a reminder. This was Captain. My Captain. I had loved him for years, and I just had to know. After searching Captain's face for any sign of reluctance and finding none, I did what I'd always dreamed of doing.
Slowly, oh so slowly, I closed the gap between us, giving him plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to.
But he didn't.
My lips captured his in a kiss I would remember for as long as I lived. Captain's mouth was surprisingly soft. I went back again and again for more. Each time that same electricity flowed from where our lips touched to every part of my body. It was impossible to tell how long it lasted.
Finally, after an eternity, I gave him one last kiss and pulled away, realizing at some point Captain had moved his hand to my cheek. His big hand cupped my face with the utmost gentleness, like he was holding something precious. My eyes opened, and as he looked at me, the weight of what I'd just done came crashing down.
"Oh my God," I gasped.
His hand fell away as I straightened.
"Um, I uh…need to go."
"Anne—"
"Bye, Cap," I said, grabbing my phone and hightailing it out of there. Yes, it was my house. And yes, I had left Captain sitting in my bedroom. But I had to go, drive around, be away from him, do something. Captain could let himself out.
Did I regret the kiss? No, and I never would.
Could I bear to see the questions in Captain's eyes and stay to answer them? Also no. That took some kind of courage, and after that kiss, I was all out.
So, I ran. I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid him for long. We were best friends after all. But I needed a little time and some space. Oh yes, and if I replayed that video over and over again while I was at it, well…I guess that could just be considered research.
Gah, I could not believe I'd actually kissed my best friend.
CHAPTER 3
I hadn't responded to any of Captain's texts.
Not that he'd sent many. There were only three. None of which I knew how to answer.
Captain: Hey Anne, are you okay?
Captain: I think we should talk.
Captain: What was all that about?
Ugh. I could only imagine what Captain was thinking. First, I kissed him—and it was good. Oh so very good. And then, without any explanation, I ran like there were angry bulls chasing me. Why, you ask? Because I was scared to find out what he'd thought of the kiss, what it meant to him.
On the other hand, I couldn't stop wondering what was going on in his mind.
Sometimes I frustrated myself to no end.
It was Monday, and I'd hunkered down in the library to continue my avoidance of my best friend. I'd been dodging him all weekend and today at school—which wasn't too hard since he was a year older, but still. If Captain wanted to find me, I knew he would. Until then, I'd lay low. The library was my haven, and the awesome thing was, the books never judged.
Gemma had found me not twenty minutes ago.
"Oh my," she said, fanning herself as she watched the video. "That kiss was fire. I've already replayed it like five times."
"I know." I sighed.
The video was pretty freaking addictive.
"Why haven't you posted it yet?" she asked as she watched again.
I gave a shrug. It wasn't like I was ashamed. Actually, I hadn't posted because the more I watched the video, the more personal it felt. The memory of that kiss, the way Captain's lips had moved with mine, how it was our first and probably last kiss ever, everything about the moment was intimate. I'd been inspired by the challenge, but now, I kind of wanted to keep the kiss for just Captain and me. I didn't know if I could explain that to Gemma.
"It just feels personal," I said. "Plus, I kind of chickened out on posting. You know how it goes."
That was the other reason. Social media could be a terrible thing. I didn't want anyone's crappy commentary on our kiss. It was pure and completely ours.
"Well, are you over that yet? Because this is beautiful."
"I'm not sure I'll ever post," I said.
"Oh don't be scared, Anne."
"How can I not be? It's Captain, for goodness sake. I kissed him, Gemma. I actually kissed him. And then, I ran for the hills."
She scrunched up her face. "Yeah, I guess you could've handled the aftermath better. But