Page 71 of Last First Kiss
Clara squeezes me tighter. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for.” Then she leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.In that moment, the last of the tension melts away, replaced by a warm reassurance that I made the right choice.
“Ahem.”
We break apart as Lily clears her throat, not even trying to hide her smirk. “Wow. This fake relationship is lookingrealconvincing.”
Isabella lets out a low whistle behind her. “Academy Award-worthy, honestly.”
Clara laughs and rests her forehead against mine, still holding me close. “We’re committed to the bit,” she jokes.
For a moment, I forget there was ever any pretending at all. And then, like some kind of chaotic fairy godmother, my sister stumbles into the circle.
“Why is everyone standing around all serious?” she slurs, throwing her arms around Valeria in a loose hug. “Come on, boring people,dance!”
Before anyone can respond, she grabs my hand with dramatic flair and starts pulling me toward the middle of the floor.
Clara laughs and follows. Soon, all of us are dancing without a care. And for the first time that night, everything feels light.
The way Clara’s hair falls around her face, the way she looks at me when she’s caught up in the rhythm of the music, it’s intoxicating.
We find ourselves on the dance floor, bodies close. Her hands are on me, guiding me, pulling me closer, and every moment feels like it’s suspended in time. I’m caught in a daze, the night blurs around us in flashes of color, bursts of laughter, music thudding through the floor, and every time Clara’s eyes find mine, I swear the volume drops, the lights dim, and the world narrows to just her.
And in that quiet, in that stillness, only she can create, Ican’t help but wonder how I’ve never noticed how perfect she is for me.
I pull her in for another kiss, a long, deep one that tastes like everything I didn’t know I was missing until now. Her lips are soft, sure, familiar in a way that feels impossible. Her hands slide up to cup my face, and for a second, I forget the people surrounding us. Forget that any of this started as a lie, that I just got into a screaming match with my ex.
All I know is that the way she holds me is everything I’ve needed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
CLARA
“Two vodka crans, please,” I say to the bartender, when someone taps my shoulder.
I turn, half expecting it to be Mia, ready to rip her a new one, but it’s Valeria. I’m glad it’s not Mia. If I never see her again, it’ll still be too soon, but I almost wish it had been because Valeria’s got one eyebrow raised, her arms crossed over her chest, half-empty drink in hand, tapping the glass with a stern expression on her face.
“Can I talk to you for a sec?” she asks in a firm tone that means business.
I nod before grabbing the drinks I ordered and following her as she weaves through the crowd and pushes open a side door, leading us out into a quieter patio in front of the club.
The air is cooler out here, crisp against my skin, a very welcome contrast to the steamy heat in the club. I set the drinks in my hand on a small table near us, and Valeria leans against the wall, chin up.
“So ...” she begins with a smile. “You and Alejandra.”
I open my mouth, then close it again. There’s no easyway to explain what is happening between us, not when I barely believe it myself.
She takes a sip of her drink and waits. “You okay?”
I nod slowly. “Yeah. I’m ... really okay.”
“And this thing with Alejandra? Is it still pretend, or ... ?”
I laugh under my breath, rubbing the back of my neck. “No.”
She chokes on her drink, eyes going wide as she coughs. “Omg, tell me more”
I tell her about the balcony—because apparently, she’s the only one who didn’t see it—about us hooking up and agreeing to give dating a real shot.
“I still can’t believe it,” I admit. Telling her everything makes it feel real and surreal at the same time.
