He shook his head and kept on walking. I followed this time.
“Why did you do it?” I asked.
He turned his head to look at me like I’d claimed the Earth was flat. “If this is about what happened in the locker room, I?—”
“Of course this is about that. Why wouldn’t it be? You kissed me, for fuck’s sake.”
“That’s ridiculous, Kayden.Youkissedme.”
My chest tightened up instantly. You wouldn’t believe the nerve of that kid.
I glanced over my shoulder at the sea of students around us. Oh sure, no one was actively paying attention, but someone must’ve overheard something about the kiss.
Shit! I couldn’t get out of my own way lately.
“Keep it down, would you?” I said.
“You’re the one that wanted to talk to me.”
“Of course I did. I want answers. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me what’s going on? You planned that whole thing.”
“I didn’t plan anything. It just sort of happened.”
“You’re saying it was meant to happen?”
“I didn’t say that. You did. Don’t go putting words in my mouth.”
For a moment, I thought I’d fucked up by saying anything to Erik, and not because he just had to argue. Talking about the kiss reminded me of how incredible his moist lips felt pressed against mine. It whisked me back to having him in my arms with our tongues lapping over one another. Memories of his spicy cologne filled my mind, taking me back to the moment, making me feel weightless.
I paused, realizing I felt too warm and comfortable reliving that. I wondered what would’ve come next if I hadn’t broken away from the kiss. Would we have…?
I stopped that thought in its tracks. What’d happened couldn’t be undone, but I wouldn’t miss my chance to reclaim control.
Kind of like now.
That meant I needed to snap out of it fast.
“Ever kissed another guy before?” Erik asked.
“No, bro.”
“I’ve never kissed another guy either.”
“Glad to hear that. I want to tell you something. What happened in?—”
“And when we kissed, I?—”
“Shut up about that already, would you?”
I heard the urgency in my voice. For the first time in my life, I felt desperate. Then I glanced over my shoulder again, certain someone had overheard us this time. So far, the students nearby seemed to mind their own business, like maybe they heard conversations like this all the time. But that didn’t mean anything. I’m Kayden Preston, bound for the NHL, and I couldn’t earn myself a reputation for kissing dudes.
You lost control…
Erik wasn’t the only one who wouldn’t shut up. My inner voice had had plenty to say since the kiss.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, why did you stop me in the hall?” he asked.
“Idon’twant to talk about it. I mean, I don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty. I just want to ask you two questions: Why did you kiss me, and how long were you planning to do it?”
