Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry,” he said after a few minutes.
“For what?” I replied, not looking at him.
“I don’t know…everything?” He nudged me with his arm. “How’s Kenny?”
I tensed up slightly at the mention of my brother’s name. It wasn’t as if he’d said anything wrong, but I was highly protective where Kenny was concerned. “He’s doing well.”
“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”
There was another pause. I didn’t know what to say. It was strange that Ash was there with me instead of in the house partying, dancing, and making everyone smile. It was even more strange that he would bring up Kenny. Most of my friends didn’t. They were cool to him and everything, but they never just asked me about my brother.
“It’s so cool. He’s always so happy.”
My muscles went rigid at Ash’s words. “No, he’s not,” I snapped. It was a stereotype that many people had about those with Downs…that they were always happy as though they didn’t know better. And yeah, Kenny was happy a lot but he got mad and sad too. He felt things just like the rest of us only sometimes his emotions were much bigger, he was more expressive than most people. Kenny didn’t guard his emotions.
“Did I say something wrong?”
I shrugged, not wanting to talk to him about it.
“You’re going to Fever Falls Community College, right? That’s what Wyatt said.”
My initial reflex was to ask him why he and Wyatt had been talking about me, but instead, I held it in, letting my bitterness eat away at my insides. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I didn’t want to hear about Ash leaving for USC, about all the things he would do that I wouldn’t.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I… You’re a good brother, Beau.”
My eyes snapped to his. How did he know I was staying because of Kenny? I sure as shit hadn’t told him that. I’d known Ashton Carmichael all my life, and he’d never said anything like that to me.
I stared, dumbfounded. My mouth even hung open, and the only reason I knew was because Ash chuckled, then reached over, hooked his finger under my chin, and closed it. My body started misfiring, going haywire at his touch, though I couldn’t figure out why. I hated Ash, but now goose bumps were dancing up and down my arms and my pulse sped up.
I didn’t turn away, couldn’t, and he didn’t either. Then his tongue sneaked out and traced his bottom lip, and holy fuck did Ashton Carmichael have nice lips. Whoa, where did that come from?
It clicked with me that he was closer, then closer again. My breathing picked up, and my brain malfunctioned even more because I didn’t pull away, sit back, or ask him what in the fuck he was doing. Instead, I waited as he leaned in, felt the heat from his touch, realized that vanilla was the scent that clung to him, felt the electric current zipping from Ash to me when his lips pressed against mine.
Ashton fucking Carmichael was kissing me.
Ash was a guy.
And I liked it.
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
His tongue sneaked out again, pushed into my mouth, and…fuck, was I moaning? Jesus, I was. What in the hell was wrong with me? My fingers tingled as I reached up and held on to the back of Ash’s head. His hair was wet with sweat, but I didn’t care. He tasted so damn good. It didn’t even matter anymore that sweat mixed with his vanilla, just the dance of his tongue and the way kissing him made me dizzy.
“Ash,” I whispered when his mouth teased its way down my neck.
My words shocked him into action, or at least I assume they did, because Ash jerked away as though I’d burned him. Which of course made me do the same, only I fucked up again and jerked too far, toppling off the end of the dock and into the water.
“Oh shit,” Ash said as he reached for me, and I’m not going to lie, for a brief moment I considered ducking under the water and hiding—drowning be damned.
I didn’t want to die, though, so I let him pull me up, and we stood staring at each other, me in sopping wet jeans and a tee and Ashton fucking Carmichael looking gorgeous as ever.
Holy fuck. I thought Ash, with his blue eyes and tousled brown hair, was gorgeous. Had I always thought he was gorgeous?
“Whew. I’m really fucking drunk. It just hit me how drunk I am.” He swayed for emphasis.
A frown pulled at my lips.
“You’re sober, though, aren’t you?” he asked, making heat and anger shoot through me. Was he going to blame this on me? Tell people I sober-kissed him and excuse himself because he was drunk?
I opened my mouth to reply, but Ash cut me off. “Catch you later, Cranky Campbell.” Then he turned around and jogged away.