Grabbing one of the pillows, I throw it into the corner and sit down, leaning my back against the back of the cab.
Kate looks around, carefully taking everything in, and by the look on her face, weighing where to sit.
“I don’t bite,” I tease.
Her eyes meet mine, narrowing slightly. “I never said you did.”
My brows shoot up, a smirk playing on my lips. “Then why are you still standing?” I challenge.
Kate glares at me, her lips pressed in a tight line. I hit a nerve, but I’m not planning to apologize for it. Kate moves closer, sitting by my side. She, too, grabs one of the throw pillows and pops it behind her head, her mouth falling open as she looks up.
“The sky is so pretty here.”
Turning to my side, I observe Kate. Her head is tilted back, her dark ponytail swinging over the edge of the truck, her creamy neck exposed, making me wish I could trace my finger over the soft skin. My mouth. My tongue.
“It really is,” I agree, not even bothering to look up.
I’ve looked at this sky so many times I can see it even if I close my eyes. But not Kate. I don’t want to look at the sky when I have Katherine lying here next to me; the look of genuine bewilderment on her face is better and more beautiful than any night sky.
“There are so many stars here. You can’t see that in the city.”
“Nope,” I agree readily.
There is definitely nobody quite like Katherine. Is that the real reason for my fascination with her? Because she’s different from all the girls from around here?
No, it can’t be. Whatever this thing happening between us is, it’s real. It’s not infatuation. Or the need for change. It’s just her.
There’s something about her that draws me to her.
Obviously, there is the physical beauty, but it’s also more than just that.
I’m not sure what, but I want to figure it out.
Figure her out.
Kate must feel my eyes on her because she turns to me. Her eyes shine brightly even in the dim light. My fingers itch to cross the distance and touch her, but I worry that if I do that, she’ll pull back, so I keep my hands to myself.
“You’re not even looking!” she accuses, making me chuckle.
“I’ve seen it every day for the past seventeen years.”
But not her. And I don’t want to miss anything that’s Katherine.
“How can you say it’s pretty when you’re not even looking at it?”
“Because I wasn’t talking about the sky.”
She sucks in a breath as my words settle in. The way she reacts to me mesmerizes me. The flush in her cheeks, her eyes widening as her mouth forms a perfect little O in surprise.
Shifting forward, I close the distance between us.
“W-what are you doing?” she stutters, her voice cracking.
The corner of my lip twitches as I fight the smile that wants to spread. “Nothing.”
I extend my hand, my fingers tracing the outline of her cheekbone. Her skin is silky smooth under my fingertips, and while most girls have overexaggerated their appearance, Kate is just… Kate. There is no glitter on her eyelids or mouth, and the blush covering her cheeks is one-hundred percent natural. One-hundred percent my doing.
Her throat bobs as she swallows. Kate looks up at me through her long eyelashes. “It doesn’t look like nothing.”
“What does it look like then?” I ask, my finger tracing down the column of her neck and then back up just like I wanted to do, and I can feel her shiver under my touch.
She can pretend all she wants that I don’t affect her, but her body betrays her every single time.
“Emmett,” she breathes, her eyes falling closed. She places her hands on my chest, to pull me closer or push me back? I’m not sure, but neither is she, because her hands just linger there, not doing either of those things.
“Katherine,” I whisper back, leaning closer. For a while, we stay like that, just staring at one another, only inches separating us. I can feel her hot breath on my skin as her breathing hitches. “I want to kiss you now.”
I brush the tips of my fingers over her skin, cupping her cheek with my palm. My lips brush against hers with every word I say. My whole body screams for me to do it, to place my mouth on hers and claim her as mine, but I hold myself back.
“I-I…”
“You what?”
“I can’t,” she finishes finally, tilting her head to the side.
The rejection, although not unexpected, still stings.
I huff, pulling back. “Can’t or won’t?”
She wraps her arms around herself. “I’m not the kind of girl you’re looking for.”
“And what kind of girl is that?”
She glares at me. “The kind of girl who’ll be okay with kissing you now and then watch you flirt with other girls later.”
I grit my teeth to hold back my irritation. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“No? Can you seriously tell me you’ve never done it?”
I rip my cap off my head and run my palm over my face in frustration. “Why does it even matter? I wouldn’t do it, not to you.”
“Well, I still can’t.” She scoots away. “I’m not even sure how long I’ll stay here.” She shakes her head. “Besides, I have more important things to worry about. I can’t fool around.”
I put my hand over hers to prevent her from leaving. “More important things like what?”
“Family and school and…” Kate shrugs. “Just things.”
“And you think I’ll get in your way? I like you, Kate.”
“That’s just it! How can you like me? You don’t even know me!”
“I like what I’ve seen so far, and I want to know more.” I want to get to know all of her, but I don’t say it because she’s skittish enough as it is. “You know, when you’re not driving me batshit crazy, that is.”
“I—” Kate pulls her hand from underneath mine, scoots to the edge of the bed, and hops off. “I’m sorry. I think I’ll go look for Becky, it’s getting late, and I should go home.”
She can’t just leave like that.
I jolt forward, wrapping my hand around her wrist and pulling her back toward me.
“I’m not giving up, Katherine,” I say softly, so soft it’s barely audible, but I need her to know this. I need her to know that this is far from over, whatever she might think.
“You can’t change my mind.”
“I’m damn well going to try,” I promise, and it’s a promise I’m planning to keep.
“Emmett…” Kate sighs, and I can hear the uncertainty in her voice.
It’s not that she doesn’t want me. She does, and that’s what’s scaring her. She doesn’t know what to do about it. About me. About us. We don’t belong in any of her carefully crafted boxes, and it’s unnerving her.
I pull her closer. With me sitting in the bed of the truck and her standing on the ground, we’re almost eye to eye.
“I’m not giving up, Kitty.” I push her hair behind her ear. “And once you realize that and decide to give in to this—” I point at the space between us, the invisible pull I’ve felt ever since I saw her—“you’ll have to be the one to make the first move.”