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“I’m not kissing youtonight.”
The words are a hoarse whisper but the crowd jumps on it, hollering and jeering as bitter humiliation washes over me for the second timetonight.
Tyler doesn’t flinch, doesn’t turn from me, almost as if he’s trying to tell me something withoutwords.
I don’t know what. His words spokeplenty.
Of course he wasn’t going to kiss me. He’s the new prince ofOakwood.
I nod to the dull circlet on his head, threatening to slide off his silky dark hair. “You’re losing yourcrown.”
Tyler reaches for it, and I step back toward the circle of players toward Jamie. The guy in question seems to have forgotten about me, judging by his start when I close my eyes as I press my mouth tohis.
Jamie tastes like beer and whatever I’ve been drinking mixed together. He doesn’t smell like cedar or sunshine, and I grab the front of his shirt to hold him to me as I count in my head toten.
Kissing this guy was a way to assert whatever free will I still had, but when I pull back, I realize that what felt like a small win is aloss.
Tyler’s nowhere insight.
* * *
When I prymy eyelids open on Saturday morning, my head pulses, the relentless percussion for a song I didn’trequest.
The sun is too bright because someone forgot to pull my blackout curtains lastnight.
My phone buzzes on my nightstand, and I reach forit.
Pen:Hey,superstar.
Pen:How are youfeeling?
Isit up,wincing, and typeback.
Annie:My mouth will taste vodka until the day Idie.
Which,judging by my current state, could betoday.
It’s eleven in the morning, but I don’t want to go back to sleep. So, instead, I go to the bathroom and pop two Advil before dragging my ass to theshower.
Pen’s response comes as I’m drying myhair.
Pen:Have you talked toTyler?
My stomach lurchesat the memory of what went down in the kitchen. I looked at him like I wanted to kiss him, and he shot me down without a damned word, in front of everyone, like the prince heis.
Annie:I’m never facing himagain.
Pen:It was a fucked-upnight
Pen:Maybe he didn’t want to do it in front of all those people with you buzzed and polka-dotted.
Doubtful.
When the ride Pen and I called dropped me off, Tyler’s bike was in the garage, but the lights were out in the poolhouse.
What if I pissed him off by kissing that guy whose name I can’t evenremember?
It’s notpossible.
