Page 46 of Lovestrung

I had to be patient, at least for a little while longer.

Until I found the guts to confess all my sins to her and she had absolved me with her sweet mouth.

11

The Past – Surprises Afoot

Ethan & Pippa – ages eighteen and fifteen

“Ethan, what’s it like to kiss a girl?”

I almost dropped the mountain of books balancing in my arms.

What the fuck?

“What. The. Hell, Pip?” I stared at her from across the room, not sure I’d heard her right.

She was lying on my bed, reading – or, that’s what she was supposed to do, anyway – and I was at my desk, packing up my books. It was my last summer at the Montgomery house, and even though I couldn’t wait to go, I hated leaving my best friend behind.

It had been five years since I’d been welcomed into the home of Pippa and her family, and she had been my best friend for just as long. I never thought my closest friend would be a girl, but she was cool. Outspoken and funny. Somehow, she’d made me open up to her – I couldn’t even pinpoint the exact moment it had happened – and although I was closer to her brothers’ age, somehow we just fit better. She understood me like no one else did.

She sighed and flipped her book shut before turning her head to me.

“Don’t get all embarrassed on me. I asked you a simple question.”

“It’s not simple, and you know it.”

“You can’t tell me you’re embarrassed?” She leaned up on her elbows, drawing my eyes to the way her black top clung to her curves. Swallowing hard, I gave her my back and continued packing.

“I’m not,” I grumbled. “You caught me off guard, that’s all. But why are you asking me? You have a string of girlfriends to ask questions boys don’t want to answer.”

“Maybe, but…”

I paused and dared a glance back.

“But?”

“But they can’t help me this time.”

A blush started to creep up on her neck, making her look even sweeter than usual.

It shouldn’t have been possible, but she did. She’d changed over the summer – she didn’t look like a child anymore. Her face had lost its roundness and turned into a perfect oval. Her lips were fuller, the bottom more pronounced, ripe and plump. Begging to be tugged and nibbled on by teeth. A low simmer started in my gut, shocking me when I realized that she had blossomed into a young woman.

How the fuck had I missed that?

Because every time you think of her as other than your friend, you shut it down, you ass.

Ignoring my conscience, I turned to face her and crossed my arms.

“This is weird, Pip. We’ve never talked about this kind of stuff before.”

“We talk about everything else. Why can’t we talk about this?” Her lips turned down in an unhappy frown as she sat up on her knees in the middle of my bed.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. “All right.” I walked to sit on the edge of the mattress, resting my hand next to her thigh. “Why can’t they help you?”

“Because they haven’t kissed any boys, either.” Her lips tipped up in a crooked smile. “All of us are pretty much clueless.”

I shifted in my seat, too uncomfortable to sit still and stared out the window. “You can talk with your mom.”