The Truth About Us

His honesty sent Abigail’s heart into a tailspin.

He interlaced her fingers in his. “Everything about you... You’re so amazing, and I’m...I’m...”

Abigail pressed her mouth to his before he could finish, and he froze.

The moment stretched on, neither of them moving. Time stood still for this very moment until Kaden snapped into action.

He cupped the side of her face and tipped her head, deepening their kiss. All of her melted into him as he transformed her rash decision into something far more purposeful. The warmth of his lips enveloped hers, taking his time as he parted her mouth further.

It was her first kiss—the kind you read about in books, the stuff of Sophie’s Disney fairytales—and as his tongue brushed hers, her limbs turned to liquid.

Somehow knowing this, he brought his hands around to her waist, pressing his fingertips into her back, each one pinpoints of electricity, lighting her body on fire.

At that moment, nothing existed—no grief or secrets. It was just the two of them, fused together by breath and lips and stolen sighs. Nothing could be better. No drug more potent. No high more thrilling.

She gripped the front of his shirt with her hands, pulling him closer at the same time her heart tripled its beat, and she knew she was ruined forever because she had given her whole heart without her realizing it.

And now she may never get it back, nor did she want to.

SHE WAS SCREWED. ABSOLUTELY screwed.

Abby stared down at the calculus quiz like it was a bomb, and it may as well have been because her grade was already exploding. The paper in front of her was the hand grenade set to detonate the second she turned it in. The high B she had in the class before her grandmother’s death had obliterated, and the shrapnel from this would lower it to a D.

With a sigh, she began to work the problems. One way or another, she would get through this, she told herself. She’d keep her acceptance to George Mason. She had to.

She stared down at the paper, her thoughts a giant question mark as she examined the problems. With a grunt, she filled in some work and said a little prayer that maybe she’d gain a couple of points somewhere.

As if her grandmother’s secret wasn’t enough to steal her focus from school, her kiss with Kaden had kept her awake half the night: replaying it in her head, examining it from every perfect angle. If she could a relive one night, hands down, last night would be her choice. A thousand times over.

Her gaze flicked from her quiz to Kaden, who sat, head hunched over his paper, a tiny crease between his brow as his pencil moved furiously over his exam.

What did he think about the kiss? She had no idea, and the not knowing killed her. He certainly had no problem concentrating today.

Had his father not come home on his break to check on Sophie and interrupted them, she would’ve had time to see for herself how it affected him. Instead, she had to sneak out his bedroom window or face Mr. Oliver’s wrath. She still had no idea if he noticed her car on the other side of the road, and she was almost afraid to ask. The last thing she wanted to do was get Kaden in trouble yet again.

It’s not like she could call him to check or clear the air.

Frowning, she brought her focus back to her quiz. At least one of them would pass, she mused. And bette

r him than her because she had been the one to drag him into this mess in the first place. The last thing she wanted to do was disrupt his life any further than she already had.

When the bell rang, Abby gritted her teeth and turned her paper in, hoping for the best but not expecting much since she was pretty sure miracles in the mathematics department were in short supply.

She exited into the hall, stopping short at the sight of Kaden leaning against a set of lockers across from her. “Hey,” he said, pushing off them.

“Hey.” She swallowed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. When did she become self-conscious? “Um, how’s Sophie?” she asked.

“Doing better.”

He grinned as his gaze flickered to her mouth, filling her with hope. “I had to swear her to secrecy, so she didn’t blab to my dad.” He snorted.

“So, he didn’t notice my car, then?”

Kaden shrugged. “If he did, he didn’t say anything. I’m thinking he was too exhausted from the weekend to notice it across the street. Sophie was bummed you left though.”

“Well, I’m not exactly the person your dad wants to see just yet. Unless you want him adding bars to your windows.”

He paused and reached out, cupping his hand at the nape of her neck. “It’d be worth it,” he murmured. “Abigail...”