Stay Close✔️

BONUS SCENE

Go check out my favorite that I've written so far, The Reckless!

I gazed down at Louise, seeing how nervous she seemed. I knew she was thinking about Jacob as I grew closer. For some reason, that made me so angry. This party would have been perfect if Tony and his loons wouldn't have crashed it. She was obviously the cutest one out there, with her leggings bunching around her ankles because her legs were so short, or that white T-shirt going almost to her knees for the same reason. Her hair flowed down her back in what I knew she thought was an unattractive look, but I knew that it was beautiful. Everything about her was.

I looked at her light eyes, looking anxiously up at mine. I wanted to; I wanted to kiss her so badly. I didn't know if that was what she wanted. After she'd explained everything to me, I'd understood at once why she was so apprehensive when I tried to kiss her.

The thought almost made me chuckle; she thought there was a possibility that I would be running for the hills? Please, nothing could push me away from her at that point. I was too far in and she knew it. Every look on her face since she'd told me was one of anxiety, confusion, and most dominant of all, fear. She really did think I'd be trying to keep her away from me. Impossible.

I was so close, and could still feel waves of fear rolling off her. I began rubbing her back to comfort her, something I knew all girls liked. She released a contented breath, making me smile a little. She looked up from her position. Her face had been pressed to my chest, which meant she was quite close to me when she looked up.

"Thanks," she murmured. I'd already forgotten what I'd done that she'd be thankful for. We were so close and I knew I couldn't stop myself, even if she was still shaken up from Tony's near attack. I didn't even know what was happening, what I was doing, when I felt my head move forward and my lips make contact with hers. I was so beyond relieved that I had been popping mints all night, too.

She was so nervous underneath my lips, so I forced myself to take it slow when all I wanted to do was kiss her senselessly. Slowly, tentatively, I felt her hands make their way through my hair and stifled a smirk. She was so stiff, and I knew she'd only made the movement to look less inexperienced.

In truth, I wouldn't have had her any other way. If she'd been experienced, I'd have had to imagine her kissing other guys this way and that wasn't okay with me. My hand cupped her neck, feeling the tension there slowly dissolve. Her body was limp, so I used the wall for help as I held her up.

The kiss was every bit of what I'd imagined and more. I knew I was hopelessly sucked in, unable to escape now. She knew so, too. She was stuck in Virginia, stuck with me. If she left, she'd have to just take me with her. Knowing she was breathless and still nervous, I reluctantly drew back and looked down at her with a smile. My mind couldn't wrap around the fact that I'd finally been able to do the one thing I'd wanted to do for weeks. The moment I'd seen her, all thoughts of spending my senior year single and focused on grades and football had evaporated.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," I murmured in her ear, still supporting her. She wobbled slightly, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink as what we'd just done clicked into place. I was so proud to have her. I knew she'd told me more than she told Selena, and that no one else was able to crack her. I did. She was mine because she trusted me, fully and wholeheartedly.

She was like a prize, one that I wouldn't be letting go.