The sound of the rain pelting against the rooftop mirrored the chaos in my chest. I stood by the tall windows of my bedroom, staring blankly at the gray horizon beyond the glass, willing the ache in my heart to dissolve with every drop that slid down. But it stayed, rooted deep inside me like a thorn I couldn’t pluck out.
Everything had changed since that kiss.
I tried to convince myself it meant nothing. That it was impulsive, reckless, a product of frustration and proximity. But every time I closed my eyes, I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin, the way his hand had trembled slightly when it cupped my face, the way time had seemed to suspend itself in those seconds our lips met.
I didn’t know who I was more furious with—him, for daring to blur the lines we swore we would
