Page 77 of Holiday Friend Zones
“Nothing.”
I tighten my hold just enough to keep her from slipping further away.“Ava.”
She shakes her head.“Isn’t this just part of the act?That’s all it is.Just part of the contest.”
The words gut me, sharp and cold, because I know she believes them.But I’m not playing.Not with her.I dip my head, bringing my mouth close enough that only she can hear me.“It doesn’t feel like an act,” I murmur, and it’s the truest thing I’ve ever said.“Not to me.”
Her eyes flick up to mine, startled.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding loud enough I’m sure she can feel it through my chest.“Ava, I’ve been dancing with you in my head for years.Every time I thought about home, I thought about this.You and me.Together.”
Her steps falter, just for a beat, before she steadies.I tighten my hold—not to keep her close, but because if I let go now, I don’t know if I’ll get the chance again.“When we’ve been together the last couple of days…doing stuff like this, it doesn’t feel fake.Not one second of it.”
The music swells, strings humming low, and for the first time all night, she really looks at me.Not the way she looks when she’s sparring with me, or teasing, or pretending she’s above all this.But soft.Open.Enchanted.
Her lips part like she’s about to say something, but nothing comes out.And for a moment, I let myself believe she sees it too—the truth that’s been burning me alive since the day she left.
The song winds down, the last notes stretching thin.Applause breaks around us, couples slowing to a stop, but we don’t move.I’m still holding her.She’s still letting me.
My throat feels raw when I say it, low enough only she can hear.“I want to kiss you, Ave.”
Her breath catches, and for a second, I’m sure she’ll laugh it off, brush me away with that wall she’s been hiding behind.But then—she nods.Small, but certain.
I don’t hesitate, not giving her time to think.Without a word, I dip my head, closing the last inch between us, and press my mouth to hers.
She parts for me, and my tongue slides against hers, slow at first, then deeper, and greedier when her hands fist the front of my shirt like she’s been waiting years to touch me like this.I wrap my hand in her hair as I taste her, licking deep into her mouth, kissing her like I want her to know that she will always be mine.
She whimpers against my lips, and my kiss turns hungrier, forgetting we aren’t alone in this room.Not caring who is watching.
This…this is what a kiss was meant to do.Meant to set something alight inside you, make every part of you remember you’re alive.
It’s perfect.Hot, hungry, nothing fake about it.
A sound breaks from her throat—half sigh, half surrender—and it nearly undoes me.I wrap my arms around her, pulling her in impossibly close to me like I can anchor us both in this moment.
The room blurs—the lights, the music, the crowd fading to nothing but her.The way she tastes like sugar and courage.The way her body fits against mine like it always belonged here.
For one breathless stretch of forever, I forget about the contest, the audience, and even the years it took us to get here, too naive to figure it out.It’s just Ava.Just us.
We break apart slowly, both of us breathless, her hands still gripping my shirt like she’s not ready to let go.I rest my forehead against hers, my chest heaving, the noise of the crowd fading to a dull hum.
“Finally,” I murmur, my hands coming up to tangle in her hair.“I knew it would be like this.”
“Like what, Liam?”
“Like I’ve waited my whole damn life to kiss you, and now that I have, I’m never letting you go.”
For a long moment, neither of us moves.Her breath warms my lips and I swear my heart is still wrapped up in that kiss.
“Liam…” she whispers, like she’s afraid to break whatever spell we’ve just slipped into.
I close my eyes, fighting to steady myself.“God, Ava.Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?”
Her lashes flutter, brushing my cheek.“It felt…” She trails off, then lets out a shaky laugh.“…perfect.It felt nothing like an act.”
Relief slices through me, sharp and sweet.I tip my head just enough to brush the bridge of her nose with mine.“Because it wasn’t.Not for me.”
Her hands fist tighter in my shirt.She doesn’t argue, doesn’t push me away.Her silence is an answer all its own.
