Kiss and Break Up (Magnolia Cove, #1)(32)

“The one and only,” he slurred, crawling up the bed commando style.

“You reek of booze.”

“Probs because I drank a shit ton of it, probs.” He slumped down next to me. “How’s about a kiss?”

“How’s about you should probs go home?”

He blinked slowly, then laughed. “Good one, but nah, I made it here, and here is good.”

Grumbling, I tugged the duvet back over myself, well aware of the fact I was only in panties and a tank. “How was the party?”

“Pretty fucking crazy. How was the no party?”

I huffed, then paused. “Wait, how’d you know I wasn’t going?”

His brows gathered, eyes shutting. “Ah, because you weren’t there maybe?”

That had me laughing, and so did he, though it was more like bursts of drunken sound. “Quiet,” I hissed. “Mom’s already pissed at me.”

“What happened?” he asked, rolling over to face me. His fingers reached for my cheek and his entire hand fell on it, heavily petting.

I shoved it away. “She found out I was going to Wade’s, so now I’m grounded for a week.”

“Bummer.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Wanna make out?” His hand went under the duvet, finding my hip and pulling me closer. My nose almost touched his, and all I could smell was bourbon and cigarettes intermingling with his new aftershave.

“No,” I said, not sure if I meant it when his hand gripped around the curve of my hip, fitting so perfectly.

“You sure?” he asked on a whisper. “Because I’m so hard for you right now.”

I laughed, then turned my face, trying to smother it in my pillow. “God, how did we get here?”

“Well, I walked. I’m assuming you’ve been here since school got out.” I gave him a look that said that wasn’t what I’d meant. He exhaled, his warm breath fogging my lips. “Who cares? It’s a pretty great place to be.”

“It is, is it?”

His lip curled, teeth and dimple appearing. “Best not to overthink it.”

With his mouth unbearably close to mine and drifting closer, I pushed my hands against his chest. “It’s always best to overthink it when you have a boyfriend.”

His mouth snapped shut, and I could hear his teeth grind together. “He didn’t seem to miss you too much tonight.”

I sat up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dash rolled to his back, tucking his arm behind his head. The moon danced through the window, highlighting the tormented look etched upon his face and the muscles clenching in his upper arm. “Never mind.”

“But I do mind. Did he do something?”

“Other than act like a fucking idiot? No, nothing you need to worry about.”

I lowered to my back, and we both stared up at the patchy paint on the ceiling a long while.

Dash passed out before me, the sound of his snoring lulling me into a restless sleep. When I woke up, he was gone.





Peggy



After watching my phone like a hawk all day Saturday, wondering if Byron would call, I almost missed it that night when I decided to throw my phone in my sock drawer.

He was tired and hungover, so therefore, he sounded disinterested in anything I talked about. Which was understandable.

He called again on Sunday to apologize, saying he’d never drank that much in his life and that half the night was a blur.

“Oh, goodie,” Dash said, who’d also been quiet on the drive to school. “More weeds.”

I shushed him, then pasted on a smile when I walked over to Byron, who was holding more sunflowers in front of my locker. “Thank you.” I took them from him, toying with one of the luminous petals.

He slid his hands into his pockets, his tie still undone. “Open the note?”

I flicked it open and read the small inscription.



Do homecoming with me?



Homecoming was just under two weeks away, and I hadn’t even thought about it until now. Which was strange, given I’d already bought my dress.

I looked up at him and nodded. “I’d be delighted to do homecoming with you.”

He grinned, wrapping an arm behind my back. We squished the flowers between us when he grabbed my face and quickly pressed his lips to mine, pulling away before we got caught. “I’ve wanted to do that for days. And that felt more like a tease.”

I bit my lip, then unlocked my locker to grab my books and put the flowers inside. “I’ll see you at lunch?”

He tipped his chin up, winking as he walked backward to his own locker. “Count on it.”

“Damn,” Daphne said from behind me. “Someone has it bad.”

“Or someone is trying a little too fucking hard,” Dash chimed in, unlocking my locker and inspecting the card. “Homecoming?” He threw an accusing glare at me. “You said at the start of break that we were going together.”

I didn’t remember that, but maybe I had. Thankfully, I was saved from answering when Lars approached with a sucker hanging between his lips.

Daphne bristled, and I frowned as he gave her a once-over, then jerked his head for Dash to head to class with him.

“This conversation isn’t over, Peggy.”