?
I speak gently, though inside I’m raging. “Just answer the question.”
“Zae, baby, come on. You’re scaring her. I already told you—”
“Shut up!” I snarl at him, snapping my head to look at his shocked face for one second before turning back to the girl. She’s crying now.
“I’m sorry!” she blurts. “I didn’t know! I thought...” She looks at Wylie again, betrayal in her eyes. “He said—”
“You should go.” Wylie cuts her off. “Vonia, go!”
“No,” I say, looking at the girl again, trapping her between the wall and me. “He saidwhat?”
She sniffs, still cowering, having no idea I’d never hit her. “He said you broke up.”
Bile rises in my throat. My breaths become shallow. EvenIhaven’t had sex with him.
Wylie throws his head back, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Oh my God,” he groans.
I can’t form a coherent thought. A long moment passes where we all stand there expectantly in shock, like it’s a nightmare. And then all my thoughts rush at me at once. Last weekend meantnothingto him. Here I was, thinking we were closer than ever, that something bigger was building between us. But apparently it wasn’t enough.I’mnot enough.
Why couldn’t he have been getting high? Why this? I can handle anything but this! The thought of them touching, of them... I almost throw up right there. The room spins. I need air.
I shove past Wylie, pushing my way through the gawking people, ignoring the sound of my name being called.
The air outside has cooled when I slam the front door behind me. Hot tears roll down my cheeks as I run through the thick grass. I hate its plushiness. Itsfakeness.
I can’t believe he would do this. He loves me—I know he does. My first love. I thought he was my forever love. I would never cheat on him.
Sounds of the party filter through the air as the door to the house opens and shuts.
“Zae! Baby, wait!”
I don’t stop, even when I hear his footsteps slamming up behind me. He jumps in front of me and grabs my shoulders, looking frantic. This is a first. Nothing dishevels Wy. My stupid, weak heart thrums with pain.
“I’m sorry.” He pants, and I can smell alcohol on his breath. “I’m so sorry. I drank too much. And then she started talking to me. She’s been trying to get with me all year, Zae. Tonight... I don’t know. She reminded me of you. I missed you. I swear, I was thinking of you the whole time.”
“Oh my God, Wylie!” I’m full-out crying now. “That is not okay! First of all, that poor girl likes you, and you lied to her so she’d sleep with you! How would you feel if I did that with some other guy?”
He winces. “You wouldn’t. You’re so good. I— You know I’m not strong like you. I can’t stop messing up.” His voice cracks as he grabs his hair in anguish, and I want to kill him for having the nerve to be serious and emotional for the first time ever. Because truly all I want to do is slip my arms around his waist and comfort him, which is so backward. I want to tell him he can be good, too. Tell him we can work it out and actually believe it.
But I don’t believe it. The innocence of our relationship has been polluted.
