“Wait a minute, that was your first kiss?” he asked, finally following her into the kitchen. He couldn’t believe it. There was no way that was her first kiss.

She opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water. “Not all of us have a reputation for screwing the entire cheerleading squad.”

“Look, I will never touch any of them, ever again,” he said, putting his hand flat on the counter. “I was your first kiss.”

“The more you keep asking, the bigger the embarrassment, Blue. I don’t want to talk about this.” She unscrewed the bottle and took a large gulp.

He liked being her first. “Does that mean you’re a virgin?”

She spat out her water, quickly covering her mouth as she choked on some. “You can’t just randomly ask a girl that.”

“Why not? It’s a perfectly valid question.”

“It’s an unfair one.”

“Well, are you?”

“It’s none of your business.”

He wasn’t getting anywhere with her. “You know I’m not a virgin.”

“I know you’ve shacked up with half of the town.”

“Not half of them. Come on, tell me.”

She stared at him and finally shook her head. “Yes, fine. I’m a virgin, Blue. Most of my eighteen years have been spent hanging out with my friends, studying, and reading books. I’ve never had a boyfriend and kissing random strangers isn’t on my list of things to do before I grow up. You’re my first kiss, and the reason I slapped you was because…”

He waited.

Her answer seemed to stretch on.

“Even though I thought it was pretty great, I didn’t want my kiss to be in front of a bunch of our friends who will do nothing but point and gossip about it. I wanted my first to be … I don’t know, different.”

He closed the distance between them, which he seemed to be doing a great deal with her just lately. All he wanted was to be near her in any way that he could.

Cupping her face, he tilted her head back, pleased she didn’t try to fight him.

“Blue, you don’t have to do this.”

“I took your first kiss and I didn’t know it was your first time, otherwise, I would’ve done all of this differently. When it comes to you, I want everything to be perfect. You’re special, Laylah. You always will be. I’m sorry I messed it up, but allow me to make it all better now.”

Her plump lips called to him, and as she released a gasp, he took possession of her lips, righting the wrong from earlier. When she remembered her first kiss with him, this would be the one she recalled with excitement.

The same kiss she’d one day tell their grandchildren about.