One Tiny Secret - By Adam Kunz Page 0,61
will change that.” He smiles. “That’s one thing we definitely have in common, Dani—we’re both incredibly, and most absolutely, stubborn.”
I raise my lips to be mere inches from his and whisper back, “To the point of being ridiculously stupid.”
All regrets and worries melt away the moment our lips caress in a sweet embrace. This kiss feels different than any of the others we’ve shared before. It feels like we’re both trying to release all of the emotions we have built up, and not all of them are of the warm fuzzy kind.
He grabs the back of my head tightly and pulls me forward to deepen the kiss. I don’t fight it. His lips are so soft it’s driving me insane. I can feel every emotion he’s putting behind this, and I attempt to match it by completely letting go and allowing this moment to enrapture my being. His mouth takes great care with mine, making sure the sensation is tender and not sloppy or rushed.
As we pull away from each other, I half expect to have everyone in the bar staring at us. It was a pretty passionate kiss after all, and probably quite a unique sight in a place like this. Instead, all I’m met with are Parker’s dazzling dimples resting on each corner of his grin. No words are spoken. We just sit and gaze into each other’s eyes. I’m pretty sure if I was a spectator, I’d be yelling, “Get a room already” by now.
“Was that too much?” he asks, combing my hair to lay behind my ear.
“Not at all.”
“Good.”
Reality begins to set in again and I float down from cloud nine. “Parker, what are we doing? If Phoebe ever finds out that we even kissed once and didn’t tell her, she’s going to be pissed beyond reason. Not to mention, two people we knew just died, and there’s a crazy person after me,” I ramble on, counting off every issue.
Parker grabs me by the shoulders. “Don’t you think I know all of this already? Believe me, I’m well aware of what’s going on and what we’re doing. But dammit, I don’t care. Shit happens, that’s life. It’s a horrible and unfortunate truth. I can’t let all of this get in the way of how I feel. I’m not going to let you push me away that easily, Dani.”
“I’m not pushing away from you, Parker. I just think we need to pump the brakes a little and realize my actions have consequences—our actions have consequences. Things are a little too crazy at the moment,” I reply, gently pushing his arms.
“Maybe you’re right, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he insists, resting his hands on my shoulders once more.
“Okay, so what do we do now?”
“Maybe we should call it a night. Like you said, a lot has been going on. We might just need some time to think all this through.”
“The only problem is, we might not have the time,” I point out, taking the last swig of my beer.
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he replies, kissing me on the forehead. “Do you feel okay enough to drive home?”
“Yeah, I should be fine.”
“Want me to follow you? Just in case?” he asks with concern in his voice.
“No, that’s okay. You’ve got a long drive to campus. It’ll be double if you follow me all the way home.”
Parker pulls out a pack of cinnamon gum and slides out a piece. “Here, this should help cover up the beer.”
“Thanks.” I take it from his hand and then proceed to scootch out the other side of the booth.
I wait for him at the front of the bar while he takes care of the bill. Peering out the window at the single lamppost casting a circle of light onto the pavement, I see a lone cat sitting right in the center of the light. It’s none the wiser of its surroundings, and seems solely focused on cleaning itself. Even as a few people pass just outside the circle of light, they don’t faze the cat. I realize that this feline and I have a lot in common. We’re both at the center of something, but at the same time, we’re trying with all our might to be blissfully unaware of what’s going on right around us.
“Ready to go?” Parker asks, coming up behind me. I nod and he places his hand at the small of my back as he opens the door.
Chapter Twenty Three
“So, how was work?”