The Hustler [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter Nineteen: The Tour

"Tell me a secret," Alex murmured.

I smiled. Ever since New Year's, six months previously, that had been his favourite game. Sometimes, the secrets were real, and sometimes, they were more like outrageous fairy tales, with dragons and light sabers and magical lip gloss.

His head was in my lap, his eyes half-closed as he waited expectantly. We were sitting on a hill in the middle of Federal Hill park, talking after a picnic lunch. I played with Alex's hair,which was shining a lustrous chestnut color in the sunlight, and tried to think of a good one. After all, it might be the last one I would tell him before he went away on Warped the next day.

"It wasn't just Rian and Jack that dyed Peyton green on St. Patrick's Day," I confessed. "I held Pey still and found the dye that wouldn't irritate his skin."

Alex didn't even open his eyes. "I should have known. You were way too quiet when I yelled at them."

"But it was really sweet of them to take the blame for me," I laughed. "Now you tell me a secret."

"That's not how this works."

"Please, Alex? Pretty, pretty please?"

He smirked. "I guess. But you owe me a Cinnabon and a kiss."

"I think I can handle that. Tell me all your secrets."

"Nope. One cinnabon, one kiss, one secret."

"How about one Cinnabon, two kisses, and two secrets?"

Alex made a face. "Eww. Gross. Why would I want to kiss you twice?"

"Fine. No kisses, two Cinnabon, two secrets."

He laughed. "I was kidding. Two kisses, one Cinnabon, two secrets."

"Well, maybe I don't want to hear your secrets any more. In fact," I pushed Alex's head out of my lap and started to stand up, "I don't want- ah!"

Alex had grabbed my hand, and pulled me back down onto the blanket next to him. "Too fucking bad!" He laughed. "I'm going to kiss you, and I'm going to tell you all my boring secrets until we die here, in the park, as shrivelled-up old people, the kind who yell at kids about those newfangled contraptions they always use."

"Fun."

"I thought so, too." He leaned over and kissed me, a long, lingering one that lasted longer than it should have.

Ever since I'd gotten home after the New Year's thing, I'd had a rule with myself: This was a job, and kisses with Alex would be kept to a maximum of thirty-five seconds, which is a hell of a lot longer than it sounds, but evidently not enough for touchy-feely Mr. Gaskarth.

"Okay, now you owe me a secret."

"Let me think of one."

"That's not how this works, 'Lex. You have to just... say it," I informed him, poking his nose for emphasis.

"Fine." He sat up, and pulled my head into his lap, and smiled. "Remember the night we met?"

"How can I forget? That's the first time I've ever had to take a guy to the hospital because I was breaking into their house."

He smiled that crooked smile of his, and bent over to kiss me. "I should hope so. 'Cause I thought that was a pretty special time."

"Was that your secret? Because that was a crappy secret. I want a refund."

"Oh, shut up. That wasn't it. My secret was... I kind of thought you hated me."

I was surprised. "You thought that I hated you?"