Ariana's POV
The morning air outside the restaurant hit me cold and sharp, I pressed my back against the brick wall beside the entrance, my chest still rising too fast, my lips still warm in a way that felt impossible to ignore.
I pressed two fingers against my mouth without meaning to, like I could check whether something had actually changed there, whether the kiss had left some visible mark instead of just this ridiculous, thundering pulse in my chest.
It didn't mean anything.
I said it in my head, firm, the way I'd say it out loud if anyone asked. It was staged. It was for Ryan. It was for the whole stupid team.
But my hand was still shaking slightly against my lips, and no amount of telling myself it was staged made the warmth in my chest settle down.
I paced a small circle on t
