Page 167 of Falling Like This

That evil grin of his keeps growing. “Let’s just say I had a little help. Well, that’s not true.Ididn’t. BecauseIam not the spy.”

My eyes go wide. “Then who is?”

He nods over my shoulder.

Not thinking, I quickly spin around. That’s when I’m squirted directly in the chest.By Aaron.

He’s standing there, grinning at me. “That’sgame,” he says with a sexy smolder.

That’s when Mackie, Sarah, and Miles come out from the other side of the garage, and I realize they were all working together against me.

Those assholes.But also,damn.Because that was a fun game and it kept me on my toes.

I take a step in toward Aaron and look him up and down, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you did that.”

He shrugs his shoulders at me. It should piss me off. But he gives me a smile so panty-meltingly sexy I can’t think straight. Part of me wants to grab him by the shirt and drag him up to my room, not caring if all of our friends know what we’re doing.

But I don’t. Mostly because this isournight.

I do walk over and put my hands on his chest, giving him a sweet smile, though my eyes are devious. I softly shove him against the garage door. It reminds me of how he kissed me up against the shed after our game last summer. There was so much I wasn’t ready for then. But now?Mm.

I lean into him. “That was such a cheater move, but it was alsoverysexy,” I say, my voice low.

He raises his eyebrows a little, then I smash my lips against his and kiss him intensely.

“Ugh, gross,” Joel complains.

Miles whistles as Sarah and Mackie laugh.

I throw my middle finger up at Joel, but don’t stop kissing Aaron. I can’t. Especially when he wraps one hand around my back and lets the other slide up into my hair. Then he spins us around so I’m the one pressed against the door.

“Oh boy…” Miles says. “Well, we’re gonna head back to Joel’s. Whenever you rip your faces apart, come join us.”

We don’t move. Don’t stop kissing. Can’t stop kissing. We’re completely lost in each other. Hands in each other’s hair, bodies pressed tightly together. I don’t know how long everyone’s been gone, but we’re still going at it.

Until we hear, “Rae McKinley and Aaron Cooper.”

We quickly pull our faces apart and stare at my dad standing at the back door. He smiles and shakes his head.

“I don’t want to know,” he says with a smirk. “Just behave yourselves.And no funny business.”

“You got it, Charlie,” Aaron says.

“Night, Daddy,” I say.

“Uh-huh,” he says with a knowing smile. “Goodnight.”

He walks back inside. Aaron and I look at each other, then burst out laughing. He throws his arm over my shoulder, and we walk back to Joel’s, talking about his underhanded Spy win the whole way.

The rest of the night goes by like a blur. Card games. Snacks. Lots of laughter. Before I know it, we’re all getting cozy. Sarah snuggles up with Joel on one side of the couch. Mackie and Miles get comfortable in the nearby oversized chair. And Aaron lies down in our spot. I’ve spent so many nights sleeping here in his arms. He gives me a sexy smile and motions for me to lie down with him.

As we all get settled in Joel’s basement for the last time for who knows how long, we look around at each other, acutely aware that this is the end of something.

But it’s also a beginning.

Maybe it’s the beginning of the most epic adventure yet.

I don’t know what college holds for us, but I do know one thing: I’m doing it with my best friends. That alone means it’s going to be a good time.

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