Page 74 of Fifty First Times (Sharing You 0.40)
How was it I’d gone my entire life with a couple of lame kisses I could count on one hand, and I’d come this close to kissing two guys in the same night?
Except only one of them liked me. Only one of them had been carefully courting me for months, if you could say that about a nineteen-year-old. And the other . . .
I glance over my shoulder at Garrett, but he’s already on his feet, pulling on his wool jacket, his expression the same old, easygoing, cynical mask I’d gotten so used to.
I should be relieved. It had been a fluke. I’d been an easy target for a horny guy who’d just broken up with his high school girlfriend.
But I’m not relieved. I feel . . .
Crap.
I don’t know what I feel.
“Night, Anners,” Garrett says, giving my hair a little tug like I’m the annoying kid sister. He moves toward the door, and he and Zach do one of those weird guy-handshake things, although they don’t exchange any words.
I watch Garrett, waiting for him to turn around and look at me. Waiting for his eyes to help me understand what the hell just happened. But he’s gone without even a glance my way.
Forget about it, Annie. Count yourself lucky for not doing something stupid with a guy who’d never ever bother to call you the next day.
I move toward Zach, trying to force my brain to that moment we had earlier at the party. I try to remember that almost-kiss, instead of the other one that nearly just happened.
His hands find mine, pulling me in. I close my eyes for a second, partially because this guy is so damn good, but also because I’m feeling a little guilty for my almost-but-wasn’t moment with Garrett.
“Sorry about tonight,” he says, putting his lips close to my ear. “Not exactly the Friday night I’d envisioned.
I let out a long breath. “I’m just glad we got Corrie and Haley out of there. They’ll have a headache tomorrow, but it beats some of the alternatives.”
He nods. “It’s a little like parenting, huh? Except with really big, slightly skanky babies?”
Right on cue, Corrie lets out a loud snore. I giggle. “Yeah, something like that.”
“You going to sleep?” he asks, his thumbs rubbing over my palms.
I meet his eyes. “You mind? It’s been kind of a long week and a long night.”
And I need some time to think.
“Sure.” His hands squeeze mine. “Good night, Annie.
“Night, Zach,” I whisper.
He turns away, but he turns back at the last second. “One of these days
, Annie . . .”
I give him a little half smile. “Yeah. One of these days . . .”
But my smile fades after I’ve closed the doors. One of these days. . .
For the life of me, I have no idea how I want that sentence to end.
Four
GARRETT DOESN’T SHOW up to work on Tuesday.
Not on Thursday either.
And I can’t even legitimately get mad, because Mrs. Ramirez told me that even though he had a scheduling conflict this week, he’d still stopped by to pick up some work to do from home so I wouldn’t get stuck with all of it.
