“I’m not humiliating you. I’m merely reminding you that you shouldn’t judge things like kissing or vinyl without trying them first.”
She snorted.
I slowed to a stop at the light and glanced over at her. “Admit I’m right.”
She stubbornly shook her head.
I arched an eyebrow. “Do you need a refresher on kissing already? Because I’m happy to oblige.”
Her face flushed and she bit her lip, making my insides ignite. This girl was blowing up my game without even trying!
“Fine,” she admitted. “You were right about the kiss.”
“I know I was,” I challenged. “It rocked your world and so will vinyl.”
She laughed. “Fine, but not tonight. It’s already late and I have a ton of homework.”
“Alright, tomorrow then.”
“Fine.”
“It’s a date.”
“It’s not a date,” she warned. “It’s research.”
I winked. “You have your words, I have mine.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Layne
I rolled out of bed the next morning, exhausted from a sleepless night. I couldn’t stop replaying Lola’s words in my head—'be careful, don’t get hurt.’
She’d been right to warn me about Wyatt. We’d been rehearsing together for two days and I’d already kissed him. Yes, it was an educational kiss to make me a better songwriter, but no matter how many times I told myself that, I couldn’t convince the butterflies Wyatt’s kiss had awoken to go back into hibernation.
I needed to find a way to get myself under control. I felt like I had ‘no longer a kiss virgin’ stamped on my stupid smiling face. I was supposed to video chat with Lola last night, but I was worried she’d take one look at me and know what I’d done, so I’d used homework as an excuse to avoid her.
Would she hate me forever when she found out I’d kissed her nemesis?
I was supposed to hate Wyatt Nash. Not kiss him!
How had things gotten out of control so quickly? I wondered if mono was running ramped through Northwood, because I certainly felt like I had some sort of kissing virus. How else could I explain how the space in my head that used to listen to reason and form rational thoughts now did only one thing—think of Wyatt’s lips!
I should cancel our date tonight. Not a date, I reminded myself.
I was sure Wyatt was just teasing me when he’d used that word. Like everything with him, the world was one big witty, sarcastic joke. There was no way he would ever go on a date with me. We were just hanging out at his house listening to music. That wasn’t a date, right?
Ugh! I was already talking myself out of canceling our non-date!
I needed to get a grip.
I quickly showered, dressed and yes, again chose contacts over glasses, before heading downstairs to get Robby ready for school.
I was scrutinizing my outfit while I stirred eggs at the stove when Robby’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Layyy-ne! Your boyyy-friend is here!”
“What?”
I hadn’t even heard the doorbell ring, but there was Wyatt, smiling as he walked into my house like a warm ray of sunshine. Today he had three paper cups in his hand. He handed one to Robby. “Hot chocolate for the sugar fiend.” Wyatt’s sparkling green eyes settled on me. “And one cup of Earl Grey for the lady.”
“That’s your favorite, right Layne?” Robby boasted.
I nodded, wondering how on earth Wyatt had picked my favorite tea out of the endless variety the coffee shop offered.
Wyatt took a sip of his coffee, his gaze never dropping mine. “You look like an Earl Grey girl,” he said.
“Really?”
He took a step closer and leaned in, his mouth grazing my ear as he spoke. “No, but I could taste it on your lips when we kissed.”
Heat shot through me so quickly I gasped.
Wyatt smirked, amused by how easily I was flustered. “Relax, it was a joke,” he teased. “For now,” he added with a wink.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wyatt
I couldn’t help it. Teasing Layne was too easy. It was becoming my new favorite hobby. Well, besides being her kissing tutor. But I had a strong inkling that she’d revoked the position. Maybe teasing her about the tea had been too much.
Layne had barely said two words to me on the ride to school and she was so tense during rehearsal after school that we’d barely gotten through the new song.
Guilt stabbed me as I watched her agonize over the chords. This was my fault. I obviously needed to curb my sarcasm, or I was going