Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry,” I said, taking a quick step backward. “Uh, I didn’t mean to … I mean, I thought you were … oh my gosh. I’m an idiot. Sorry. I just messed up the do-over.” Tucking my chin, I covered my face with my hands. “Jeez, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Gabby, don’t be. Please.”
I dropped my hands and lifted my head. Over his shoulder, a figure headed toward us. I narrowed my eyes until Ben came into view.
“Gabbs,” Ben said, before licking his ice cream cone. He was a mint chip guy.
Matt turned. “Hey! Ben, right?”
Ben smiled. It was obnoxious and fake. “The one and only.”
I held back an eye roll, but mumbled, “There are a billion people named Ben.”
Both men ignored me.
“It’s been a while. Nice to see you again.” Matt was cordial and genuine.
Ben could have learned a few lessons from him. “Yeah, and yet it seems like yesterday because I hear your name so often.”
My friendship with Ben was over, and he would find that out as soon as Matt went home. How dare him call me out like that.
“Is that so?” Matt smirked at me as I ignited into an inferno of embarrassment right there on the sidewalk.
“Well, I suppose not so much anymore since I’m no longer in Devil’s Head, but yeah, you were a legend. The best pitcher our high school had ever seen. So everyone talked about you after you graduated.”
Matt’s back straightened as Ben pumped him full of lies. Sure, kids who played baseball after Matt graduated probably mentioned his name a few times. After all, it wasn’t every day athletes from small-town Missouri got full ride scholarships to big colleges. But Matt wasn’t the talk of the town unless Gabbyville was that town.
“Wow. I had no idea.” Even Matt knew it was highly suspicious.
Ben licked his ice cream and shrugged. “How could you since you moved away and your family did too?”
“Well, I’ll let you get to bed, Gabby. I had fun. See ya around, Ben.”
Ben gave him a little chin lift.
“Goodnight,” I said, feeling conflicted about Ben’s timing.
Did he show up to save me from myself or to prolong further discussion of why I kissed Matt on the lips?
“Did I interrupt?” Ben offered me a lick of his ice cream cone.
I shook my head. “I had rainbow sherbet.”
His eyes widened. “Rainbow sherbet? Whoa. Someone’s trying to get to second base with you again.”
“Shut up.” I dug my key out of my bag while Ben opened the door for me.
I couldn’t help but murmur a soft “thank-you” because even when I was mad at him, I wasn’t really mad at him.
As we headed up the stairs, I waited for him to ask me about my date, an “Oh my gosh, tell me everything!” But Ben wasn’t that kind of best friend.
“How was my night? Oh, thanks for asking. It was nice. I discovered I have no exceptional talents, I’m the only one who finds a good book utterly intriguing, and latch hook and macramé aren’t as attractive as one might have thought.”
“One might have thought?” He stopped at the door to my floor. “So you’re implying there is at least one person who thought that? Is her name Gabriella Jacobson? And was that your go-to for getting Matt to want to kiss you? Latch hook and macramé?”
“Har, har. Of course not.”
“Oh, thank god.” He pressed his free hand to his chest.
“You’re such a dork.” I grabbed his wrist and shoved his ice cream into his face.
There wasn’t much left, but it was enough to smear it all over his chin, lips, and the tip of his nose. Despite intending to do just that, I was surprised that it worked. I covered my mouth with my hand for a second, eyes wide, as I suppressed a giggle.
Ben narrowed his eyes, and I dropped my hand from my mouth. “Sorry,” I squeaked.
He intentionally let go of the rest of the ice cream cone.
Splat!
I stared at it on the ground for a second. Why did he do that? As I lifted my gaze, he grabbed my face and held it hostage while he smeared the ice cream from his face all over mine.
“Ben!” I grabbed his wrists. “Stop!” I giggled.
He smeared it along my cheeks and mouth, up my nose to my forehead.
“Ben!”
Then he licked it off my face. I couldn’t stop giggling until his tongue swiped along my lips once, twice … and then he kissed me. And I don’t know why, but I kissed him back.
No thoughts.
No reason.
It just felt good.
The ice cream was no longer cold; it was warm, sweet, and sticky between our lips. And he didn’t let go of my face. He gripped it while backing me into the door. I don’t remember when my eyes closed, they just did. Nor do I recall when my lips parted to let the tip of his tongue touch mine. But it happened.