Toxic (Better Than You) (26 page)

“Kait, how many bottles of…” He trails off as he looks up. Stares at me with an open mouth.

“Hey,” is all I say. Definitely not part of the plan, but his eyes are so blue and his hair has grown out again. He looks shocked but not mad. Confused, but not like he’s going to throw me out. My stomach is fluttering around like butterflies on crack.
Great analogy
.

The clipboard slides off of his lap as he stands. Then he takes a step closer to me and the small room has him standing just inches away from me. “What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice serious and low and exactly how I remember it.

“I, uh, I came to say that-” I swallow, trying to clear away the sudden dry mouth I’m experiencing. “I wanted to-” Nathan takes another step closer and now our bodies are brushing each other as we breathe. It’s intoxicating, exhilarating, liberating. “Can we start over?” I ask breathily.

“Is that what you want?”

I nod. It’s all I can do. His breath fans over me, smelling minty and sweet and perfect. I’m lightheaded; my pulse is drumming, my heart beating so furiously I’m afraid he can
feel
it. It’s the high I used to chase but better. Because I’m completely sober, so I can feel
everything
. Because it’s him. It’s always been him.

I clear my throat and my thoughts and stick out my hand. “Hi, I’m Logan Reynol
ds. Former drug addict and current addict of Trolli gummi worms. I’m twenty years old, freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University and lover of all things beachy.”

Nathan grabs my hand and pulls me towards him, so that we are now standing chest to chest, his
lips just millimeters from mine. “I’m Nathan Hawkins, former undercover cop and addict of the smell of surf wax. I’m twenty four years old and owner of this fine establishment.” The tips of his fingers skim my cheek as he pushes aside a stray piece of hair. “Welcome to My Friend’s Place,” he says, his sweet breath pushing into the small space between my lips.

Just when I’m about to beg him to close the distance between us, his mouth crashes onto mine and the world disappears. His kiss is
... It floods my senses and erases all rationale. It takes over and becomes the only thing that matters. Forget oxygen. Fuck breathing. Maybe Mom was right. His kiss is toxic, but only the best things are.

             
Thank you, thank you,
thank you
to the people who believed in me, who listened as I read the same chapters over and over again, who offered to play the main character in the movie and joined me in dreaming about becoming famous. You mean the world to me.

             
To my husband, Todd, for smiling and ignoring the piles of laundry, the dirty baby and the unmade dinners.

             
And to everyone who’s reading this. It means you made it to the end and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I love you all.

Contact info:
[email protected]

www.rockysmodernlife.blogspot.com