Read Online Forget Me (Hampton Harbor) by Jess Petosa - Free Book Online
Authors: Jess Petosa
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dock, about halfway down. His hands are shoved into his own pockets, and
a gray shirt is stretched across his upper body.
"You shouldn't have come," I tell him. "To dinner
tonight, or here."
"Jane," he says slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"Don't call me that. We both know the name is a lie." My
tone sounds more callous than I mean it to.
"It's who you were when I met you, and whether you like it or
not, it’s who you are now." He takes a step toward me and I realize that I
cannot step away unless I want to take a swim. "It’s also the girl I would
like to get to know."
"So now you want to get to know me, huh?"
"I never said I didn't want to get to know you," he
points out. "I just said we shouldn't date, and then you took off down the
dock."
I can feel my cheeks turning pink, and thankfully even the light
from the lanterns isn't enough to reveal that to Will.
"Don't remind me," I say.
"Look, I know that you’re most likely really confused. I
don't know how you’re handling all of this, but I want to help." He takes
another step toward me.
"Help?" I say with a humorless laugh. "Help me how?
I don't want to know who I am, not yet."
"I can be your friend," he says.
"Just friends," I say to myself but I know he hears me.
"It's not me it's you, right?"
"Jane," he says my name again, but with frustration this
time.
"Look Will." Now I’m the one who steps forward. "I
appreciate the offer, I do. But now that I've been honest with you about my
situation, I feel like I can continue to do so in other areas. I like you Will,
a lot. I felt a connection from the moment you stepped into the cafe, and it
just grew stronger when we went out last night. There is no way I can just be your friend. So I'm sorry if you see all
of this differently, but I can't do what you’re asking."
I brush past him and hurry toward the cafe. I’m sure that Amy will
be back any minute. It feels good to be open and honest, and somehow I don't
feel embarrassed or ashamed like I thought I might. I’m almost across the
boardwalk when Will grabs my arm and spins me around.
"I can't believe I’m going to do this,” he says.
I don't have time to ask him what he is going to do before he
leans down and brushes my lips with a kiss. It is gentle, and quick, and I'm
not even sure I kiss him back. He pulls back slightly and I turn to stone,
incapable of movement. I'm staring at his lips, and my own are parted slightly.
My heart is beating fast in my chest, and by the swiftness in Will's breathing,
I gather that his is as well.
He watches me, maybe waiting to see if I react. When I do nothing,
he steps closer. His hand comes up to cup the back of my neck, and he pulls me
closer, his lips brushing mine again. This kiss isn't full of hesitation or
wonder. Instead it is deep and meaningful, full of longing and desire. I place
my hands on his waist and kiss him back, my lips parting against his. There is
a fire running down my arms and legs, setting my nerves ablaze. The fire
settles low in my belly, and I lean closer to Will.
"Jane!" Amy calls from the side of the cafe.
Will and I jump apart quickly, as though we've been caught doing
something wrong. I spin toward the side of the building just as Amy appears
around the corner.
"There you are, I thought maybe you tried to walk..."
her words trail right off the dock and into the water. She looks at Will, and
then back at me, repeating the motion several times. I’m hoping we look like
we've just been talking, and nothing else. Although, from the way Will dug his hands
into my hair, I'm sure my ponytail is askew.
"Do you still need that ride home?" In the dim lantern
light, I can see her eyes narrow. She’s trying to assess the situation.
Suddenly the discomfort of the night falls over me. Everything
Will said. Everything I said. The heated kiss.
"Yes," I say quickly, before Will can give a different
answer.
I turn back to him and bite my lip, "I'll, um, see you
later I
a gray shirt is stretched across his upper body.
"You shouldn't have come," I tell him. "To dinner
tonight, or here."
"Jane," he says slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"Don't call me that. We both know the name is a lie." My
tone sounds more callous than I mean it to.
"It's who you were when I met you, and whether you like it or
not, it’s who you are now." He takes a step toward me and I realize that I
cannot step away unless I want to take a swim. "It’s also the girl I would
like to get to know."
"So now you want to get to know me, huh?"
"I never said I didn't want to get to know you," he
points out. "I just said we shouldn't date, and then you took off down the
dock."
I can feel my cheeks turning pink, and thankfully even the light
from the lanterns isn't enough to reveal that to Will.
"Don't remind me," I say.
"Look, I know that you’re most likely really confused. I
don't know how you’re handling all of this, but I want to help." He takes
another step toward me.
"Help?" I say with a humorless laugh. "Help me how?
I don't want to know who I am, not yet."
"I can be your friend," he says.
"Just friends," I say to myself but I know he hears me.
"It's not me it's you, right?"
"Jane," he says my name again, but with frustration this
time.
"Look Will." Now I’m the one who steps forward. "I
appreciate the offer, I do. But now that I've been honest with you about my
situation, I feel like I can continue to do so in other areas. I like you Will,
a lot. I felt a connection from the moment you stepped into the cafe, and it
just grew stronger when we went out last night. There is no way I can just be your friend. So I'm sorry if you see all
of this differently, but I can't do what you’re asking."
I brush past him and hurry toward the cafe. I’m sure that Amy will
be back any minute. It feels good to be open and honest, and somehow I don't
feel embarrassed or ashamed like I thought I might. I’m almost across the
boardwalk when Will grabs my arm and spins me around.
"I can't believe I’m going to do this,” he says.
I don't have time to ask him what he is going to do before he
leans down and brushes my lips with a kiss. It is gentle, and quick, and I'm
not even sure I kiss him back. He pulls back slightly and I turn to stone,
incapable of movement. I'm staring at his lips, and my own are parted slightly.
My heart is beating fast in my chest, and by the swiftness in Will's breathing,
I gather that his is as well.
He watches me, maybe waiting to see if I react. When I do nothing,
he steps closer. His hand comes up to cup the back of my neck, and he pulls me
closer, his lips brushing mine again. This kiss isn't full of hesitation or
wonder. Instead it is deep and meaningful, full of longing and desire. I place
my hands on his waist and kiss him back, my lips parting against his. There is
a fire running down my arms and legs, setting my nerves ablaze. The fire
settles low in my belly, and I lean closer to Will.
"Jane!" Amy calls from the side of the cafe.
Will and I jump apart quickly, as though we've been caught doing
something wrong. I spin toward the side of the building just as Amy appears
around the corner.
"There you are, I thought maybe you tried to walk..."
her words trail right off the dock and into the water. She looks at Will, and
then back at me, repeating the motion several times. I’m hoping we look like
we've just been talking, and nothing else. Although, from the way Will dug his hands
into my hair, I'm sure my ponytail is askew.
"Do you still need that ride home?" In the dim lantern
light, I can see her eyes narrow. She’s trying to assess the situation.
Suddenly the discomfort of the night falls over me. Everything
Will said. Everything I said. The heated kiss.
"Yes," I say quickly, before Will can give a different
answer.
I turn back to him and bite my lip, "I'll, um, see you
later I
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