I Knew You Were Trouble - Cassie Mae Page 0,63

New Year’s kiss. But she’s warm and homey, and I want to dive in and stay. This is her jumping on the back of Gertrude, shooting me in the chest with a paintball, giving out presents to my sisters… all of that times ten. I don’t want to be rid of it. I don’t want to leave.

My thumb runs across her jaw, landing on her chin, coaxing her to open for me, and she does, but I don’t take advantage. I taste her breath on my lips and instantly transport to a euphoric state, a smile curling between us.

Time speeds up as quickly as it slowed earlier, and much too soon, I force myself to part from her, regretting it the second I do.

Her shoulders bob up and down, her hot breath raking over my chin. My own breath was lost somehow.

I swallow hard and take a step back, giving us both the air we need. My mind starts to clear from its haze, and suddenly I’m very much aware I kissed her in a room full of co-workers. Her brows go sky high, her voice under lock and key.

“Uh…” I stutter, reaching a hand behind my head to rub out the sudden awkwardness. “Happy New Year?”

Candace

The clock ticks over to two a.m. and there are still people in my house.

I grumble and grab an empty pizza box, shuffling through the back door to the trash can outside. I knew this might be a problem—people in my parents’ house way after midnight, but that doesn’t make it any easier for me to handle.

Snow falls in light patterns against the back porch light, and I shiver and rub the goosebumps out of my upper arms. I got kissed tonight, just like I wanted. It was world-changing and earth-shaking, and all the other adjectives used to describe an epic first kiss. All the romantic paintings in the world didn’t prepare me for it, and it’s been two hours and my legs are still shaking, my brain a pile of mush.

And it came from Pete.

Pete.

I touch my bottom lip, trapping a few snowflakes in the process. Is it ever going to stop tingling?

I barely noticed when Zach left. He gave me a hug that felt like a slight breeze compared to the hurricane of Pete’s earlier embrace in the bathroom. Did I get love so wrong? It wouldn’t surprise me if I had; I’m wrong about a lot of things. Zach’s appeal is slowly disappearing into a wisp of red smoke, joining the other wisps of crushes I’ve had.

His still burns brightly, but not for the reason I thought. It’s like he’s the one who painted a bright arrow pointing to the guy standing next to me.

I shake my head. Pete only kissed me out of pity. I was near tears when he surprised the heck out of me. Knowing him, he saw my sob-fest coming a mile away—or the few feet from where he stood.

Laughter billows out from behind me, and I take a deep breath and peek over my shoulder. I can’t decide what’s worse, the cold or having to entertain the people who won’t get the heck out of my house. I hate parties, and this night has not made my fear of them any less palpable.

A flutter runs under my skin. I’ve spent the last hour trying to figure out how I’ll handle people crashing here. I don’t know anyone well enough to trust them not to wander upstairs and pass out in one of the beds. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep my eyes open. And I don’t know if I can send anyone off if they’ve been drinking.

I know Pete will stay if I ask him to. He might poke fun at me, but he’ll stay. And that is just as scary as dealing with all these people by myself.

Another shiver runs up my spine, and I cringe against the stupid weather and head back inside where it’s stuffy but warm. I turn the corner toward the kitchen and jerk back with a gasp, nearly running into Pete wandering in the hallway.

“Don’t do that.” I smack his chest.

He shrinks against my touch and chuckles. “I’m just walking.”

“Too quietly.” I shrug past him, trying to ignore my tingling lips that got an extra buzz just by looking at him. “You scared the heck out of me.”

“Sorry.” He’s not. “Just letting you know Maddie’s ready to get going.”

I notice he only says his sister