39. Chapter 39

39

Heath

With a bang, my locker shuts, and I inhale a harsh breath.

"So, you punched her date and kissed her."

I roll my eyes. "Do you and Marie ever not fucking share everything?"

"We don't. Not because we can't keep a secret but because we love talking to each other."

"I can see that," I say, exasperated.

Here I thought what happened on Friday night would always be a secret, but I should have known. Hope confided in Marie and she in Sebastian. These two can't keep anything under cover. Since that night Sebastian has been on my ass about the matter. It was indeed a long fucking weekend.

He leans against my locker. "Why did you do that?"

"Why wouldn't I? The guy was a fucking tool."

Sebastian sighs heavily. "You intervened. That's not—"

I chuckle. "You're the one to talk Mr. We Are Only Friends."

Sebastian's face turns red. "Shut up."

"You wanted to be more than friends with Marie. I want the same with Rose."

He smirks. "You have a nickname for her. How cute."

Before I can reply to him, my eyes finally catch her—the person I've been waiting for the last ten fucking minutes.

That kiss. Fuck.

I've kissed girls before, but they don't matter. Hope is my first real kiss because everything about it was perfect. She's also the best kiss of my life, despite the fact I only got to kiss her twice—which is not fucking enough. I want more kisses. Thousands and millions of them.

Hope walks in through the doors in a soft blue sweater and jeans, looking beautiful. The sweater is loose on her skinny, tall figure, but the jeans are tight around her curves and long legs. Her hair is loose as it sits on the front in wavy curls—I can't wait to get my fingers lost in them—and her face is deep in concentration over a book. Like always she's not watching where she's going.

I'm about to clear her fucking path and glare at anyone who tries to trip or knock her but stop.

Marie greets her from behind and both of them grin, then share a hug. Together they walk to Hope's locker as Marie fires words at her. Hope opens the locker with a sweet smile that slips into a laugh.

I can't stop looking at her.

For the first time, my heart has climbed up to my throat and I can hardly breathe.

It's fucking unbelievable how much this girl affects me.

She must have felt my stare as she turns her head and looks straight at me.

My fucking heart flies right out of my body.

Fuck, she's so beautiful and I really fucking like her.

Her hand tightens around the book.

I'm about to go to her when she looks away from me and walks in the other direction with Marie.

Sebastian makes a disapproving noise. "Wasn't she supposed to walk toward you instead of away from you?"

I grind my teeth, angrily. "I don't know what's going on."

"Then ask her. I remember after our first kiss Marie walked straight up to me."

"I was there." I watched him dive his tongue down her throat like a hungry animal. He made out right in front of me. The sight still creeps me out.

He arches an eyebrow. "Did you tell her you like her?"

"I didn't get the chance. She ran inside."

"Fuck off, Heath."

"It wasn't my fault."

He gives me a pointed look. "Clearly."

"It wasn't."

"Maybe you used too much tongue."

"I did not—"

"See? I told you to have a little practice because now you've fucked up. You might have just shoved your tongue too deep."

"Trust me. Not deeper than you."

"Will you ever listen to me?"

"Never."

Sebastian scowls. "I'm just helping you."

"I know how to kiss."

"Sometimes people forget."

I give him an incredulous look. "What do you mean?"

He clears his throat. "What I'm saying is maybe something happened. Talk to her today and tell her how you feel."

"I don't think so."

"Why the hell not?" He gets in my face.

I run a hand through my hair, growing nervous and frustrated with the conversation. "Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way and she doesn't."

"She does," he protests.

Now it's my turn to arch an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

Sebastian rubs his face. "Bless my soul I survived rehab, otherwise no one would help you."

"I'm sure your ghost would be there."

He nods in approval. "You're right. We're best friends for eternity."

"How do you know she feels the same way about me?"

"It's her—" The bell rings and Sebastian shakes his head in panic. "Oh shit. I have a class. I'll tell you later."

"Get your ass back here, Bash!"

He's already jogging away from me just to piss me off.

I check the library and infirmary, but Hope is nowhere to be found. Eventually, I go to the Math class knowing she'll be there.

The strangest thing happens. Hope skips the Math class.

Later, I wait for her at the cafeteria but she's not there as well. Marie is missing too, meaning they're together somewhere.

Heath: Where's Hope?

Marie leaves me on read which annoys the fuck out of me.

Heath: Is she with you?

Heath: Will you just fucking tell me?

Heath: I need to talk to her.

Heath: Fine, don't tell me. Just let me know if she's okay or not.

Blondie: She's okay.

I release a breath of relief that I didn't even know I was holding in. Since the girls are missing, it's only Sebastian and I like the old times. We talk about anything but Hope and the kiss. I prefer to steer clear of that topic until I've talked to her.

I'm pissed that she's ignoring me. She kissed me back which means she's into me.

Also, one kiss was all it took for her to turn me on. I've never been that hard in my life.

It took every bit of self-restraint to not kiss her until my lips went numb or I was drunk off her taste. I knew it would be too overwhelming for her and that's the last thing I wanted. Still, I stole a small kiss at the end just to savor her sweet taste for later.

I've kissed girls at the underground before. But nothing compared to the one I had with the pretty book nerd on Friday night. It was special in ways I can't understand or describe.

Her lips, her touch, and her taste are stitched on my skin.

Whenever I close my eyes I can imagine her. The touch of her lips still lingers on my own.

She's marked me.

Because she's all I can think about all the fucking time—and it's driving me nuts—Kelly had to repeat the same thing three times because I was zoned out thinking about Hope.

I'm so fucking down for this girl. I can feel it in my bones.

She thinks books are where you escape. She should take a tour of my mind.

She's the owner of my every fucking thought where I find escape.

She's my escape.

After a long fucking day, the school day ends. Surprisingly, I've been attending all my classes lately, and don't pick fights with anyone. I want to be good, someone who's more than just his bad reputation and cold attitude—for her.

The parking lot is filled with guys and girls, and some of them turn and look at me. Several groups of girls are checking me out with their seductive smiles.

Not. Fucking. Interested.

The only girl I'm interested in always has her head buried in a book while walking.

Sweeping my gaze on the property I search for her, but it's like she's disappeared.

Raging in frustration, I stride to my car to get away from here, when I see her leaning against it. A romance novel is in her hands and she's busy reading it.

Relief washes over me, but then hot white anger blinds me. "I've been looking for you all day."

Hope jostles in shock. Her fingers start fidgeting with the pages of the book—she's nervous.

"Why are you ignoring me?" I near her because I want to be close to her, but she steps back.

"I think we should stay away from each other."

I frown hard. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Hope shakes her head and refuses to look at me. She's staring at my chest with a determined face.

"No, I'm not joking," she says.

"Look at me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because then I'll forget what I want to say."

I almost smile. "You'll forget?"

"Yes."

"That makes no fucking sense." I pause. "Look at me."

"Please, Heath." Her feeble voice pierces through the fog of my anger.

However, I stand my ground. "Will you just fucking talk to me for once? I'm getting tired of you ignoring me and not telling me stuff. It's fucking hard for me too, but I try. You don't even do that."

Her eyes brim with tears. "Because I can't!"

I take a step in her direction. This time she doesn't step back which is a fucking relief.

"Can't or won't?" I ask.

"I can't."

"Fucking bullshit."

A tear falls down her cheek and my anger slips away with it. Without thinking, I wipe it away and keep my thumb over her cheek.

She brushes away my hand and wipes away her tears. "I'm so sorry."

I sigh. "What are you fucking sorry about?"

"About everything."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"There is." Her lips quiver, and another wave of tears advances in her eyes.

I glare at her. "There fucking isn't."

She nods but the tears don't stop.

Which bothers me.

"Come here," I mutter.

She takes a step in my direction. It's all I need. One step. I'll take care of the rest for you.

I pull her to my chest. My arm locks around her waist and my chin rests over her head. Gently, I tuck her head over my chest. I realize just how perfectly she feels in my arms and against my body. As long as she is here, nothing will hurt her. I'll make sure of it.

With my other hand, I pry the novel out of her hands and put it over the roof of my car.

"Your heart is racing," she murmurs, but I hear her. I always hear her even when she doesn't tell me anything.

"It's because of you," I admit, tired of hiding my feelings for her or fighting them.

I'm fucking done.

Hope takes a shaky breath and her body trembles. "I thought we were friends—"

"Not anymore."

She looks up at me in shock. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

I bend my head to look deep into her light brown eyes which have become my favorite eyes in the world.

When did this fucking happen?

I don't know and I don't care.

I cup the side of her face and caress her cheek. That damn blush appears, and I get weak in my knees. "It means that I want to kiss you, touch you, and hold you wherever and however I want."

There I fucking said it.

Her eyes widen. "But—"

"I think about you all the time." I lean my forehead against hers "You're driving me over the edge of insanity, Rose."

"I am?" She croaks out, puzzled.

I can't help but smile. "I fucking swear."

"Oh."

"I've never felt like this for a girl before." I swallow hard. "I think I like you."

She stiffens in my arms, and the black in her eyes dilates crazily.

I rub circles on her lower back, and she starts to relax.

"Yo-you like me?"

My gaze drops to her lips and the urge to kiss her fills my mind. "Yes."

Her fingers clutch my T-shirt, and I feel her nails scraping my skin. Instantly my body tightens, and my skin turns warm.

Keeping her eyes locked on me, she lifts herself on her tiptoes and catches me completely off guard when she presses her lips against mine.

I stagger but gather myself. She is kissing me.

Moving my hand from her cheek to her neck I kiss her back. She's unsure and uneasy in her strokes, but I guide her and keep it slow for her.

I keep my hand glued to her waist, knowing damn well if I touch her anywhere else, she might freak out. When I squeeze her a little, she falls into me.

I sense her getting breathless, so I unlock our lips. She draws in a deep breath, and I smile.

"I like you, too," she says quickly.

"You do?"

In reply, I get her beautiful smile.

"Words. I need fucking words," I plead.

With a spark in her eyes, she inches closer to me. "I like you, Heath."

"Fuck!" I lean my forehead against hers.

A laugh bubbles out of her.

I listen to it, and then I have my lips on hers and we're kissing.

I can't get enough of her lips.

After a minute or so, we pull back and our breaths mingle in the tiny space between us.

"Hi." She smiles.

"Hi." I smile back.

Yes, I'm fucking smiling.

Only for her.

I know I've lost my mind. But it's fine, as long as it's her I'm losing my mind over.

Clearing my throat, I say, "You got some orders."

I give her my phone and she eagerly takes it.

Instead of a smile, she grimaces, and that tugs my heartstrings.

"I can't come tonight to fulfill these orders. Maybe tomorrow?"

Disappointment sinks in me like claws. "What's wrong?"

She chews her bottom lip, and all I want to do is kiss her again. "I need to be home," she mutters.

She's hiding something. I can see it in her eyes, but I let it go.

"I'll pick you up in the morning."

Her eyes go big. "You don't need to."

"I will."

"Heath—"

"Get inside." I open the car door for her and guide her inside. With a huff, she complies. I hand her the novel.