Playing Hooky with the Hottie - Maggie Dallen Page 0,29

anything, the sight of honest concern felt...significant.

“If something happened,” he said. “If you need to talk…”

I took a deep breath. Oh screw it. I wasn’t some wuss who couldn’t face her problems. I jerked back until his hands dropped my arms, and my mouth opened, words tumbling out before I could hesitate any further. “Did that kiss mean anything?”

His eyes widened, his nostrils flared… The clear shock was there and gone quickly, but I caught it. His sudden smile lacked some of its trademark flippancy.

It also lacked the warmth I’d taken for granted.

“What do you mean?”

I exhaled loudly. “Will, it’s not easy for me to talk about this. Please don’t play dumb.”

He blinked, and his smile faded to a smirk. “Fine. Is that what you’re worried about, Haze? That I’m going to complicate things between you and Justin?”

I frowned. How did he know about Justin? I was going to kill Emma.

But even as I thought it, he rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t too hard to figure out, if you’re paying attention.” One corner of his mouth hitched up higher, but I could have sworn the look in his eyes was rueful. “And you should know by now that one thing I do well is pay attention.” He lifted the camera that seemed to permanently hang around his neck. “I see all.”

“Creepy,” I managed to mumble.

“Yeah, well…” He looked away, down the hall behind me. I’d never noticed until just this moment that Will Lansing always made eye contact with me. Always.

Until now.

“Okay, so…” I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to wrap my head around what he’d said. “So then that kiss didn’t mean anything to you?”

His gaze shot back to mine. “Why? Did you think it did?”

Embarrassment had me shifting on my feet. “No, I just...I don’t know. I don’t have a lot of experience with these things.”

I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, his jaw working like he was about to say something.

“You seem relieved,” he said. “Were you afraid I was going to get between you and your goal?”

I flinched a bit at his use of the word ‘goal.’ That wasn’t exactly romantic...but it wasn’t far off from how I’d been viewing Justin. Like another destination I had to get to. If I strategized, worked hard, and fit the right part, I’d get what I wanted.

Justin as my boyfriend. Or at the very least, as my date to homecoming.

But after yesterday, I couldn’t quite focus on that daydream. Maybe because it felt exactly like that...a dream. Foggy and ephemeral. A sort of romantic vision, or like something I’d seen in a movie once.

“I-I didn’t think you were getting in the way,” I said.

Man, I was handling this all wrong. I was making a hash of it.

I should just go back to crushing on Justin from a distance and wait for the infatuation to fade. That was easier.

Safer.

Safer than what?

My mind felt like molasses. It had ever since that kiss. I felt like my subconscious was circling around something—a revelation or an insight. Like if I turned my head quickly enough I might catch sight of something great.

Or different, at least.

He was eyeing me, waiting for me to continue, but an irrational surge of anger had me moving away. “You know what? Forget it. I thought maybe it meant something, but I guess I was wrong.”

I got two steps toward the pool before he stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Hazel, wait.”

I stopped, mainly because he said my name and not a nickname. Also, because I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard his voice so serious.

I turned to face him, but when it became clear that he wasn’t going to speak, it would be up to me to see this through. “I’m confused, Will. I thought maybe…”

“Maybe what?” His eyes searched mine, wary and hopeful and terrified all at once.

I didn’t know what to make of it, but I’d come this far. And I didn’t want to go another minute feeling so torn and confused. “I thought maybe you felt it too, that maybe there was a connection there or...or something.”

He didn’t answer. He just stood there watching me, his jaw working, the skin around his eyes tight.

“But maybe I’m wrong,” I said. “Maybe all kisses are like that.”

“They aren’t.”

Well, alright then.

I inhaled swiftly at the intensity in his eyes. This...this was new.

We stood there in silence for a few seconds, and I became acutely aware of my heart beating