Free Dear Rockstar by Emme Rollins

knowing how close we would be, anticipating his kiss, every bit of me strung so tight I was ready to snap. My lips grazed his, not really a kiss, it was just barely the lightest of touches, the sensation so exciting it made me whimper for more. I felt his sharp intake of breath as he pulled back, looking into my eyes, both of us lost for a moment, unable to speak.
    Dale shook his dark head, touching a finger to my lips and I felt it like a brand.
    “Not yet. Not here. I don’t trust myself.”
    He got out of the car so quickly he was a blur and I watched him go into the main apartment door, my heart beating hard in my chest.
    What was happening?
    I sat there, letting my breath and heartbeat return to normal, which took a long damned time. The first thing I thought—the first real, coherent thought after our almost-kiss—was of Aimee and how I was going to tell her what had happened, what was happening, between me and Dale. Especially since I didn’t quite understand it myself.
    I couldn’t believe I’d overreacted that way to Aimee’s harmless flirting. I knew it was harmless—she would never do anything deliberately to hurt me. Yet even as I thought about it, I was angry. It was stupid, it was irrational, but it was true—I was jealous. Which meant I liked Dale... and I had to admit it. I liked him a lot. This was moving too fast, but I felt powerless to stop it.
     
     

 
          CHAPTER SEVEN     
    “You weren’t really mad at me were you?” Aimee asked.
    I rolled my eyes for the millionth time, sliding my back down the wall so I could sit on the floor and rest my aching feet. We’d spent all morning shopping for a new outfit for Aimee to wear on her date with Matt. He’d asked her to a movie and of course she’d chosen Tyler Vincent’s latest and we’d laughed when we both shamefully confessed we each had a date to see it. Aimee was stripped down to her bra and panties and I was holding my tongue because she looked thinner than I’d seen her in a long time. I could see her ribs when she put her arms up to pull a dress over her head.
    I’d been trying to tell her about how I’d felt when she was flirting with Dale, but she was completely missing the point.
    “I know you didn’t do it on purpose.” I tried again. “So there’s no reason for me to be mad, but the point is I was mad anyway . I was jealous. Which means Dale must mean more to me than I let myself believe he did. Get it?”
    “Yeah, I guess. You really like him huh?” She turned sideways in the mirror, frowning at her figure. 
    “I guess I must.” I couldn’t stop thinking about him, no matter how hard I tried. I was glad my painting had been almost finished when we met, because I couldn’t even paint. I’d picked him up from school every day this week, although we got precious little time alone before I picked up Aimee. Chemistry was a blur. Thank God Dale insisted we wear our safety goggles, because I’d exploded a test tube mixing something because I’d been looking at his profile and hadn’t been paying attention. The ride home was my favorite part though, because Aimee had started riding home with Carrie and Wendy—and Carrie’s older brother, Matt.
    Dale and I had the entire ride home to ourselves.
    “Earth to Sara.” Aimee waved a hand in my face. “What do you think of this one?”
    “Uhh. I like it?” I looked her up and down, noticing for the first time she’d changed outfits.
    She cocked her hip, grinning down at me. “You are so far gone it’s not even funny.”
    “I guess I am.”
    Every day for a week, sitting in my idling car, saying goodbye without saying anything at all—the touch of his hand, his forehead pressed to mine, the way he brushed my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. And still, he hadn’t kissed me. Not once. Nothing but that brief brush of his lips. I was beginning to go a little crazy.
    “But Aimee…” I looked up at her, shaking my head. “What if I win