Chapter 19 #2
“Because I want them to be true. Like when I was younger, I swore I had this memory of my mom taking me to the first day of kindergarten. I saw her holding my hand. Giving me a hug before she left. I could even smell her perfume. I played that memory over and over again in my head and then one day I told my dad and he said it never happened. She was gone by then. My dad’s the one who took me.
Anyway, I don’t have a lot of memories like that.
Most of the ones I have actually happened, but I don’t have many. I was too young when she died.”
He glances at the door. “We should get out of here. It’s getting late.”
I get up, wondering why he suddenly decided to leave.
Was our conversation getting too personal?
I probably shouldn’t have told him all that, knowing he’ll find a way to use it against me.
I’m sure he regrets opening up to me, too, but there was something different about tonight.
I didn’t feel like I was with the jerk who’s bullied me for years.
I felt like I was with someone else, almost like I was out with a friend.
“I need to tell you something,” he says as we walk to my truck.
“What?”
“Finn’s dad took the Range Rover in to be fixed. He did it without telling Finn.”
“Did he ask how it got damaged?”
“Yeah, Finn told him he hit one of those concrete pillars in a parking garage. I don’t think anything will happen. I just thought you should know.”
“I’ve been trying not to think about it, but it’s all I can think about.”
“Me too.”
“Oh, shit.” I duck behind Briggs, hoping Ian didn’t see me. He was walking to his car, but stopped and looked over here.
“What’s going on?” Briggs asks. “Why are you hiding?”
“This guy I went out with is coming toward us. I only went out with him one time because he turned out to be an ass. I told him I didn’t want to see him again but he wouldn’t stop calling me. I had to finally just block his number.”
“He’s still coming this way.”
“Get rid of him!” I whisper, still hiding behind Briggs.
“Get beside me,” Briggs whispers back.
“Why?”
He reaches back and pulls me beside him, looking at Ian as he comes toward us. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to say hi to Ella.” Ian smiles at me with that crooked smile of his that I never liked.
“Hey, Ian, how’s it going?” I say.
“Good. Haven’t seen you for a while. What have you been up to?”
“Work. School. The usual.”
Briggs puts his hand out toward Ian. “Briggs Chadwick.”
Ian looks confused as he shakes his hand. “How do you know Ella?”
Briggs puts his arm around me. “She’s my girlfriend.”
I almost choke when he says it. Girlfriend? I’ve never been anyone’s girlfriend, so hearing someone call me that sounds strange, but to hear Briggs say it? I can’t believe he’d let those words come out of his mouth! Even pretending I’m his girlfriend is a lot for someone who can’t stand me.
“You’re dating him ?” Ian says to me, like he can’t believe a guy like Briggs would date me, or maybe he thinks I wouldn’t date a guy like Briggs.
“Yes.” I smile up at Briggs. “We go to the same school. Briggs is captain of the rugby team. I go to all his games.” I look back at Ian. He looks shocked and really confused.
“You hate sports,” he says, “especially rugby. I remember you saying how much you hated the rugby players at your school.”
“That was before I started dating Briggs. Now I love rugby.”
“She’s my biggest fan,” Briggs says, keeping his arm around me. “We need to get going so...”
“Yeah.” Ian backs away. “I’ll see you later, Ella.”
As he walks away, Briggs turns to me. “What’s he doing?”
“Staring at us,” I whisper, looking at Ian from the corner of my eye.
“You sure?”
“Yes. I don’t think he believes our story.”
Briggs wraps his hands around my face, and before I even know what’s happening, his mouth lowers to mine and he kisses me. My instinct is to back away, but I can’t, and not just because I know Ian is watching, but because I like the kiss.
Wait . . . what the hell? I’m not supposed to like this! It’s Briggs! The guy I hate more than anyone!
But I love the way he’s kissing me. It’s soft, not forced, and the way he moves his mouth over mine is... perfect. I feel his tongue nudge open my lips, and although I know I shouldn’t, I let him.
His tongue moves fluidly over mine. It’s not sloppy or wet. It’s the type of kiss I wish I’d had in the past, but guys never do it right. Even if it’s not a sloppy mess, it just doesn’t feel right. But this? This feels all kinds of right, maybe because it’s so damn wrong.
When he slowly pulls away, I open my eyes and see him looking back at me. “Is he gone?”
I glance to my left. “Yeah. He’s gone.”
“That should make him leave you alone.”
I look back at Briggs. “So, um, I guess I’ll go.”
He opens the door of my truck, and it makes its usual screeching sound. “You should try oiling that.”
“My dad keeps saying he will, but he forgets.” I get in the truck but don’t close the door because Briggs is still holding onto it.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“Working for my dad. How about you?”
“Same. He’s making me go in the office on weekends now.”
“Why?”
“I’m supposed to be learning the business.” He shakes his head. “Anyway, I’ll see you Monday.” He shuts my door and walks back to his car.
I start my truck but sit there a moment, still reeling from that kiss and wondering how it even happened.
That was, without a doubt, the best kiss I’ve ever had. And it was from the person I hate the most.