Page 89 of Brittle Heart

Josh gently tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, causing me to turn and meet his gaze. Sitting next to me, he looks at me with such tenderness and warmth as he cups my cheek. My heart races in response.

Then, he softly says, “I would love to kiss you. May I?”

His eyes shift from my eyes to my lips, and in a whisper, I surprise myself by saying, “Yes.”

At that moment, time seems to stand still as Josh leans closer. With a gentle touch, his lips meet mine. The kiss is soft, sending a rush of emotions through my entire being. The world outside melts away, leaving only the warmth of his touch and the sweet taste of his kiss. My heart pounds in my chest.

Eventually, he pulls away, resting his forehead against mine, smiling.

The world comes rushing back as Del Moro shouts from behind us, “See? I told you guys, Lee likes fat, poor, emo girls.”

I quickly pull away from Josh and put on my indifferent mask, although it’s harder with my heart in chaos from that first kiss. Josh is fuming, and it’s obvious he’s about to stand and defend me, but I tug at his sleeve, signaling him to stay seated. He looks at me, searching my face for guidance.

I mouth,Don’t.

I gather my courage and rise to my feet, crossing my arms over my chest, my face void of emotion.

Facing Del Moro, I say, “Careful, your constant fixation with my body could lead others to think you want the fat, poor, emo girl yourself, and we can’t have that now, can we?”

“Go back to the ghetto you crawled out of, Costa.” He sneers at me.

Unfazed, I retort, “Oh, don’t worry, I will. And I’ll make sure to say hi to your mom when I get there.”

I know ‘your mom’ jokes are cheap, but it’s funny because his mother lives in the same building as me, and I often see her. It hits a nerve for him because he despises the idea that his own mother is no better off than he thinks I am.

“Fuck off,” he spits out before storming off with his partner.

Clay begins to slow-clap from the table, saying, “Iconic, kitten… as always.”

I glance over at Josh, and his expression is filled with unease. My heart sinks. He must regret kissing me and the attention it has brought upon him. He’s such a sweet and shy person, and I’ve inadvertently made him a target.

I bite my lip.

“Carolina…” He starts, getting to his feet.

I quickly check my phone and say, “Sorry. I have to go. See you Sunday.”

I grab my backpack from the floor, trying my best to hide the rush of emotions, and make my way out of the building, fighting the urge to run.

* * *

Josh

In a state of shock, I watch her fine ass walk away, feeling a mixture of regret and disappointment.

Suddenly, a sharp slap connects with the back of my head when I sit back down.

“You’re such a stupid fucking idiot, you know that?” Sophia hisses at me.

“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make a move, and honestly, if he hadn’t done it, I would have,” Clay says, and I furrow my brow at him. “Xander would have understood.” He shrugs. “Being someone’s first kiss is special.”

Sophia raises her voice and shouts at us, “Itisfucking special! She waited twenty-two years for her first kiss, and you, you idiot, did it in the cafeteria, in front of everyone, and now this kiss will forever be tainted bythatasshole.”

I wince. I had thought it was a spontaneous and romantic moment, but she’s right. I acted like a complete fool.

“Don’t be so harsh. It looked like she enjoyed it,” Clay notes, trying to defend me.

Sophia lets out a frustrated sigh. “Sure, she seemed to enjoy it. But afterward, she practically ran out of here because you looked at her as if you already regretted it,” she accuses.

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