Signals Crossed

28

His eyes searched hers immediately, caught completely off guard.

Mel froze too now, suddenly aware of what she'd done.

Her heartbeat thundered violently in her chest.

Neither of them moved.

They were so close now.

Close enough for Ad to feel her breath against his mouth.

Close enough for Mel to notice the exact moment his eyes dropped briefly to her lips before darting back up again.

Ad's brain stopped functioning properly.

Because kissing her cheek was something friends could maybe do.

Maybe.

But the look she was giving him now?

That wasn't friendship.

And worse—

he wasn't sure the expression on his own face was either.

His arm tightened around her instinctively.

Mel noticed.

Of course she did.

The air between them shifted dangerously.

Ad should say something.

Make a joke.

Move away.

Do literally anything.

Instead he just stared at her.

Completely wrecked by how pretty she looked right now with tear-tired eyes and messy hair and swollen lips from nervously biting them.

Mel's voice came out barely above a whisper.

"What?"

Ad blinked like he'd forgotten where he was.

"Nothin'," he muttered automatically.

It was the weakest lie he'd ever told in his life.

Mel could see it clearly.

And somehow that made her braver.

Her hand lifted slowly toward his face.

Ad went perfectly still.

Her fingers brushed lightly along his jawline, tracing the beauty mark she'd been staring at moments ago.

His breath caught immediately.

"Mellie..." he whispered.

There was warning in it this time.

But also something else.

Something shaky.

Something wanting.

Mel watched him carefully.

Waiting to see if he'd pull away.

He didn't.

And that terrified him.

Because every second she touched him made it harder to remember why stopping this was supposed to be the right thing to do.

The room felt suspended in time.

Mel's fingers rested lightly against Adam Horovitz's jaw while he stared at her like he no longer trusted himself to move.

The movie still played quietly in the background, forgotten completely now.

"Mellie..." he whispered again.

Her heart hammered at the sound of it.

Not because he said her nickname.