Extraits

“...You know the difference between a 'boy friend' and a 'boyfriend'."

I roll my eyes with a smile. "Yeah, yeah."

"Just a little space,"...”

“He laughs again. “You’re different, Caymen.”

“Different than what?”

“Than any other girl I’ve met.”

Considering most of the girls he’d met probably had fifty times as much money as I did, that wasn’t a hard feat to accomplish. Thinking about that makes my eyes sting.

“It’s refreshing. You make me feel normal.”

“Huh. I better work on that because you’re far from normal.”

He smiles and pushes my shoulder playfully. My heart slams into my ribs. “Caymen.”

I take another handful of dirt and smash it against his neck then try to make a quick escape. He grabs me from behind, and I see his hand, full of dirt, coming toward my face when the warning beeps of the tractor start up.

“Saved by the gravediggers,” he says.”

“I wonder why some people seem to be born knowing what they want to do with their lives and others - mostly me - have no idea.”

“You two are the most in-love not-dating people I’ve met.”

“So Caymen..."

"So, Xander..."

"Like the islands."

"What?"

"Your name. Caymen. Like the Cayman Islands. Is that your mom's favourite place to visit or something?"

"No, it's her third favourite place. I have an older brother named Paris and an older sister named Sydney."

"Wow." He opens the bag, takes out a muffin, and hands it to me. The top glistens with sprinkled sugar. "Really?"

I gently unwrap it. "No.”

“Is that your subtle way of saying you missed me last week?"

"I've missed my hot chocolate. I just think of you as the guy who brings it to me. Sometimes I forget your name and call you hot chocolate guy.”

"I love you", I whisper.

"What was that ? I didn't hear you."

"Don't push me."

"I love you, too," He says. He puts his cheek against mine. "So much"

“Okay, how about Subject Changer. That fits you well.” He squeezes my hand. “Nice try, but what’s wrong . . . dollface?”

I sigh. “My mom and I had a huge fight.”

“About me?”

“So arrogant. Do you think everything is always about you?”

“What was it about?”

“You.”

The entire sides of our bodies are touching—shoulders, elbows, hips, thighs—all the way down to our feet. I can feel every tiny movement he makes.

“You’re killing me,” he says breathlessly.

“I’m sorry.” I take one step away, and he grabs me by the elbow and swings me to face him. Now the entire fronts of our bodies are touching. I take a sharp breath as heat pours down me. He backs me up against the counter.

His palm pressing into my lower back feels like it could singe a handprint onto my skin.

I’m staring as hard as I can at the collar of his T-shirt.

“Caymen?”

“Yes?”

“You look terrified. Does this scare you?”

“More than anything.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t bring my mints.”

“And now the real answer . . .”

“Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.” I don’t believe I admitted that out loud to him when I hadn’t even admitted it to myself. But he called me out. He always calls me out.

His finger traces my cheekbone and my heart slams into my rib cage as the nerves from my cheek all the way down my arms buzz to life.

“I didn’t realize we were playing a game,” he says.

I smile. That was the same line he had used during our second meeting. I look at him, and as if that’s all he’d been waiting for, his lips meet mine. When they touch I feel electrified. He kisses me gently, his lips as warm as his hand.

Just when I’m about to go into attack mode, I hear Skye clear her throat and say, “I’m just going to take my hot chocolate to go, then. I’ll bring your mug back another time.”

Xander opens the compartment above my knees and takes out a pair of leather gloves. As he pulls them on, I can’t help but laugh.

“What?”

“You have driving gloves.”

“And?”

“And it’s funny.”

“Funny adorable?”

I shake my head. “If you say so.”