White is for Virgins (38 page)

I picked up a few boxes and started filled them with discarded bits of wrapping paper. Two hands began to help me; ones that were strong and tan, and had long, lean fingers. Fox’s hands.

I thought of the time when we’d held hands in his car. They were callused, yet soft and warm. The perfect contradiction.

He was perfect, I concluded. …In his own man-whorish way.

We cleaned, in silence. I was so sick of not talking, but didn’t know what to say. I was
beyond
chicken to bring up Friday. Even though I had some serious apologizing to do…I was still considering whether or not he really even ‘liked’ me.

We finished tidying up within a few minutes. Fox ended up on the floor, leaning against the soft oak of the front desk.

I worked up the courage to slide in next to him, keeping a safe distance. I wasn’t
that
brave, yet.

He looked at me oddly.

“Hey,” I managed, with a sheepish smile.
Oh, God… I’ve got it bad.

This
really
got him staring at me.

“What?” I asked.
Do I have something on my face?
I put my hands on my cheeks, feeling nothing but their heat.

He chuckled and shook his head. I didn’t fail to notice how his white blond hair shook as he did. He was so unbelievably sexy…

I was ready to just get up and walk home.
Pshhh. Hell will freeze over before Fox Evans gets a crush on me.

Just as I was about to get up, I saw a flash of green above me. Both Fox and I look up, and found Clara and Nathan giggling as they swung a mistletoe over the edge of the desk.

“You guys should be in bed,” I said softly, blushing as I looked at Fox. He was laughing as he got up and chased them back to their rooms.

He returned momentarily, resuming his spot beside me on the floor. Only this time, he scooted closer.

“Kids do that darnest things,” I muttered, fingering the hem of my skirt.

“And say the
darnest things,” he smirked, “But hey – we definitely
would
have pretty babies.”

Thinking of Fox and babies made me shiver. I bit my lip.
No, he definitely doesn’t like me… I’m about as innocent as a ten-year-old.
He needs someone with more experience.

“You bite your lip a lot,” he pointed out. “You know that?”

“Why are you looking at my lips?” I asked haughtily, not thinking before speaking.
Crap.

He smiled slyly and ran a hand through his hair. “You know what we have to do now, right?”

I gulped. “I know that you know that we don’t have to do
anything
.”

He pouted. “
Aww, c’mon! It’s tradition, Emery.” The way he said my name made him all the more tempting.

“Plus,” he added, placing one amazing hand on my cheek, “it gives me an excuse to finish what we started.”

“We?” I asked weakly.

He smirked and licked his lips. “We,” he confirmed, lowering his gaze to my lips.

And before I even had time to think, his silken lips grazed my top lip ever so lightly, lingering there before capturing my bottom lip. I sighed. There was no spark or
zing!
of electricity or fireworks like I had read about in books. But there was definitely
something
there. In that moment there was utter bliss. I wanted to slip my fingers through his hair and hold him close. And I wanted him to hold
me
close. I was content, right then and there. Oxygen, and food, and sleep, and school, and the rest of the population didn’t matter.

He began to pull away as we heard a chorus of ‘
aww’s from all around us. My cheeks grew warm instantly, and I bit my lip as I opened my eyes slowly to take in the crowd. Somehow I managed to sustain the feeling in my legs, as well as a decent amount of composure. Getting up and brushing off the bottom of my skirt, I escorted the kids back to their rooms.

“They’re
gonna get married and have pretty babies!” I heard Clara exclaim.

“
Elf
babies,” Nathan corrected.

I laughed, silently thanking the kids for all their meddling and all the while wondering what would come from tonight’s endeavor.

The feel of his lips on mine was forever imprinted on my mind, and the memory seared in my heart.

Chapter 24

.EMERY POV.

I fidgeted against the heated leather seat as the car came to a slow halt. Biting my lip, which I was sure was numb from all my nibbling, I looked out the window. The majority of the lights were on downstairs.

Not good.

“You okay?” Fox asked over the hum of the heater.

“Great,” I nodded enthusiastically.

From the corner of my eye I thought I saw his hand inch for mine, but his hand remained in his lap.

No, Emery. He’s not that
kinda guy. You need to get off cloud 9 and stop thinking you’re seeing things you only
want
to see.

As Fox and I sat their awkwardly, I was ready to do one of two things: one, throw myself at him and kiss him like in all those sappy romantic movies… or two, reach for the door handle and promptly exit the vehicle.

Unfortunately, I lacked the courage to do either.

It’d been a few days since our mistletoe incident… and nothing had happened. Nothing. Nil. Nada. Which completely
sucked
– because I really, really, really liked that kiss. I had come to terms with the fact that I really liked
him
.

Maybe I’m just not worth it.
Maybe I turned him off!
Maybe I’m just a horrible kisser, or I had bad breath… or
both
. Oh my God.

We’d visited the hospital every day since then, and Clara refused to talk about anything other than my nonexistent relationship. And destiny. And fate. The little romantic, I called her Jane Austen.

Fox and I had so much time on our hands… yet not once did he make a move.

What did I do?

And just like that the ‘what if’s and ‘maybe’s were beginning their hourly raid on my brain.

Fox cleared his throat, unknowingly snapping me back to reality.

“So, what are you doing tonight?” he asked, turning to look at me innocently. The street lamp illuminated his face perfectly; made his eyes look even
more
mysterious and sexy. His hair looked whiter than usual, spiked and hovering over his face. His lips, however, were drawing my attention as they were slightly parted. They were sending the more tempting invitation, and all I was dying to do was RSVP.

I looked down at my hands, which were folded tightly in my lap.

“Um, whatever my parents are doing,” I shrugged,
which is arguing and yelling at each other… and essentially rotting their marriage to the core.
“Probably just go to one of their friend’s parties.”

He nodded. I hated that he was completely unreadable.

“What about you?” I offered, leaning a little closer like the pathetic optimist I was.

“Just partying,” he said nonchalantly.

“I figured,” I smirked. “With Nick?”

“Nah, Nick’s in Colorado with his parents.”

“Oh..” I said unintelligibly.

“Yeah, I guess he wanted a change of scenery since the whole Lily fiasco.”
Right, right,
I thought
, Lily went away, too. So in denial… I don’t understand.

“Right,” I nodded. My hopes were decreasing and my level of disappointment was on the rise simultaneously. “Well um, Happy New Year,
in advance
,” I said awkwardly, “Don’t get too wasted.”

Fox winced at my comment. “Yeah, um, I’ll try.”

I closed my eyes to lessen the virtual blow of the car door popping open.

“Hey
Em?” he said hesitantly.

“Yeah?” I asked, turning around a little too eagerly.
Can you say
whiplash?

“Happy early New Year,” he murmured, “too.”

I nodded, flipping my bangs out of my eyes as I slipped out of the car.

I pushed through the front door, and turned in time to see his car disappear down the street.

“Epic fail,” I muttered taking my shoes off and throwing them carelessly beside the coat rack.

The yelling was impossible to shut out, yet I disregarded it as best I could.

A got up to my room; changed into my pajamas; washed my face. Crawling into bed, I sighed heavily and stared at the ceiling.

“Why can’t
I
make the plans for once! Don’t I deserve to do what
I
want every now and then!”
my mom yelled rather than inquired.