Page 43 of My First Kiss

I close my eyes and blow out a sigh. “Fine. I’ve had a crush on Linc since we were ten. Happy?”

Luke is quiet for several long seconds before he starts to laugh. Piper swats at him.

“Don’t laugh,” she hisses.

I glare at Luke, more than a little annoyed by his reaction. “Why is that funny?”

He shakes his head and pulls in a breath. “Because Linc had a thing for you back in high school.”

My mouth drops open in shock. I shake my head. “He did not.” I lower my wine glass to the coffee table since I’m close to losing feeling in my extremities and I’d rather not ruin Piper’s couch.

Luke just nods. “He did.”

“There’s no way,” I insist, shaking my head. “He never even talked to me. We never hung out. How could he have a crush on me?”

Luke shrugs. “I don’t know about all of that. I didn’t know him then. I just remember Cole teasing him about it once back in college and he admitted it, but he said it was just a high school crush. It wasn’t until I met you that night at Peach Fuzz and saw how weird he was acting that I put it together that you were the girl they were talking about.”

Of course. Just a high school crush. Because normal people move on from their high school crushes after nearly a decade passes. Unlike me, still pining away for a guy who moved on years ago.

“Maybe he still has a thing for you,” Luke says with a shrug. “I think the best option is to just ask him. Be direct. If he says it’s all in the past, you can let it go.”

Piper nods. “That’s a good idea. You don’t have to tell him you like him. Just play it by ear.”

“You can start by just asking him why he knows all that stuff about you,” Luke says. “If he brings up the crush, you can go from there. See if it leads to more.”

“You should flirt with him and see what happens,” a voice calls from the kitchen entryway.

We all look over to see Layna standing there, glass of wine in her hand. She shrugs. “What? If he flirts back, there’s your answer. If he gets all weird, you’ll know to back off.”

I cover my face with my hands and groan. How did I end up here? I kept this secret for nearly 20 years and now it seems like everyone knows that I have a thing for Linc. All I need now is for Miss Dottie to get wind of it.

“This is stupid,” I say, picking up my wineglass and draining the rest of it.

“Or you could kiss him,” Layna says. “Be bold.”

I look at her like she’s lost her mind. “Don’t let the pink hair fool you,” I say. “I’m not as bold as I look. Not when it comes to him.”

Layna shrugs. “Why not?”

“This is a small town,” I say. “Everyone knows everyone else. I’d be humiliated if he turned me down. I can’t just kiss him.”

“Okay, fine,” Layna says. “If you say so. But what about some light flirting? See if he gets the hint. Let him know you’re interested in a subtle way.”

I think about her advice for a moment, trying to decide if I can go through with it. Can I subtly flirt with Linc without being completely awkward? I’m not sure. But I know I can’t ask him outright if he’s into me. And there’s no way I can bring up high school crushes without letting it slip that my crush on him is still alive and well. I don’t realize that my foot is tapping maniacally until I feel Piper’s hand on my knee.

“Breathe,” she says gently. “You got this.”

I still my movements and nod, sucking in a long, slow breath. “You’re right,” I say. “I can do this.”

I look around at the others, taking in Piper’s encouraging smile, Luke’s resigned frown and Layna’s delighted grin.

“Hell yeah, you can,” Layna says. “He won’t know what hit him.”

Luke shakes his head. “Not sure why you asked my advice if you weren’t going to take it,” he grumbles.

Piper pats his knee. “There, there, honey.”

He shoots her a glare that’s ruined when he adds a wink.

---