The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,178

him slide into the truck with us.

“You’ve spoiled me so much.” I nod at the bouquet of flowers laying by my side.

“Those are nothing.” He nods at me to open the package. I sit up and unwrap it taking my time not to tear the paper. I plan on keeping it.

“Oh.” My breath catches in my throat and I run unsteady fingers over the dust cover of the book. Where the Side Walk Ends.

“It’s signed by the author,” he says and I press it to my chest as if I can hold back the bursting dam of happiness inside of me. If I couldn’t hear the music, and feel the breeze and see the stars, I might think I was dreaming.

“This is… oh, I’ll treasure it. Thank you so much.”

“You’re so welcome.” And then he gives me the best present of all.

The flowers were beautiful. This book is beyond precious. But nothing compares to Remi’s smile. It lights up his entire face. The star of the show, wide, full, dimpled and sincere—it steals my breath. And he had the most perfect teeth I’d ever seen on a guy.

I am so smitten. This summer we’ve spent together has been full of firsts.

He’s the first boy to hold my hand.

The first boy to give me a present just to see me smile.

He’s the first boy to hold a door open for me.

He was the first boy to kiss me like my kisses were the only thing keeping him alive.

And tonight, I’ll ask him to be my first lover.

If he’ll have me.

I’ve stopped holding him at arm’s length, but he’s never tried to take us further than making out.

I suspect it’s because his whole life is about to take off in a way that doesn’t include me. The thought causes an ache in the middle of my chest, but I push it away. Not tonight on the most perfect day. With my dream man lying next to me under the sky that reminds me of his eyes.

I’m going to give him my virginity. He may go away and never think about me again, but I know he’ll give me a “first time” worth remembering. With someone who looks at me like I hung the moon. Who makes me laugh. Who helps me believe that all of my secret dreams are actually possible. I’ll never forget him.

I sigh into his shirt and tip my head up to look at him.

His eyes are flooded with the last light from the sun that’s dropped from its high perch in the sky. It’s going to start to set soon. I want to lie out here with him all night and see the sun rise again. “I want today to never end,” I say wistfully.

His smiles spreads and the fingers that have been twirling in my hair move to my cheeks and start to write a word, letter by letter on it.

“It’s been a pretty perfect day,” he says as he strokes out a M on my cheek.

I giggle at the tickle and squirm against his side. But as soon as my thighs brush his, my giggle dies and my squirm becomes more languorous. His body feels so good.

“What are you writing?”

“Did you catch the first letter?” he asks instead of answering me.

“M.” I confirm with a nod.

“Good, spell along.”

“I.”

“N.”

“E.”

I repeat each letter as he paints them onto my skin.

“Mine?”

“I want you to be,” he says.

“Me, too,” I admit and then push back the sadness I told myself I wouldn’t acknowledge until after he was gone. “I know summer’s going to end and you’re going to leave… but maybe we can pretend?”

“I want to do more than pretend, Kal.”

My heart thumps in my chest at the serious expression in his eyes and at the heat behind it.

I nod.

“Okay,” I say and when he starts to lower his head to kiss me, I raise my face to meet him halfway. When our lips touch a moan passes my lips right before his tongue sweeps inside my mouth. I’ll never get used to how delicious he is.

His tongue swipes against mine and I taste the apples we ate after dinner. I grasp his face in my hands and hold on for dear life while I let his kiss brand me.

He peppers kisses on my face, on the lids of my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, and then his hands slide under the straps of my dress and he yanks it down.

“Damn, Kal,” he groans when he finds me