Page 48 of The Hallows Queen

“I don’t think you understand how unusual this is for me, Penelope. Chasing someone. Wanting someone. Beingthisguy.”

“I do.” I nod, because I do understand. I can say I don’t know him all I want, but at the end of the day, I do, in a sense. I know he’s not the guy who wants something he can’t have, he’s not the guy who needs to ask something twice – he gets his way the first time. I know he’s sought-after; his attitude the first time we met gave it away. But that isn’t the only thing that I got from our first encounter. I also learned that he’s a slut, he’s a jerk, he’s conceited, and he’s entitled.A fuckboy.

He hums between his lips in thought, then he grabs my hand and presses it against his face, pulling my gaze to his. “Give it a chance. Have fun with me. Spend time with me.”

I suck my teeth, looking off into the distance. After a minute, I sigh, then pop my lips, letting myself jump over the edge of the cliff, consequences be damned. “Fine.”

* * *

After we’re done eating,Hayden and I walk the ten minutes from downtown to the beach and find a shaded spot under some trees to watch the ocean. His arm wraps around me as the wind picks up, and I melt into his body as we sit in comfortable silence.

Once the sun has set, and people start leaving the sand after having watched the day turn to night, he turns to me and kisses me.

It isn’t sexual. Instead, his lips are soft and tender against mine. I can’t help but sigh through my nose and fall into the kiss. His hands explore my back and waist, but he doesn’t go any higher or lower, never crossing into territory that could heat things up. He’s careful with me, even with strong hands that are inked black and rough.

I pull back, looking up at him through my lashes, my heart pounding in my chest. “Tell me something about you.”

“What do you want to know?” he asks, brushing my hair from my face.

I decide to go straight for his jugular, wondering if I’ll hit any nerves and scare him off like the last time I asked about his parents.

“You said your parents weren’t here anymore. Where are they now?”

He presses his lips together and puts his arm around my shoulder. “My dad lives in New York. My mom is dead.”

I flinch at his bluntness, and he notices. I thought I would hit a nerve, but it’s my nerves that have been triggered. I just think of my own father, so close to death, and instantly feel sad. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He shakes his head. “I was really young.”

I try to change the subject. “What do you like to do for fun?”

“Surf,” he says, looking out at the ocean before he continues. “Drugs. Travel.”

“Surf, drugs, and travel,” I repeat, laughing. “What a life.”

He shrugs, chuckling. “Gotta do what makes you happy.”

“The first night we met, you were hooking up with a man,” I say, looking at him out of the corner of my eye.

“Yes.”

“So, you like guys, too?” I ask.

“I do. Is that a problem?” he asks back, his brows raising as he turns to face me.

Shaking my head, I look at him. “Of course not, I was just curious.”

“Gender identity doesn’t mean anything to me,” he adds. “I don’t think it should be something that affects who you get involved with.”

“That’s beautiful.” I twist my lips with a smile.

We fall into silence again, and I think over other things I can ask him to get to know him, but I draw a blank. I’m too distracted by the heat of his body on mine, the smell of his skin so close to me, and I find myself turning hotter from the inside out.

Grabbing his jaw, I turn his head to kiss him again.

This time, I shuffle closer. I press my nails into his forearms, moaning in my throat when his fingers grip onto my waist. But then he suddenly pulls back, leaving me breathless.

“What’s wrong?”

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