Read Online My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron - Free Book Online Page B

don't want me. Look me in the eye and tell me if I kissed you right now, you wouldn't kiss me back. Tell me.”
    “I don't want you,” I said, grinding my teeth around every word. Breathing became difficult. He was so close. I couldn't see anything beyond him. My eye level was at his chest, where the ink from his tattoos showed through the thin cotton. His smell surrounded me, and I caught a tiny whiff of sweat. My mouth went dry, and I kept my eyes on his chest because I knew I couldn't look up. 
    Two days ago, I hadn't known Hunter Zaccadelli existed. Today, I couldn't look him in the eyes for fear I'd lose myself. No, I had to shut this down. 
    I closed my eyes and stepped away.
    “I don't want you,” I said, looking at his eyes and not blinking. “Now get away from me.” He didn't move, so I walked away. 
    One thing was sure: I had to get Hunter out of my life. 
    I wanted him. I wanted him to kiss me and touch my face and put his fingers in my hair. I wanted him to pick me up and hold me and be with me. 
    I was losing it. Absolutely losing it. I had to get out of this space. He took up too much of it. He made my brain do funny things and not think clearly.
    I had to get away.
    I got dressed as quickly as I could and threw my books for the day into my bag. I dashed to the bathroom, hoping I wouldn't run into Hunter. I could hear his guitar in the living room. I didn't look at him as I rushed out the door. As soon as I was in the hallway, I was able to breathe.
    What was it about him? Was it the tattoos? The way he called me Missy? The way he was so open about his sexuality? Maybe it was a combination.
    It was a combination I couldn't say no to, but I would have to. 
    I was never going to fall in love. I was never going to be with someone like that. People only hurt you when you loved them that way. They took what they wanted and used you up. My mother still missed my dad, even though it had been so many years. She still looked at their wedding pictures and smiled, thinking about times when they were happy. But it hadn't lasted. Nothing like that lasted.
    Boys like Hunter burned everything they touched. Boys like that were dangerous. I knew that without a doubt. If I let him, Hunter would drag me down. I would not let it happen.
    I spent the rest of the day looking for Hunter around every corner. I turned my phone off so I wouldn't see his texts, if he sent any. I made sure to keep a lookout in the Union. I kept thinking I saw him, but it turned out to just be a look-a-like. There were a lot of guys who sort of looked like him, but no one quite close enough.
    I did everything I could to avoid going back to the apartment and ended up finishing all my homework before the end of the day. I had my last class of the day with Megan and offered to have dinner with her so she could avoid eating with the “cannibals,” as she called her boyfriend's buddies. It wasn't completely to avoid Hunter, because I really did want to spend time with Megan.
    “Have you figured out your roommate issue?”
    “I wish,” I said, biting into my chocolate croissant. Hunter was the kind of person who made me need chocolate therapy. “It's really complicated.”
    “Things with the opposite sex usually are.”
    “How's everything working out for you?”
     She lifted one shoulder. 
    “Jake's my soul mate. I know that. Sounds cheesy, but I know that we're not complete without each other. So I put up with his disgusting friends and their endless Family Guy marathons because I love him. Someday we'll move in with just the two of us, and I'll be able to have a clean bathroom. Someday...” 
    We finished eating, and I walked Megan to her car. 
    “Girls night this weekend? I think the guys are going to a party, so the house will be free. I'll make margaritas,” she said in a singsong voice. “Come on, please? I'm inviting Haley and Robin, too.” They were two other girls from our major that we’d formed a little group with.