Solving for Ex

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-six

what had used to be essential points

We sat there for a long time, watching the stars emerge through the trees on the horizon, taking the crisp air into our lungs and blowing it back out in billowing white clouds.

The chill in the air became so intense, so quickly, that it felt like it had reached through my skin and wrapped around my bones. Vincent must have seen me shiver, because he shrugged out of his heavy canvas jacket and draped it across my shoulders. I looked up at him, even though I knew it would start him kissing me again.

He was already watching me, his eyes trained on mine. Searching them for something. His eyes moved down to my lips for one second. But then, strangely, they focused on something just over my shoulder, and…

“Ashley!” he shouted, wrapping his left arm around my shoulders and pulling me tight to him, while grabbing one of the apples and chucking it at the inside of the truck bed, right next to where I’d just been sitting. The apple broke into about twenty pieces, sending a spray of cold, sticky juice everywhere. I closed one eye against the sting of flying apple juice, and swiped at the cheek beneath it.

“What the hell, Vincent?”

“There was a spider. Definitely a spider. Probably a black widow. Maybe.”

His fingers still wrapped around my shoulder. He held on so tight that I could feel them digging into the skin, even through my coat. And that’s when I realized that he was shaking. His arm across my back was trembling, and so was his whole body. Just the slightest bit. I would have never noticed it if I wasn’t pressed up against him, so close that his breath, smelling of rich chocolate, steamed against my cheek.

“You’re afraid of spiders?” A smile teased at corners of my mouth. He still held me tight to him, and I fought the urge to relax against his arm, to lay my head on his shoulder.

He flushed, though he didn’t look away. “Some of them can kill you. I didn’t want…” He reached up into my hair and plucked something out.

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry.”

“What? What is it?” I prayed there was not a damn dead spider in my hair.

“It’s…when the apple broke…” He held up a tiny, white piece of apple, then dropped it and went back in for some more. Only with one hand, though—the other one wrapped firmly around my shoulder, still.

I giggled, at first nervously, then at the flush that continued to creep up his cheeks as he fished bits of apple out of my hair. “It’s okay,” I said.

Did that come out quieter than I meant it to? I didn’t know. Couldn’t be bothered with the thought, actually, because then, all I could pay attention to was his strong jaw, and the smooth fullness of his lips. The ones that were just an inch from mine.

“Yes. Now you know,” he murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, “I’m afraid of spiders. But, Ashley Price,” he moved even closer to me, so that his breath tickled my lips when he spoke, “I am not afraid of you.”

He tilted my chin up and brushed his lips against mine, feather light, soft, and delicious.

My whole body trembled. It knew, maybe more than I did, that this was the time to make the choice. Break it to Vincent that Brendan would always be the only one for me, or break it to myself that maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t true.

I was so tired of the struggle of wanting-and-not-having. I deserved this. I deserved to be wanted and adored, and to be really, truly happy about it. Vincent liked me, and there was no reason for me not to like him too.

So I fell into him. He was waiting for me, I knew, because I felt his body relax too, and a little puff of air blew against my upper lip when he pressed in, molding his lips to mine. His fingers, having stopped clutching my shoulder, played along my hairline and under my jaw. He held me firmly and gently at the same time, like something he was afraid to lose. Like a treasure.

My heart didn’t thrum wildly in my chest, and I wasn’t overwhelmed with love for Vincent. But I did love the way I felt now—like I was sweet, and desirable, like I existed as something powerful all on my own. Like people should want me.

I really loved it.

Which is probably why, instead of just letting him kiss me, I reached up and threaded my fingers through Vincent’s gorgeous curls, and opened my lips, letting his breath mingle with mine. And when he pulled away, grazing my bottom lip with his teeth gently enough to make me want more, I went after it, clutching at his shirt, pressing my chest against his, and letting the quietest moaning sigh tell Vincent that I was definitely not afraid of him either.

He pulled away, leaning his forehead against mine. When he spoke, his breath brushed my face again, and I shivered when a little tingle ran down my spine. “We are in a truck bed. So I think it’s probably a good idea for us to stop this right now, and get you home by ten. Like I promised.”

I swallowed and said, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Grinning, we climbed out of the truck bed, picked everything up, and climbed into the cab. Vincent looked at me, studying me for a moment. “It was nothing.”

My heart burned, then dropped. “What? What do you—”

“The drive. Three hours. It was so worth it. Even if it was just for that last kiss.”

I had to look down. I knew my expression was a mixture of giddiness and confusion and embarrassment.

We pulled up to my house. I looked up to the second floor. My light was still on.

Vincent cupped my face in his hand again, and swiped at my cheek with his thumb. His gaze was steady, pressing into me in a way that was not unpleasant. At all. “I think you still had some apple guts there,” he said.