Free That Girl is Mine - Part Two by Eve Cates

Avery
    I should let him go. It's the right thing to do, isn't it? I’m in love with Josh, and Dylan just confused things by kissing me. I should let him leave.
    I should let him go…
    “Dylan – stop!” I call out, when I reach the front door. In my cast, I’m not as fast as he is, and he’s almost at his car. I panic.
    “Go back inside, Rusty,” he replies, keeping his head down as he aims the key fob at his Camaro and beeps it open.
    I pick up my speed. The engine roars to life. I move even faster – hobbling – and I lunge for the passenger door.
    “What are you doing?” he demands, when I slide in beside him, completely out of breath.
    I swallow hard. What am I doing?
    “You don’t have a job set up in New York, do you? You’re just trying to run away from me.”
    He won't look at me. Please look at me. Kiss me again… I close my eyes tight and look away to force the thought from my mind.
    “Rusty, don’t. The space will do us good. We…we’ve just spent way too much time together, and we can’t keep doing this. We can’t do this to Josh.”
    I look down at my hands, the mention of Josh’s name causing a pang to hit in my chest. I’m just so confused. How can one kiss turn everything upside down in the matter of seconds? Yesterday we were just friends…
    A tear slides from my eye, and I wipe at it angrily. This is a mess.
    “I know, OK? I know . But, you can’t do this to me either. You can’t insert yourself in my life, become my closest friend then kiss me and…and make me feel…” I shake my head, as the memory of his lips on mine descends on me like a hailstorm of emotion. I don’t know what to make of it, except that it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and I need to know why. Was it just the surprise that caused it to feel that way? Or was it exciting because it was wrong – because I'm supposed to be in love with his best friend? Or is there really something there?
    “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “It happened before I could stop myself. It was wrong. I’m sorry.”
    I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I don’t know what to say. What can I say when all I can think about is that kiss, and the way it felt when his arms wrapped around me? It makes my heart beat faster and my breathing quicken… oh god, I want him to kiss me again.
    “Avery,” Dylan murmurs, his voice thick and husky as it curls around my name. But, there’s fear in his voice as well, as if he’s afraid of me, and what might happen between us.
    In this moment, I’m afraid too.
    I shift my eyes to meet his tortured gaze, his unspoken need. Then I act before I can think anything through.
    “Kiss me again,” I whisper, moving toward him, my eyes dropping to the fullness of his perfectly curved lips.
    “I can’t,” he says, his voice straining.
    “Kiss me again, Dylan, and if it feels like a kiss then go – leave. But, if it feels like music – you need to stay.”
    He doesn’t argue further. Swiftly, he closes the distance between us and takes my mouth in his as his fingers spear into my hair, and he holds me to him, strong, commanding. I want to melt into him, to taste every inch of his delicious tattooed skin.
    Oh god, how can kissing feel like this? What is this? I…I can’t put it into words, it’s just feeling. It’s pure emotion.
    My arms wrap around his neck as our mouths move together, his tongue demanding but sensual against mine as it explores every corner of my mouth. It’s as if the world around us has ceased to exist, and all that’s left is this moment, this sharing of breath, and life, and happiness, and joy, and…sorrow – need, desperation.
    It not exciting because it’s wrong. It’s exciting because there’s something here. Something crazy. Something intense. Something that takes my breath away. Something that defies reason.
    I pull away suddenly, gasping for air as I place my hand on his chest to force a distance between us. His chest heaves as well,