Her smile fell away. “That’s not my thing.”
“Am I your thing?” I gave her a smile.
“I’m not sure yet.”
I put a hand over my heart like I was wounded. In reality, it made me respect her. Most girls fell all over themselves to give me the answer I wanted to hear. If I had asked anybody else to go with me, they would have said yes before I was done asking.
And she wasn’t even playing hard to get. She was just being herself.
“C’mon, you might have fun.”
She made a face. “I doubt it.”
“I’ll be there.”
“And fifty of your conquests,” she muttered.
I grinned. “Somebody’s jealous.”
She gave me a look. “Maybe fifty of mine will be there too.”
I knew she was kidding, but just the words made me churn with a feeling I did not like. It was so swift I was shocked into silence.
“Romeo?” she asked when I just stood there. “I was just kidding. You could have at least pretended to be horrified.”
I grabbed her hand and brought it up to my lips to press a kiss to her palm. “I don’t like the idea of anyone touching you.”
Her eyes dropped to her hand.
“Come with me tomorrow,” I said, letting my lips brush against her when I spoke.
“If I don’t like it, will you bring me home?”
“Yes.” But I was going to make sure she had a good time.
“Okay,” she agreed tentatively.
When I tugged her hand, she tumbled into my chest. I leaned down and took my time kissing her.
When I pulled back, she was breathless. “People are probably watching us through the windows.”
“So?”
She shook her head and gave me a bewildered look.
“Remember what I said. If anyone bothers you, come to me. If you can’t find me, go to Braeden.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know. But I want to.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, not agreeing or disagreeing.
“Hey, can we skip tutoring? I want to go home after practice and get ready. We can study later this weekend.”
“Sure.”
I watched her step up onto the sidewalk away from the Hellcat. Her thin legs stuck out from beneath the oversized shirt and the writing was huge across her back. My chest swelled a little when I saw my name practically branding her.
“Hey,” I said, and she turned back.
I rushed forward and caught her around the waist, lifting her off her feet so she was level with my face. She laughed and the sound filled me up inside. “Kiss me.”
Rimmel reached out and slid her hand slowly over my shoulder and to the back of my neck. Her small fingers dipped into the hair at the base of my head and tugged me closer. She glided her soft, luscious lips over mine and tentatively dipped her tongue where they parted. I opened for her willingly and soon both of us were breathing hard, gasping for air.
I swore under my breath when I realized we were outside. It was just supposed to be one kiss. Clearly, I couldn’t kiss her without losing it.
I sat her down on the pavement and held on until I knew she was steady on her feet. “I’ll wait ‘til you’re inside,” I said.
She went and I drove home.
On the way, I realized something.
Seeing her didn’t quiet the war inside me. It only made it worse.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rimmel
Ivy was waiting for me in our room like I knew she would be. When I walked in, she practically attacked me.
“Ohmigod,” she gushed, running her words together. “You have been holding out on me!”
I gave her a look. “What do you mean?”
“He did not give you that hoodie because you were cold.”
I sighed. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on between us, if anything.”
“Didn’t look like ‘if anything’ to me.” She pulled out her phone and held the screen out for me to see. “Even the latest Buzz is about you two.”
Hashtag heart? That was totally charming.
But I needed to remember we weren’t together, not officially.
“It probably didn’t look that way when you were making out with him at the bonfire,” I said coolly.
She snapped her mouth shut. I rummaged around to get some PJs. Once I found them, I grabbed my little tote full of my bathroom stuff and went to the shared bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.
I wore Romeo’s shirt to the bathroom, then I put it back on once I had my sleep shorts and tank on. Everyone stared at me. I ignored them all. The thing was I was better off doing this than hiding in my room. I’d been hiding for the last almost six years of my life. I was tired of it.
A couple girls smiled at me on the way out and I smiled back. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were only being nice because of Romeo.
Ivy was in her pajamas when I got back to the room. I set my stuff aside and grabbed my book and got into bed.
“About Romeo…” she said.
I looked up. “Is that why you’re suddenly being nice? Because you think being near me will give you another shot with him?”
She was taken aback by my frankness. I sort of was too. But Romeo seemed to be concerned about girls and how they were going to treat me. And part of me wondered who else he was worried about so much that he felt the need to plaster his name on me like I was a piece of property.
“I’ve always been nice to you.” Her voice was mildly hurt, and I had a pang of doubt.
“Yeah.” I agreed. “You have. But you’ve never wanted to sit with me at lunch or asked me to go to a football game.”
She glanced down into her lap. “Honestly?”
“That would be nice,” I said.
“When I first saw his shirt on your bed and you said you were tutoring him, the thought ran through my mind.”
I nodded.
“But that was before I saw him with you. He’s totally into you.”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” I muttered.
She gave me a look. “We both know you aren’t his usual type.”
She was right. It was the same thing I kept telling myself.
“I don’t really understand either.” I admitted.
Her face softened. “Your wardrobe could use some serious help. And a brush would definitely help your hair,” she said, and I laughed. “But you’re a really good person, Rimmel. You just need to let people in.”
I frowned.