The New Girl | 𝘈𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘡

Terrible Timing

ELLAJIN

"I'm starving," Matthew announces before looking over at me, "we're going for ramen. Would you like to join us?"

"I would but I have some papers to grade," I sigh.

"If I take care of your tab, will I get an A?" Felix smirks mischievously.

"First of all, that's bribery mate," Chris chuckles and stands from his barstool, "she's already taken care of. I'm gonna get her home and then I'll meet up with you guys."

The other two boys nod before saying their goodbyes and heading out the door.

"You don't have to—"

"—there's no way I'm letting a pretty girl walk back by herself at this time of night." He winks at me, and suddenly the glass that was in my hand is now shattered on the floor. "Holy shit, are you okay?"

I look down at the floor and see a cut across my ankle gleaming with red. "Oh fuck, I don't know how I managed that."

"I have that effect on people," Chris chuckles and picks me up by my waist, "now, up you go."

He lifts me onto the bar counter as if I'm no heavier than a bag of groceries and begins to assess my ankle. "You don't need stitches at least."

I can't help the fluttering in my chest as Chris tends to my injury, cleaning the cut before wrapping it in gauze. "Now you're definitely not walking home by yourself. The vampires will be able to smell you from miles away."

"Well, we can't have that," I laugh as he rises back to standing at his full height, but when I noticed the lack of space between us, my laughter stops immediately.

"Hey EllaJin?" Chris casually takes a step closer, placing his body between my legs.

"Yeah?" I manage to say in a neutral tone, but wow he is standing so close that I swear I can see the outline of his abs through his shirt.

"Would it be alright with you," he sighs leans in so close that I can smell the mint on his breath, "if I kissed you right now?"

"Okay," I stutter out.

My hips are pulled to his as his lips find mine, our bodies finding as much contact as possible in under a second. The reserved boy that I've been talking to all afternoon is nowhere to be found and a whole-ass man has taken his place.

His hold on me is strong and secure, but his lips are soft against my own. I didn't know that there were people who could kiss like this, but I feel more intoxicated by him than the whiskey I drank earlier.

All too soon, he pulls away from me and leans his forehead against mine. "As much as I'd like to continue this, I have a rule about not taking things past a certain point when a girl has been drinking, so I should probably get you home."

Damn, could he get any more perfect?

"Okay," I rasp out.

Chris wraps an arm under my legs and back to help lower me to my feet. "Let's get you home then, yeah?"

I nod as he puts an arm around my waist to guide me, but as soon as I take my eyes off of him, I'm frozen in place.