AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Still, it was fun to pretend the cutest, most popular sophomore in Haris Day was talking to me too.
“Then you owe your win to Aella,” Dina said, tugging me out from behind my shield. “She’s yourbiggest fan.No one was cheering louder for you than her.”
“Oh yeah?” he said.
I flashed big eyes at her smirk. “I’m going to kill you!” I mouthed.
“Guess I do owe you, Aella.”
My jaw dropped when he took my hand and kissed my knuckles.
He said my name and kissed me. He kissed me and said my name. Justin Lewis knows my name and he kissed me. I was kissed by Justin Lewis.
My mind spun out—fritzing and sputtering until it died. There was nothing for me to do but gape at him with my hand hanging in the air.
Kylie helpfully put it back down at my side.
“Big deal for a sophomore to join the varsity team. Everyone expected me to fall on my face after Coach finally let me get off the bench. Glad to know someone was rooting for me. How can I thank you, my biggest fan?” Justin stuck his hands in his pockets, grinning even while he shrugged and ducked his head. “Name it.”
“I—I—I was just—”
“It’s Aella’s birthday today,” Kylie sliced in, hip-bumping me. “Last thing she needs is a paint balloon to the face. If you want to thank her, you’ll protect her.”
“Done.”
Before I knew what was happening, Justin’s arm was around my waist and Kylie’s umbrella was over our heads. He held me close as the light changed and we crossed—not caring in the slightest that we looked like a pair of loons walking around with an umbrella on a cloudless day.
I sank into his heady smell of textbooks, cedar body spray, and boy. The scent clouded my mind, the only explanation for why I didn’t come to until we were standing in front of the flower shop and Justin was taking my hand again, kissing my fingertips.
“See you tomorrow, Aella.”
“B-bye,” I croaked.
Winking, he took off and caught a cab at the top of the street. I didn’t start breathing again until it whisked him away.
“Did that... just happen?” I spun on my friends. “Oh my gosh, did Justin freaking Lewis just walk me home!?”
“He didn’t just walk you home, girl,” Dina replied. “He snuggled you up good and tight. Couldn’t fit a rice grain between you two.”
“Ahh!”
We jumped up and down, holding hands, screaming, and making half the pedestrians give us a wide berth.
“Did you see the way he was looking at you?” Kylie asked. “He’s so into you.”
My cheeks flamed. “He is not. He just learned my name twenty minutes ago.”
“So? You have been obsessed with him since freshman orientation,” Kylie said. “I’m telling you, don’t do your usual thing of hiding your face behind a book whenever a cute guy looks your way. You don’t want him to think you’re not interested when you definitely, definitely,definitelyare.”
“That was too many definitelys.”
“She’s right,” Dina said. “Tomorrow, you’re going straight up to him at lunch, plopping down next to him, and saying, ‘I’ve got your dessert right here, baby.’ Even if you’ve got to shove someone to the floor.”
“That is definitely, definitely, definitely not happening.”
Dina laughed. “Either way, we all know this just became your favorite day ever. Nothing your mom has in there is going to top it.”
“Give her a chance. She might’ve made her famous crème brûlée cheesecake again.”
