Page 43 of Wanted You More

One of his arms loosely hooks around my waist to return the hug. “You’re welcome. But you seriously need to stop going to these things. There’s going to be a day I can’t come get you and you’ll get caught.”

His softer tone has me pulling back slightly, so our faces are close together. My eyes go to his lips briefly before I make my move without giving it a second thought.

I press my lips against his, letting one of my hands curve along the top of his shoulder and squeezing the muscle there. His body tenses in reaction, the arm curled around me, tightening only for a microsecond as if he might return the kiss.

A second goes by.

Another.

Three seconds.

There’s a brief moment when his lips open and let me explore his mouth. But the moment ends all too soon, as if the gentle graze of my tongue against his that stirs a subtle groan from deep in his chest also smacks him back into reality.

Gently, his hands push me back to put distance between us. “Wait, stop. Austen…”

I stare at him, lips parted and eyes wide after realizing what I’d just done. I’ve never had a boy reject me before. But that’s just the thing.

Noah isn’t a boy. He’s a man.

A man I kissed.

A man who sort of kissed me back.

“Oh God,” I whisper, quickly moving back to my side of the truck and touching my lips. “Oh my God. I’m sorry, Noah. I don’t know—”

“You’ve been drinking,” he cuts me off, clearing his throat. “Stuff like that happens sometimes. When you get home, drink some water. Okay?”

He’s not going to say anything else?

“I’m—”

“Don’t,” he stops me, shaking his head and pulling the truck back onto the road. His jaw tics, teeth grind, and then he blows out a deep breath. “Put your seat belt on and just… We’ll pretend it never happened.”

I stare at him with mortification prickling my whole body with heat. He told me no and wants to forget about it.

He barely saw me as a friend months ago, so why should this surprise me?

Pinching my eyes closed, I buckle up and lean my overheated face against the cool window. We spend the rest of the drive in silence because he refuses to turn the radio on.

I’m sure he can hear how my heart drums in my chest. I feel it pounding in my eardrums, no matter how hard I try calming it. Then I feel the pressure move from my ribcage to the backs of my eyes. Embarrassed tears threaten to spill, but I manage to hold them in until Noah pulls up to the curb by the house.

I quickly peel his jacket off and open the door, offering him a weak, “Good night,” before rushing inside without looking back.

I’m grateful nobody is up as I sneak upstairs, letting the first tear fall before I make it into my bedroom.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It’s been along time since I skipped school, but I’ve been too jittery to sit still since Noah dropped me off. Being trapped inside that hideous brick building would only let Marybelle ask me a million questions about the party that I don’t want to answer right now. Or ever.

“Thanks,” I tell the Auntie Anne’s employee who passes me my cinnamon pretzel bites. Turning as I pop one into my mouth, I scope out the half-empty food court.

I’m usually here when there are crowds of people rudely cutting you off and cursing you out for walking too slowly. The stores are jammed with shoppers, bad pop music is typically playing, and the kiosk workers in the middle of the walkways are trying to get you to buy whatever trinkets they’re selling that aren’t worth the asking price.

Today, it’s quiet.

Belles:Can’t believe u ditched w/o me

Belles:At least see if they have the new MJ Daisy fragrance!!!!

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