Page 125 (1/2)

“I-I don’t know, Vaughn My life is chaos right now Complete chaos”

I’d heard stories like this before It echoed ones of lost cell phones, or grandmothers who had suddenly fallen ill I didn’t knohy he would make it up, I didn’t care I had to take care of myself

“I brought you soed back inside and returned with a box

I looked at him, stunned “What is it?”

“Not ive me and let me take you out”

I peeled back the gold paper and stared at the writing in German on the front of the box

“Each chocolate is full of a liquor shot,” he explained “I thought it ht be fun And you like chocolate”

I stared at hiency trip? Was I so burned froood one as bad? Holy shit My radar had malfunctioned

“Thank you” I looked at him He moved in closer and I stiffened

Not because I was afraid of him, but because I was afraid of myself How I reacted when he was near I was drawn to him Pulled to him It was inexplicable and undeniable

“Vaughn, I-I don’t want you to have to tell o or where you’ve been We’re not even … it was one date, right?” I tried to back pedal all the things I had thought and felt the week he had been

I didn’t want him to kno often I checked my phone, or looked for him when I was on the Metro Because that h school crush And nothing about what I felt when I was around hi It had felt real and whole in an instant Faster than anything had before

“Yeah, it was one date But I knew there wouldn’t be a second one if I didn’t say so” He winked

I knew esture hat I needed It was the push I wanted to send me into his arms

He set his wine glass on the ledge, before grabbingme to his chest