Part 29 (1/2)

I disengage my arms from around her waist and lean back as far away from those lips as I can. Which is difficult because she doesn't seem to want to let go of me. I take in a long breath, searching for courage. ”How do I start? I have a lot to say.”

”You're so cute when you're nervous. I love when you let me read your expressions.” She peers into my face. ”What? Holy. You really are freaking out right now. How bad could it be?”

”That's for you to decide. I guess I need to begin with when I first met you. Do you remember meeting me, freshman year?”

She shakes her head. ”I think I would remember meeting you-meeting those eyes anyhow. Or your voice. At the very least, that.”

”We did meet. I actually formally introduced myself to you once. Like a complete dork. It went something like, Uh...h.e.l.lo...you're ...uh...uh....Jess Jordan, right? Duh...duh...I'm the biggest loser in the world? Something like that anyhow.” I smile. ”My voice wasn't quite changed yet. I'm afraid I still sounded like a choir soprano that year.”

My chest thumps with fear, watching her face for any sign of recognition.

She furrows her brow. ”There's no way. That never happened.”

”Oh it happened. You destroyed me. Walked away with a, ”Yeah, nice to meet you,” and you never looked back. I had such a painful crush on you back then. One I've never truly gotten over. Obviously.”

Jess tilts her head, her face still shrouded in disbelief. ” If that's true, then why have I never seen you at school? You don't seem the type to give up after just one brush off? Or was I that mean? Why didn't you try again? I never even see you in the hallways. Did we have a cla.s.s together?”

”No. No cla.s.ses. I wanted to try to approach you again but...I...I...c.r.a.p! This is so difficult.”

”What?! What is it?”

I put my arms back around her waist. My heart is racing so badly I can hardly speak, but I know that I can't chicken out. ”Let me start over...forget about when we met. Let me start with now-with this summer. The interns.h.i.+p. The boyfriend contract and why I agreed to do it.” I brush the hair out of her eyes.

”Okay?” She shoots me a look that tells me she thinks I'm nuts, which is fine because I actually feel crazy right now. Crazy in love and crazy scared to lose this girl.

I start up again, hoping she can feel I'm giving her my heart and every inch of my honesty. ”I never thought I'd get to have this moment with you. Let alone having just kissed you. Finally. Do you even know how many times I've wanted to kiss you, all summer long?”

”Well, that goes for two of us, then.”

She flushes and looks away as I continue, ”So you can see where this is overwhelming me. Tonight, with you admitting that you love me, I'm about to die of happiness. I don't want to chance losing you, I still don't. I love you so much. And I'm scared. If I tell you this the wrong way then there's a chance that you'll never even-”

A loud cough and then Corey Nash's telltale fake, overloud, ”EHEM” explodes like a bomb on the other side of the willow tree branches.

”Porter. I have to stop you there. I can't have Mich.e.l.le hearing all this romantic talking about your feelings c.r.a.p. You're seriously turning into a freak. So, yeah. FYI. We're standing right here and I bet you DON'T want us to hear this anyhow. So...this is your official, shut-the-h.e.l.l-up, we've ruined your moment intervention.”

Corey comes through into the alcove with a giggling Mich.e.l.le in tow.

”Aww, look at you two,” Mich.e.l.le says, smiling at me. ”Sorry for interrupting.”

”Your timing sucks,” I say, hating them both at that moment.

”We've been looking everywhere for you two.” Mich.e.l.le is beaming from ear to ear and silently sending some sort of super-secret girl code to Jess. Jess unwinds her arms from my neck and pulls her legs off me. She's smiling and nodding, voicing some secret language back to Mich.e.l.le. If I weren't all tangled up inside my head and about to flip out right now, I'd swear Jess had actually given Mich.e.l.le the thumbs up!

”Guys. I just need a few more minutes to talk to Jess. Can we just meet you in the car? Please,” I say, shooting my own super secret-silent-language to Mich.e.l.le. I mouth: Get lost.

Mich.e.l.le shrugs, her expression apologetic. ”No can do. There's a possible Gran emergency. I'm sorry. It's serious.”

”Gran? What's wrong?” I leap to my feet.

”She called through to Corey's phone. She just kept saying for me to find you and that you needed to come home right away. If she hadn't sounded so freaked I'd let you two have more time in the old love garden. But Gray, you'd have killed me if I hadn't found you.”

”Yeah. You're right.” Mich.e.l.le knows me so well. ”Thanks,” I tell her as I pull out my phone. The monitor's gone black. ”Stupid battery. What if she's had a relapse? I should have stayed home with her.”

”Gray, the doctor said she'd be fine. And Gran sounded okay. Just sort of panicked,” Mich.e.l.le adds.

”I hope so.” I turn to Jess. ”We can try to talk in the car, but...I don't know if what I have to say needs to be said in front of these two. It's private. Can you wait?”

Jess relaxes against my shoulder. ”I can wait for the talking part, but could we try that kissing thing again one more time before we go?” She grins. ”You guys promise not to look, right?”

”Oh. No. You. Did. Not. Just. Say. That,” Corey groans. ”I refuse to witness your sappy bulls.h.i.+t and public making out with my best friend.” He smirks, before going on. ”But if Jess wants to kiss Mich.e.l.le in front of me...now that's different.”

Mich.e.l.le socks him in the arm. ”You freak. I don't kiss girls, ever. Our life is NOT like what you see on TV. Get OVER that stupid show you saw, or move to New York City and see if you can find girls to kiss in front of you. And good luck with that. Do something, Gray. He's so out of line.”

I stand and punch Corey's other arm as hard as I can.

Corey winces. ”Bullies. Destroyers of dreams.”

I ignore his glare and put my arm around Jess's shoulders when she stands and shoots me a smile. Her cheeks are bright pink and her eyes tell me she's remembering our kiss. I pull her closer.

”Have I mentioned to you two how much in love I am with this girl?” Gray says.

”We know, dork.” Mich.e.l.le laughs. ”Now let's go.”

”What have you done to my best friend, Jess Jordan? And when can I have him back?” Corey rolls his eyes.

”Never,” Jess says. ”He's mine, now.”

I love the sound of that. But without finis.h.i.+ng our conversation, I can only hope she means it.

Chapter Thirty-Four.

Jess I have no idea how I make it to Mich.e.l.le's minivan for the ride home. I can only float across the parking lot like I'm a helium balloon tethered gently to Gray's hand. My lips and cheeks burn as my mind replays and replays me kissing Gray! Gray kissing me!

Every inch of my skin is on fire. I swear I still feel his hands brus.h.i.+ng against my cheeks, his fingers lingering on the back of my neck and running through my hair.

Kissing is amazing... weird... beautiful! Everything I didn't expect, but all that I'd dreamed about. My cheeks burn all over again. I know I've been in a constant state of *blush' since Corey and Mich.e.l.le interrupted us, but I can't seem to stop.

I don't want to stop.

”Tired?” Gray asks as we wait for Mich.e.l.le to find her keys and unlock the van.

For the first time ever, I feel no need to lie. ”Yes. Very.”

He smiles, but his eyes are dark, troubled. I can almost see the tension radiating from his expression.

”Don't worry. I'm sure your gran's just fine,” I say, hoping to calm him. We open the van door. I call out to Mich.e.l.le who's on the other side of the car, ”Mich.e.l.le, let Gray borrow your phone to call home. He's beyond stressed.”