BEING HALSEY

CHAPTER 17

His lips press deeply against mine and mine press deeply back. Our mouths open and our tongues meet. We're hungry, deliriously so. Even with my eyes closed, the shape of his body flashes before me, lit by the distant lights and the stars.

He tastes like wine. He tastes like desire. He tastes like my deepest craving fulfilled.

Our mouths are still attached when he says,

"Holy shit." He looks at me with wide eyes.

A warm sticky fluid flows down to my mouth.

Blood is pouring from my nose.

I touch it and wince but I shake my head like it's not a big deal.

"I'm fine."

Why the hell I'm I nose bleeding? I'm I sick? Do I have a brain tumor?

He pats his pants frantically searching for something but finds nothing.

He quickly rips a small part of his shirt and hands it to me.I hold it to my nose for a few seconds and it comes down looking like a crime scene.

"No. No." Tray can't stop repeating himself.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He rips his shirt again and hands the big piece to me.

If this was a game, I would be laughing so loud. He looks like he was caught stealing and his shirt got ripped off by dogs.

"It's okay!" I say and close my eyes.

We've both forgot the kiss.

For now, at least.

I hope he can understand my voice.

"It's only a bloody nose. I'm fine," I assure him but he touches his forehead in horror.

" I get this all the time. It's really nothing."

I'm lying. Is he a vampire? Dracula?

I hold up the small patch of the shirt and carefully pinch the bridge of my nose. I wait for the bleeding to stop.

I wait and wait.

Tray looks like he's gonna cry anytime soon. It's awkward because he's staring and I'm bleeding.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Yea?"

" You're the nicest guy I know."

" Ha." He snorts. "The nice guy."

"What?"

"That was what my one and only girlfriend said when she broke up with me."

"Oh."

I'm taken aback. That must be the "Girlfriend" her sister was trying to tell me about.

"That's a really stupid reason."

Tray scooches forward and his knees almost bump mine.

Almost.

" Thats the problem with nice guys. We end up alone."

My mind clicks to Dave.

"Who was she?"

"One of my cousin's friend."

" Your cousin? Who?"

" The one who was sitted beside me at the dining table. She's called Rebecca, Rebecca Sterling, but we call her Becca."

Oooo, now I get it. She's his cousin. If he wasn't looking at me right now I would have face-palm my face a thousand times.

I stand, my heart pounding in my ears. My nose has stopped bleeding and I'm kinda dizzy.