We.
We kissed.
“I-I thought you liked it.”
It’s clearly the wrong thing to say. His face pales. “After you eat, you need to go.”
“Lachlan—”
He flinches, biting out, “Mr. Taylor.”
I press my lips together, fighting tears. “Last night—”
“Can’t happen again.”
I lower my head, giving it a small jerk in understanding.
As much as I want to protest I know what kind of position this has put him in. It would be immature of me to argue back. I might be young, but I’m not stupid. Looking back up at him, I hold out my pinky finger. “Last night stays between us. We tell no one. Pinky promise?”
He wraps his finger around mine.
“Pinky promise,” he murmurs in that deep voice of his. Looking in his eyes I see the pain and turmoil roiling in them. It hurts me because I know I put that there.
We don’t drop our fingers right away.
After a couple of seconds too long we break eye contact and finally he pulls his finger back.
He braces his hands on the counter, his shoulders tense. Looking down at the plate, I force myself to take another bite, ignoring the tension in the air. I can’t joke with him like I normally would, not right now at least.
My phone starts vibrating and Lachlan uses it as an opportunity to walk out of the kitchen. I hear him settle behind me on the couch, but I don’t dare turn around and look at him.
Pulling my phone out of the hoodie pouch I see an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?” I answer hesitantly.
“You’re okay,” Ansel breathes on the other end.
“Yeah?” It comes out as a question for some reason.
“What happened to you last night? I couldn’t find you.”
“It’s kind of a long story.” I feel Lachlan’s eyes boring into the back of my skull. “What happened to you? I called you, but you never answered.”
“My phone fell out of my pocket and broke. The whole screen shattered. I’m going to have to get a new one. Are you sure you’re okay? Are you with Sasha?”
I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. It’s damn near impossible to ignore Lachlan listening in on every word.
“No, Sasha left me.”
He groans on the other end. “Of course she did. Did you get a ride with someone?”
“Yeah, I’m home now.”
It’s not a total lie. I am in the building, just not my brother’s place.
“That’s good. Want to go to Watchtower later?”
I shake my head, then feel stupid since he can’t see. “No, I better stay home.”