He lowers his head and oh boy, he’s going to kiss me. I slide my tongue out to wet my bottom lip. I should stop him. I should. But the closer he gets, the harder it is to deny that he’s right—I want this.
The ride starts with a jolt, but my awareness whittles down only to the feel of his lips on mine.
He kisses me with a softness I didn’t anticipate. After a moment of hesitation, I slide a little closer to him, offering myself up. He groans and I whimper, raising my hand to touch his face. His five o’clock shadow prickles my palm. The softness of his hair threads through my fingers. This is what I’ve dreamed about for weeks—years, if I’m being honest with myself.
I’d imagined my mind would be screaming that I’m kissing Gavin Price, Hollywood heartthrob, but I’m not giddy because of that. In fact, I’m giddy because I’m kissing Gavin Price, Sunrise Bay resident. A man who’s winning me over with the type of perseverance women dream about.
He strips his mouth from mine, his thumb sliding down the column of my throat. “Posey, you have no idea what you do to me,” he says softly. “You drive me mad in the best possible way.”
I giggle and my finger runs down his chest, feeling the abs I’ve only seen on display during his runs. I’m going to take this right now because it feels right. To hell with the consequences. I grip his shirt and tug him toward me, and a smile creases his lips before his mouth descends on mine again.
We’re lost in one another until the ride slows, but our container continues to spin. I back up from him, nausea overwhelming me. I might have been caught up in our kiss, but it seems my body was well aware of the ride.
“You look pale,” he says, reaching for me.
I look to the outside, where I catch a glimpse of Emilia waving at me.
“Oh god,” I squeak.
Then I throw up all over Gavin.
The ride slows to a stop, and I stare at him, unsure what my next move is. He’s looking at his lap in disbelief.
“You should’ve taken me on the Ferris wheel like a normal guy would have!” I free myself from the ride, embarrassment coating me.
If anything were to happen between us, which it can’t, imagine telling my grandchildren, “Grandma threw up on Grandpa after their first kiss.”
I’m such an idiot. I knew nothing good could come from involving myself with Gavin. This just proves it.
I rush off the ride and out of the carnival.
A school board meeting isn’t exactly the way I want to spend my Friday night, but I do want to win the mayoral race, so here I am.
“Have you seen my Rubik’s Cube?” Erwin asks me from the passenger seat.
He didn’t have to come with me tonight, I’d actually prefer he didn’t, but he said he was bored.
“No.”
“I haven’t been able to find it in almost a week. I had it at the festival and now I can’t find it.”
“I don’t know where it is,” I say, annoyance leaking into my voice that has nothing to do with Erwin or his Rubik’s Cube.
I’m on my last inch of rope with Posey. I’m clearly a lunatic because all I wanted to do after she threw up on me was take care of her, but she left me in a Tilt-A-Whirl with vomit-soaked clothes and she’s been dodging me ever since. I texted her to see if she was okay and she replied with a simple yes. I went into the salon, and she pretended she had to get some hair dye from the back and never returned. I waited for fifteen minutes.
Tonight? I’m sure she won’t be accompanying her mom just so she doesn’t have to see me.
I park my truck and climb out. The lot is pretty full. I’ve learned that almost every big event is held in the Sunrise Bay High School gym or auditorium. It was a little surreal the first time I came into this building. Even though I acted in a television show that was supposed to take place in a high school, it was filmed at a small Catholic college that had closed down. I don’t know what it feels like to walk down the halls of your high school with real classmates and not just fellow actors.
“Is she going to be here tonight?” Erwin asks.
I know who he’s asking about. He rarely refers to Posey by name as if he’s afraid she’ll pop up if he does.
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Do you think you’ll just give up on her?” Erwin asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Because she holds all that shit in from her dad cheating on her mom. Plus, she puts her family above everyone. It would take a lot for you to become the priority over them. As your friend, I feel like I should set you straight—you won’t win her.”
I don’t consider Erwin a friend, I consider him an employee, but he’s being truthful. I wonder if I’ve been blind, seeing what I wanted to see. “We all have shit from our past.”
“Yeah, but she holds on to hers like it’s a life jacket.”
“You’re telling me you have nothing traumatizing from your childhood?” I have to think a guy who is only concerned about his Rubik’s Cube and so easily gave up his blog about video games so he can be my assistant is harboring something.
“Sometimes you just have to say fuck it.” He shrugs. “That was my life, and it sucked, but I made it through. I’m here now.”
His statement feels oddly perceptive coming from Erwin.
“The past can still stop you from doing things, even if you think of it like that.” I open the doors to the high school, kind of wishing he’d brought this up at a different time when we could dive deeper into it.
I walk into the room that’s now buzzing with activity. Mostly everyone is near a refreshment table. Little groups of people mingle throughout the space, but it’s a red-haired woman who catches my eye. Posey’s talking with a guy about her age.
I elbow Erwin. “Do you know him?”
“Of course I know Hank Greene,” Erwin says as if I’m the idiot.
“Not him. The guy Posey’s talking to.”
He leans forward like a ninety-year-old, squinting to get a look. “Shit, I didn’t hear that he was back in town. That’s Eli Easton. He and Posey…” He doesn’t finish his sentence. “I’m gonna ask around about my Rubik’s Cube.”
Erwin moves to walk away, but I grab the back of his jacket and tug him back to my side. “He and Posey what?”
“You sure you wanna know?” He’s all nervous energy, his weight shifting from foot to foot, his hands clenching and unclenching.
“Yes.” I look back at her.
God, it’s like a hammer to the heart. He just made her laugh. I want to be the one to do that to her. Now she’s touching his arm. This is heart-wrenching. Is this how she felt when we were at the pancake breakfast?
“It’s all rumor, but I mean, this is Sunrise Bay. Not a lot of liars around.”
“Spit it out, Erwin,” I snap.
“Eli was her first real boyfriend.”
“Fuck,” I murmur, reading between the lines. “Seriously? They dated?”
“Kind of. I think maybe. I wasn’t in Posey’s circle. I don’t know the specifics. But rumor was that they were pretty hot and heavy for each other.” He moves his head side to side like I don’t have to believe him but it’s probably true. “Then he left for college. Posey stayed. He’s been gone for years. Heard he was going to be a doctor or something.”