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What was even more maddening was she caught me on the spot and try as I might, no comebacks about Liam were coming to me. I was dead in the water. And she knew it.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I lied. Which was the lamest statement to make. My sister knew me as well as herself; having basically raised me, she could read me like a damn book, call me out on something and then tease me about it. It was like having a psychic mom and annoying sibling all rolled into one.
“Just tell me,” she goaded. “I won’t judge.” The words left her mouth easily and fast, like a breeze that would shift your hair into your eyes—you felt it happen but grew annoyed after the fact.
I wanted to tell her, hell I wanted to tell anyone about last night. About how Jake had indeed walked me back to my room. About how when we walked side by side, the edges of our hands continually brushed the other’s. How the contact, as miniscule as it was, was laying the groundwork for the kiss that we shared.
The hallway had been empty and after I had found my keycard, I turned to Jake to tell him I had had a good time. Moments like that I loathed; they were always awkward and it was an unspoken seesaw of emotions.
Did you go in for a hug when the other person was expecting a kiss? Did you say some hollow expression like you wanted to see them again when the other person’s sentiment was non-committal?
But Jake did something I hadn’t been expecting. As I turned, he slid his hand to the side of my face, cupping me gently behind the ear. The heat radiating from his palm was just as dizzying as the delicate strokes from his thumb while it lazily traced the contour of my cheek.
His eyes had become chocolate pools, the hue deep and decadent. I could hear the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears as he inched closer, his fresh scent filling my senses.
“J-Jake.” My voice had faltered, the unsteady cadence echoing in my head.
“I’m going to kiss you, Lucy,” he had told me, my eyes darting between his own.
And then he did. It was a gentle kiss, a simple touching of lips. The contact had been a question, seeking permission, reading me and waiting on my reaction.
Before I could make sense of what was happening, I leaned into him. My hands went for his defined arms, feeling the bulge of muscles before snaking up and around his neck. In response, his free hand went to the small of my back, pulling me flush against his solid body while he used his other hand to angle my face.
That’s when the kiss went from a ginger exploration to a desperate need. He took a step forward and my back hit the door. Perhaps with anyone else I would have hooked my leg around theirs, opened my mouth in invitation, or even moaned.
But the kiss had been such a different experience than I had ever had. It was slow and deliberate. The attraction and want were there, but something deeper, something more meaningful than I could have planned on took place.
Unable to describe it really, it was like time was passing us by, but crawling in the same instant. I felt completely present, but out of my body. There was liquid fire running through my veins, the heat so intense it felt almost icy.
When we finally came up for air, I searched Jake’s face. And what I saw was a mirror image of how I felt: shock.
It was clear that whatever I had felt, he most certainly had as well.
“Damn, Lucy…” He bit his bottom lip, processing. The miniscule gesture was sinful.
For once, I didn’t know what to say. Me, the girl who had a thousand words for every situation.
I was still wrapping my head around the feeling, the thrum reverberating and settling like distant ripples on a pond.
My hands came to his front, settling on the hard ridges of his chest as he rested both of his hands on my hips.
“Earth to Lucy!” E was pretending to knock on my head, pulling me out of my perfectly beautiful recollection.
“Hmmm?”
“Wow.”
It took me a second to remember what she had even asked. “…What were you saying? Oh, how Liam walked you back last night?” There. Hopefully that would be enough to deter her.
E rolled her eyes in response and as she opened her mouth to press on, the judges returned and it was no longer appropriate to talk.
Saved by the competition!
After stating how hard of a decision it was to choose a winner, the judges complimented all the contestants and praised everyone’s skills and imagination.
Each group came back out and three finalists were chosen. When the first-place contestants from each category took to the stage for the final round, everyone rooted the loudest for the Koil cosplayer.
He was named champion.
