Kiss King - Mickey Miller Page 0,34
boyfriend is kissing someone else. Now when it’s her turn, she spins.
Lo and behold, it lands on me.
I freeze. All of the muscles in my body freeze up.
She looks over at me and sighs.
“Well, Grant. Do you think we should do this?”
I shrug. “You spun the bottle. So, I’m pretty sure that’s your call.”
That’s when the miscommunication happens.
She hesitates. Being playful, I turn toward Charlotte who is next to me so I can’t even see Maya or what she’s doing.
“What do you think, Charlotte,” I say, smirking. “Are these lips kissable, or what?”
I hear Maya behind me. “Fine, yes. Kiss me, Shaman.”
I smile on the inside.
What I don’t know is that Maya is pointing to her cheek as she says these words.
I’m not an over-thinker, though. I act on instinct. And I don’t see Maya point to her cheek.
So, when I hear her say the phrase, ‘Kiss me’, I spin around, take hold of her jaw, and kiss her like every woman should be kissed.
Jude kissed Charlotte. So why shouldn’t we?
The skin of her face is smooth and beautiful and I want to keep on touching her.
Her lips taste freaking phenomenal. An electric spark shoots through my entire body, and she emits the tiniest of moans.
Finally, she pushes me off.
We both open our eyes and blink a few times, staring, lost in their depths.
Everyone in the circle is staring at us wide-eyed with their jaws open, like they just witnessed a murder.
Well, they kind of did.
R.I.P. to the vibe of Maya’s “date” or whatever she’s on with Jude. I look over at Jude, and let’s just say he’s not smiling.
Donnie is the first to cut through the awkward silence with a comment. “Um, have you guys ever done that before?”
“Why?” Maya says, trying to downplay it.
“Uh, because I think we can all agree that was an insanely good kiss,” April says. “I’ve been with my boyfriend for like three years and I don’t think we’ve ever kissed like that.”
I butt in, “Look, we’re both good kissers. That’s what happens when we kiss.”
There’s a pause and people don’t seem convinced, so I continue. “Maya and I are just friends, everybody! How clear can we be about that?”
Maya nods vigorously, and Jude puts his hand back on her thigh. “It’s a game, everyone! Duh! Why are you all staring like that?”
“Because you were pointing to your cheek,” Finn says.
I widen my eyes. “You were? Oh, shit, my bad.”
“I mean, obviously she was,” Jude finally speaks up. “Just a mistake. These things happen.”
I sigh, about to spin the bottle again so we can move on to a new topic of conversation, but everyone seems so stuck on this kiss.
Luckily, Alex and DJ burst through the door, back from their “date.”
“Hey, guys!” Alex says. “Why is everyone looking at each other like they just witnessed a murder?”
A beat passes.
“Well, I think this was a fun game,” Faith drawls. “Shall we call it over, then?”
It’s pledge initiation weekend, so I’m mostly over at the Alpha Z house hanging out with the guys. On Monday evening, I get back from classes during the day, and I notice Maya is just lying on the couch with her arm on her forehead, staring up at the ceiling.
I sit down at her feet on the same couch she’s on.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Oh my gosh! You scared me.”
“You didn’t see me?”
“I was deep in thought.”
“What are you thinking about?”
She sighs. “Well, it’s my birthday next week.”
“Holy crap! Happy birthday in advance.”
“Thanks.”
I furrow my brow, puzzled. “Wait a sec. So why are you sad if it’s your birthday?”
“I’m going to sound like a drama queen.”
“No, you’re not. Talk to me.”
She wiggles her toes, stretching out her body. God, she’s gorgeous when she moves like that. I bet she doesn’t even know it.
“So, here’s the thing. Last year at this time my life was a mess. I was getting over my parents’ divorce. I didn’t have any money to pay for school. I had to pull myself together, get that cheap apartment, get a side job, and hustle every day. It was challenging, but oddly, it was more satisfying than now.”
“How so?”
“Well, now, my dad pays my tuition. And I’ve got a cool boyfriend. I’m studying Art History and Business…I’ve got a future. But…”
She trails off, and I can tell she’s really twisting something around in her mind.
I can get on board with everything she’s saying except for the cool boyfriend part. “But something feels off,” she adds, and I’m not sure what.