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  Piper wasn’t lying. Hunter used me. My legs fell out from under me, and I collapsed to the floor, crying over a boy who was never really mine to begin with.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I sobbed into my pillow, trying to find the strength to crawl out of my own misery. This was not how I planned on spending my last day on the lake. There was a knock at the door, and I swiped a finger under my eyes.

  “Who is it?” I asked.

  “It’s me,” Hunter said, and the sound of his voice triggered more tears.

  I took a deep breath, in hopes of keeping the emotion out of my tone. “Go away,” I said, but the words were choked by tears.

  “Are you okay? I got you a vanilla milkshake. Joey said it’s your favorite.”

  “I said go away.”

  “Charlie, what’s wrong?”

  What’s wrong? I snorted to myself. Anger overrode any other emotion, and I stormed to the door, flinging it open. Hunter stood there with a cup in his hand and, when he looked at my face, his brows furrowed.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, eyeing me curiously.

  “What’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on. I had a nice visit with Piper while you were gone. I hope the car is worth it,” I said, and his entire body slumped. His tongue pushed into the top row of his teeth. “So, is it true? Is it?” My voice rose with each word.”

  “I can explain.”

  “Explain?!” I exclaimed. “It’s either yes or no.”

  He ran a hand over his face, and then looked at me. I don’t know what he was hoping for. Those gorgeous blue eyes and that stupid grin weren’t going to get him out of this one. “Yes, but…” before he could say anything else, I grabbed the cup from his hand, and dumped it on top of his head. Vanilla shake dripped down his head onto his shirt, but it didn’t give me the satisfaction I was hoping for. I was still sad and hurt. My heart still felt like it was ripped out and thrown in the garbage. I thought what was between us was special. How could he betray me?

  I threw the cup at his chest, and slammed the door in his face, because looking at him hurt worst of all.

  * * *

  “Let me in,” Joey yelled from the other side of the door, beating his fist against the wood. I didn’t want to open the door, but this was his room, too. I couldn’t keep him out forever. Though, if I could until tomorrow morning when we were leaving, I would have been happy.

  I wiped away the tears, and took a few calming breaths. The door clicked open, as I undid the lock. “Butthole,” Joey said as he burst into the room.

  I ignored him because there was no use fighting with a ten-year-old. I grabbed my book because I wanted to get away. To disappear from my life and live vicariously through my favorite characters. Anything to try and forget the betrayal that was looming over my head and piercing deep in my heart.

  As I hurried out the door, I slammed right into the last person I ever wanted to see again. I shoved off of him, and he held his hands up. “Charlie, please just let me explain.”

  “There’s nothing to explain,” I said. “You used me. End of story. Now, please just leave me alone. After tomorrow, you’ll never have to see me again, and we can forget this whole week ever happened.”

  His lips parted, but I didn’t care what he had to say, so I shoved past him and ran out of the house. I didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I had to get as far away from him as I possibly could.

  I was a bit surprised when I wound up at the abandoned boathouse. This was Hunter’s place, and it should have been the last place I wanted to go, but it was the only place I wanted to be. It was secluded, quiet and away from everyone.

  “Charlie?” Hunter’s voice echoed around me, and my body froze. I wanted to be alone. Why did he follow me?

  “Go away, Hunter. Please, just go,” I pleaded.

  “No,” he said, coming toward me. I refused to face him. Refused to let him see the pain that he caused me.

  “See, I have a real problem with what you said back at the house. Because I don’t want to forget this whole week ever happened. In fact, I want to remember every second of every day that I spent with you. And, yes, it’s true I let my parents bribe me in the beginning, but, after being in the Jeep with you for five minutes, I didn’t care about the stupid car anymore. All I cared about was getting to know you. Spending time with you and just being near you. I felt something when I was near you that I couldn’t explain, and I know you felt it too.”

  His hand rested on my arm, and I couldn’t ignore the instant spark that shot through my body at his touch. “If I knew then what I know now, I never would have agreed to my parent’s stupid offer. They just wanted to make sure you had a good time. Still, I wish I could take it back. Because I hate to think that our last night together will be spent apart.”

  His hand stayed on my arm, but he didn’t try to turn me to him. I realized he was leaving the decision entirely up to me. But, even if he was sorry, even if he wished he could turn back time, he still used me and that hurt.

  “I like you, Charlie. Really like you, and I think this thing between us can be something special. If you can just forgive me.”

  I was at a crossroad, and I didn’t know what I should do. Tears pricked at my eyes because, while my head was saying one thing, my heart was saying something entirely different.

  Hunter’s grip on my arm loosened before it dropped away completely. I heard the rustle of his feet on the ground, as he backed away and then heard it come closer again. It stopped for a few long seconds before I listened to him walk away from me.

  I thought of Wuthering Heights, and how Heathcliff disappeared for all those years. How, when he came back to Catherine, it was too late. If he would have gone to her, instead of walking away, things could have ended differently. It was considered an epic love story, but, the more I thought about it, all I could see was the tragedy. How letting someone walk out of your life could change your entire future. And maybe Spring Break was all Hunter and I were meant to have, but I wanted the chance to find out. I wasn’t ready to let him go.

  “Hunter!” I called out, as I spun toward him. He was already up to the row of trees that lined the property, but, when he heard my voice, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face me. His eyes met mine and, just like so many times during this past week, words weren’t needed.

  He ran to me and scooped me up in his arms, hugging me to him tightly. I basked in his warmth and relaxed in his embrace, thinking that being this close to him made me so unbelievably happy. He put me down on the ground, and reached out, gently holding my face in his hands. He huffed out a sigh of relief. “I was afraid I was going to walk through those trees, and never see you again.”

  “Me too and it scared me,” I admitted.

  “So much,” he said, and dipped his head, capturing my lips in one quick motion.

  What we had may not have been an epic love story, but it was ours and I couldn’t wait to see what was yet to come.

  Sixteen Kisses

  By Kelly Oram

  Chapter 1

  I have the mother of all first kiss stories. Hands down. I know that’s quite a claim, but I do. The kiss itself was nothing to write home about. It was more of a shock than anything else. But the story surrounding that kiss—and the fifteen kisses that followed it—now that is one for the record books.

  It was my sixteenth birthday. It was also St. Patrick’s Day. No, wait. Back up. It really started the day before my sixteenth birthday, March sixteenth, when I was complaining to my best friend, Selena, about turning sixteen, and having never been kissed. “Kissless Cassie. That’s what I am. That’s probably what I’ll be when I’m eighty. I’ll be Kissless Cassie, the Crazy Cat Lady. Isn’t that right, Sir Snuggles?”

  My cat perked up at hearing his name, and moseyed across the room, knowing he would get his ears scratched. He was right, of course. He jumped up in my lap and, like the well-trained human I am, I paused my video game to give him a good
scratch.

  Selena glanced up from the floor where she was giving herself a pedicure and snorted. “I don’t know what’s more pathetic: your whining, or Sir Snuggles’ lap addiction.” Sir Snuggles rolled over, indicating it was now time for a belly rub. Selena went back to painting her toes green and white, shaking her head with laughter. “You shouldn’t worry so much. You’re only a sophomore. You have plenty of time to find the right guy.”

  As if she understood what it was like. She got her first real kiss when she was twelve, and she’d had several steady boyfriends. Selena is gorgeous. She’s been asked to every single school dance since we entered middle school and school dances became a thing. I’ve never been asked to a dance. I’ve never even been on a date. “I don’t care if it’s the right guy anymore. I just want to get it over with. I hate stressing about it, and it’s embarrassing.”

  My older brother, Ben, and his best friend since kindergarten, Jared, barreled into the family room like a couple of elephants—big and loud, and tromping all over as if they owned the place. While Ben ignored us, and headed straight for the refrigerator—surprise, surprise—Jared plopped down onto the couch next to me with a heavy thump that sent Sir Snuggles shooting out of the room. “What’s embarrassing, Little Cass?” he asked as he sprawled his long Levi-clad legs across the rest of the couch, hanging his cowboy boot-covered feet over the edge.

  I had to scoot over to give the behemoth more space. Jared was 6’6”, broad through the shoulders, and narrow through the hips with an athletic build that came from working hard on his family’s ranch. With his sandy-brown hair, light green eyes, and hint of a five o’clock shadow, he could easily be mistaken for a pro-basketball player or a cover model, even though he was only seventeen.

  He could have been the most popular senior at Desert Ridge High School. (Cowboys, though they aren’t the norm by any stretch, are common enough in Arizona that they get plenty of respect.) Instead, he chose to spend all of his time with his horses, working on cars with my brother, or pestering me.

  I rolled my eyes at the nickname he only ever used because he knew it annoyed me. I’m not little to an average human, just to Giant Jared. “Nothing,” I said, un-pausing my video game.

  My traitorous best friend sold me up the river with an obnoxious snort. “Kissless Cassie doesn’t want to turn sixteen with virgin lips.”

  “Selena!”

  I lightly kicked my best friend’s shoulder, mortified that she’d divulge such private information. Finished with her own nails, she caught my foot and attacked it with green polish. She’d already painted my toes white, and now that they were dry she was adding little green clovers in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. “What?” she griped. “It’s not like he doesn’t know you’ve never been kissed.”

  I tried to kick her again, but she had my foot in a firm grip. “That doesn’t mean I want to talk about it with him.”

  “Hold still, or I’ll mess up.”

  “Why are you painting my toes anyway? Nobody’s going to see them when I’m wearing shoes tomorrow.”

  “It’s supposed to be eighty degrees tomorrow. Wear some cute sandals, and a skirt.” She gasped dramatically. “Now, there’s a thought. Dress cute for once, take some pride in being a girl, and maybe the boys will finally want to kiss you.”

  I glared at her. She knew I hated all the super girly stuff. But she loved it, and was always trying her best to convert me. Sometimes, I gave in to her—letting her paint my toenails was a prime example—but no way was she getting me into a skirt.

  There was a loud laugh from the kitchen. Selena shot a death glare at my brother. “Shut up, Ben. This is serious.”

  “Seriously funny,” he said. “Cassie wear a skirt to school? That’s almost as ridiculous as the thought that some guy might actually want to kiss her. Blugh.” He pretended to convulse at the thought.

  “Benjamin Caldwell!” Selena shrieked. “You’re going to give her a complex.”

  “She already has one—hey! The chocolate milk is gone.” Red-faced with anger, he pulled a nearly empty jug from the fridge, and glowered at my best friend. “Selena! Stop drinking all my chocolate milk!”

  “I didn’t see your name on it.”

  “Go home and drink your own chocolate milk.”

  “My mom won’t buy chocolate milk, and it’s more fun to drink yours.”

  I smirked at the smug grin on Selena’s face. She’d downed two full glasses after school today, making her stomach hurt, specifically so she could save one tiny gulp in the bottom of the container and leave it in the fridge for Ben.

  “Sel, must you always goad him?”

  She grinned at me. “Yes. I don’t have any brothers of my own to fight with, and sisters aren’t nearly as fun. Besides, he deserves it for that crack. I’m sure there are plenty of guys who wouldn’t mind kissing you.”

  I scoffed.

  “No, she’s right,” Jared said. “I know lots of guys who would kiss you.”

  I paused my game again—too shocked to continue playing. “What?”

  Selena followed my question with an excited “WHAT? Who? Tell us!”

  Jared took the controller from my hands, and shrugged as he started playing my game. “Just lots of guys.” His cheeks turned pink and he mumbled, “You’re pretty, Cass.”

  Both Selena and I stared at Jared in shock. Jared thought I was pretty? I couldn’t believe it. I’d known him almost my entire life. Not that he was an unofficial part of the family—I didn’t look at him like an honorary brother or anything. I liked him, trusted him, and respected him. He was kind and confident. He did his own thing, and didn’t care what others thought. He was well mannered and genuinely nice—an unsuspecting heartbreaker among all the girls at school. But he’d always just been Ben’s best friend to me. Nothing more, nothing less. I was certain I was only Ben’s little sister to him.

  But, he thought I was pretty? Something about that confession made my stomach jittery.

  Ben broke the shock-filled silence as he joined us in the family room with a sandwich and a soda. “Gross. That’s my little sister you’re calling hot.”

  As he passed by Selena, he leaned over and belched loudly in her face before sitting in our dad’s armchair and reaching for the second X-box controller.

  “That’s disgusting!” Selena cried, gagging.

  “Soda makes me gassy. Don’t like it, don’t drink all my chocolate milk.”

  “You’re a pig.”

  “Oink, oink.”

  I sighed. Their constant bickering annoyed me, but at least they’d broken the tension. Unfortunately, Selena couldn’t leave it alone. Reaching for my hand since she’d finished all of my toes, she began coating every other nail with white paint and said, “So who are some of these guys that like Cassie?”

  “Imaginary ones,” Ben offered.

  I secretly agreed.

  For once, Selena ignored Ben and kept her gaze focused on Jared. He shrugged again, looking sorry he’d brought it up. “Just guys. I’ve heard them talk about you before. Sometimes, they ask me about you because they know we’re friends, and I’m less likely to hit them for asking than Ben is.”

  My heart did this weird clenching thing in my chest. Jared considered me his friend? His pretty friend?

  Ben’s grunt of disapproval, and lack of snarky remark, made me think Jared wasn’t exaggerating. Selena clearly believed him, too. “So, why haven’t any of them ever asked her out? Are you scaring them all away on purpose?”

  Ben laughed. “He doesn’t have to. She does that herself.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? I am a very friendly person.” I frowned, looking to Selena and Jared to back me up. “Aren’t I a nice person? Friendly?”

  “The coolest,” Selena agreed with a nod.

  Jared’s nod was less confident. “You are.”

  There was a big, fat, silent BUT hanging from his words. I had to ask. “But…?”

  After a quick glance at me, he looked b
ack at the video game he’d taken over and shrugged as if uncomfortable. “You’re not scary, you’re just…intimidating.”

  “Intimidating?”

  “Terrifying,” Ben corrected.

  “You’re not like other girls,” Jared explained before Selena could jump down Ben’s throat on my behalf. “You love four wheeling and riding dirt bikes.” He shot me a crooked smile that made my chest do that clenching bit again. “And, you’re lethal with a paintball gun.”

  This made Selena burst into wild laughter. No doubt she was remembering a certain unfortunate incident I had with my brother last year, which is now the reason he wears a cup to go paintballing. I wanted to laugh, too—especially considering the pout on Ben’s face—but I frowned instead. “What’s wrong with that?”

  Insecurity washed over me. Yeah, I wasn’t all that girly, but I wasn’t so different. I wasn’t some freak outcast or anything. Was I?

  Noticing my distress, Jared paused the game and threw the controller to the floor. “Nothing’s wrong with that,” he promised. “Nothing at all. You’re the coolest girl I know. And, on top of that, you’re really nice, super friendly, fun, and outgoing. All of that wrapped up in one gorgeous package is enough to make any guy feel insecure.”

  Oh, man. Flutters again. Flutters. In my chest. What was going on with me? Was this a heart attack? And, why couldn’t I look away from his eyes?

  “Whoa, Jared,” Ben groaned. “No more Nicholas Sparks movies for you.” His voice broke me from my trance, and I snapped my head his direction. He rolled his eyes. “Look, Cass, it’s easy. Guys don’t hit on you because you’re not flirty.”

  “What?”

  “You know…”

  He proceeded to giggle in a high-pitched voice while cocking his head from side to side, batting his eyelashes, and pretending to flip his hair.