Page 41 of I Can't Help It

“N-no.” My mouth is so dry. “You can leave it undone.”

“Okay,” she replies, running a finger down the row of buttons. “And by the way, you look good. That’s what I was going to tell you before.”

My throat tightens. “Ava—”

“Don’t freak out on me,” she interrupts in a teasing tone. “It’s just a compliment.”

“Yeah, but it’s a compliment from you.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, and I avoid her gaze as I rub the back of my neck. “Thank you though.”

She offers a slight nod. “You’re welcome.”

Compliment her back, you idiot!

No way. No freaking way. I’m not—

“You look beautiful.” It’s a whispered statement, like classified information I shouldn’t be telling her. Which is completely accurate. I shouldn’t be telling Ava that she looks beautiful.

She proceeds to cringe. “I still haven’t done anything with my hair yet.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Every ounce of self-control disappears from my body as I touch one of the loose strands framing her face. “You look beautiful. You always look beautiful.”

Her lips part as her eyes slide to my mouth. “Luke?”

Somehow, my hand ends up cradling her cheek. “Hmm?”

“If I ask you to kiss me, will you do it?”

The answer is obviously no.

No, I will not do it. I will not kiss her. I will not kiss Ava.

“You don’t have to answer that,” she tells me with a weak smile. “I know there’s a chance you might not even want to kiss me.”

“No, there’s not,” I say, shaking my head. “There’s not a single chance that I don’t want to kiss you.”

“I can hear a but coming.”

The disappointment in her eyes nearly wrecks me.

But kissing her would wreck me even more.

I can’t do it.

“I’m sorry.” My thumb brushes against her smooth skin on its own accord. “I really want to, so badly, but I just can’t.”

She gently grabs my wrist and moves my hand away from her face. “There’s a difference between can’t and won’t, Luke.” She takes a few steps back and I fight the urge to reach for her. “I’m going to finish getting ready.”

I groan under my breath as she goes back into the bathroom and slides the door shut.

Perfect. Our date hasn’t even officially started, and I’m already ruining it.

* * *

We’re in the car again, and Ava seems determined to pretend that she’s not upset with me for turning down the opportunity to kiss her. It’s stressing me out.

“I don’t think I’m hungry enough for an entire meal,” Ava says, her attention still on her phone. She’s been staring at that darn screen this whole time. “But who can say no to dessert? And it looks like there’s a pie shop here in town. Should we check it out?”

A pie shop? Huh, I didn’t even know those existed.

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