Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 124320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 497(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 497(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
“Ez,” Kimba gasps into my mouth. “I need to breathe.”
I don’t. I’d hold my breath all night if it meant I could keep kissing her, but I pull back so she can. We’re both panting, our eyes locked, our fingers entwined, my hand resting at the smooth curve of her neck.
It was perfect. A snow-globe moment where everything was shaken and all my particles are still drifting to the ground, resettling into a completely new person.
“Was that okay?” I ask.
Kimba’s pretty lips, soft and fuller from our kisses, pull into a wide smile. “Let’s do it again.”
This is the best night of my life.
Chapter Seven
Kimba
“Y’all mighty quiet back there,” Kayla says from the front seat, catching my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Everything go okay tonight?”
“Oh, yeah. So much fun.”
“For sure. It was great.”
The replies rush out of us, piling on top of each other. Ezra and I watch each other from the corners of our eyes, secret smiles etched onto kiss-puffy lips. Mona’s mother picked her up and took her home. Kayla came at ten o’clock on the dot to get us. We’re in the back, separated by a decent distance, but our fingers twine on the seat between us.
“So what happened with Jeremy?” Kayla asks, her tone tilting up in that irritating way, like she’s patting my head.
Ezra’s smile wobbles. I squeeze his fingers until he looks at me. I roll my eyes and smile, waiting for a real grin to come back to his face.
“Did you do it like I told you?” Kayla asks.
“I didn’t kiss Jeremy.” I stretch my eyes at her in the mirror. “Just drop it, Zee.”
“All right,” she says, carefully maneuvering her pride and joy into our driveway. “You’re starting high school in a few months. What are you waiting for?”
The perfect moment. The perfect person. That’s what I had tonight.
“Hmmm.” Kayla frowns at the garage door lifting to reveal my parents’ Mercedes. “Mama and Daddy are already home.”
The steel and chrome gleams in the overhead light of the garage. Kayla turns, propping one arm on the passenger seat and splitting a look between Ezra and me. “Out. The both of you. Tell them I’ll be home by midnight.”
“Where you going?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest and settling back like I’m not leaving until she talks.
“Nunya,” she says, a wicked grin spreading her lips.
“Tommy.” Exasperation makes me suck my teeth. “I thought you were done with him. You guys break up once a week.”
“I decide when I’m done,” she says. “Now get outta my ride.”
Ezra climbs out immediately. I open my door and get out, but lean into the open window of the passenger side. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“I’m not going to a convent, so I’m sure there will be plenty of things you wouldn’t do.”
“Whatever, Zee.” I tap the roof of the car and watch her taillights when she pulls out and drives off.
Ezra stands in my driveway. He glances up the street and huffs a breath. Mrs. Washington stands on her porch watering the row of plants marching down her steps. Really? At this time of night? She uses those plants as an excuse to get the 411 when something’s going down in the neighborhood.
Ezra takes my hand and leads me into the garage. He doesn’t lower the door and doesn’t let my hand go.
“Tonight…was…” He shakes his head and frowns.
Frowns? I thought it was perfect. I want to kiss him again right now. Did he not feel the same?
“Did I…did I do something wrong?” I ask. “Was it—”
“No.” Ezra links our fingers and holds my gaze. “The opposite. It was exactly right. The best first kiss ever.”
Relieved breath whooshes from my chest, and our smiles meet in the middle, between us.
“I was just thinking,” he says. “You’re my best friend.” He looks up expectantly, leaving me space to respond.
“Yeah. Same. You’re mine, too. My best friend, I mean. You know that.”
“I was thinking about Tommy and Kayla. And all the people who break up and get back together and break up again. I don’t want us to be like that.”
“Are we…are we together? I know we kissed, but I wasn’t sure if—”
“I like you, Tru,” he says softly, his eyes lowered to the garage floor. “If you don’t feel the same way then—”
“I do.” I step closer and grab his other hand. “That’s how I feel.”
His smile comes on slowly, pinching at the corners like he’s trying to contain it. “Okay. Good.”
He sobers and glances up and pulls our hands between our chests. “I don’t ever want something stupid to ruin our friendship. People break up all the time, and it freaks me out that something might…change, and then we wouldn’t be friends.”
“Yeah. I get that.” I bite my lip and nod.
“So, pact.”
“Pact?” I laugh. “Like the pacts we made when we were kids? Like we wouldn’t ever summon the Candy Man? Or when we were seven, that I wouldn’t tell anyone where you buried that candy pop ring?”