Page 59 of So Wrong It's Right

Christopher takes my hand. He pushes those damn glasses back up the bridge of his nose, and I’m done for. Of all the nerds in the world, this one is mine. “I’d like you to be my girlfriend.”

“For real? But...”

“Nobody will ever love you like I do. I promise you will never question how wonderful I think you are. I will love you with the dagger to the heart you want so much, but I will also give you wool sock love every day for the rest of our lives.”

“The rest of our lives?”

This whole thing is like something I would have cooked up, and I think that is the point. He’s trying to show me he understands me. But what about him? “What changed? You don’t want the kind of romance that feels like daggers. You want someone sensible. That’s not me. You know that’s not me and never will be. I don’t want to make you unhappy. You should have what you need.”

“Unhappy? You make me see stars, Stella. How could I ever be unhappy?”

I inhale sharply. I don’t think I will ever get a full breath again.

“And all this?” I gesture to our family and friends. “I thought you’d have had enough of flashmoblike events.”

“I have. I’ve been a wreck all day. But I knew that you would understand. That this is me doing the scariest thing I can conceive of to prove to you that you are more important to me thananything.”

There’s a strange ball in my throat making it hard to swallow. “I’ve never been in love before. I’m pretty sure I’m going to screw it up.”

He takes my hand. “We’ve got this.”

I’m conscious of all the eyes on us. Of all the love and support behind me. “Yes, Christopher. I will be your girlfriend, officially. Again.”

We lean into each other for our first kiss that didn’t come with a lie attached to it. Everyone around us cheers. I can’t believe this is happening.

“I love you,” he whispers against my mouth, his arms tightening like bands around me, which is good because I am about to fly apart into a million pieces.

There is only one first kiss after a first I-love-you, and I want to commit it to my memory with a glue gun and glitter. The soft glide of lips meeting lips soon becomes more. Christopher deepens the kiss, growling a low sound of satisfaction. My bones melt more with each slant of his mouth as we trade promises without words.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Christopher

Stella pulls back,that wonderful dazed look on her face again. “Did that really just happen?” She holds onto my wrists, my hands framing her face. “Are we going steady?”

“Looks like it.” My heart is performing a thundering rock concert in my ribcage.

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