10. Ruined Kiss

Sky blinked.

Caleb jerked his hand back like Sky suddenly turned into a hot stove. His confident smile completely disintegrated.

Charlie didn’t even realize he was moving until he was already in the doorway.

He saw Caleb’s hand on Sky’s cheek. Too close, too familiar and something in him snapped like a dry twig in a forest fire.

Sky blinked up at him, all innocent wide eyes and fake confusion, and Charlie could practically taste her annoyance. She did it on purpose. Of course she did. Because why wouldn’t she wander off with some guy whose entire personality was good hair and bad grades?

Caleb snatched his hand away like Sky had electrocuted him. Good. At least the guy had survival instincts.

Charlie glared at him. Hard. The kind of look that usually made grown men apologize for things they didn’t even do.

Internally?

He was losing it. Are you kidding me right now? I left you alone for five minutes. FIVE. And you’re upstairs. In a bedroom. With THIS dude?

He didn’t say this out loud but he really wanted to.

He could feel his pulse pounding at the base of his neck.

Caleb stammered something, trying to sound calm. “We…uh…we were just talking.”

Sure. And I’m the tooth fairy, Charlie thought.

“Let’s go Sky,” Charlie repeated, keeping his tone flat.

“What,” she snapped, lifting her chin, “is your problem?”

Charlie stared at her.

His inner monologue was screaming.

My problem? Really? YOU are my problem. You disappearing into random bedrooms. You not listening. You acting like nothing bad could ever happen to you. You act like you’re invincible, Sky.

He dragged a hand through his hair, jaw tight as a locked steel door.

He finally said, “You think this is funny?”

Sky blinked all innocent again. “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

OH MY GOD.

He closed his eyes for a second because looking at her directly was only making him more irritated.

Then he muttered, under his breath but loud enough. “You can’t just be alone with some random guy, Sky.”

She tilted her head, brows rising. “He is not random. I know him from Lit class. You know, the class you are also in? Besides, I walked into a room with a boy who likes me. That’s literally normal.”

“She is right, dude. We know each other from class,” Caleb interjected.

“Normal?” Charlie repeated as if he didn’t hear Caleb speak just now.

“Yeah, Charlie. Normal,” she said with gritted teeth.

Charlie crossed the room, then he stopped, just out of reach. “You think guys like him just want to talk upstairs?”

Sky’s eyes narrowed. “What, you don’t think someone could actually like me for me?”

Charlie almost choked.

Oh my God. This girl is going to send me into early retirement.

“That’s not what I said,” he clipped out.

Caleb, trying desperately to look relevant, lifted his hands. “Hey man, I literally told her we were just talking. You’re blowing this…”

Charlie finally turned his gaze on him.

Caleb’s voice died mid-sentence.

Sky crossed her arms, looking from one boy to the other like she was refereeing a match she didn’t sign up for. “Charlie, you’re acting like Caleb dragged me up here by my hair.”

Caleb sputtered. “I would never…”

Charlie cut him off without looking at him. “Sky, you walked upstairs alone. With a guy. At a party. In a bedroom. Do you understand how stupid that is?”

Her whole face snapped into offense. “Wow, thanks. Great vote of confidence.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. Hard. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” she challenged.

He dropped his hand.

His jaw was tight, but his voice wasn’t angry now. Just strained. Tired. Like she’d peeled a layer off him he didn’t want anyone seeing.

“Guys don’t bring girls to bedrooms to talk,” Charlie said simply.

Sky opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again. “Caleb is not like that.”

Caleb, who absolutely was like that, went rigid. “I…I mean…look, I wasn’t going to try anything she didn’t want.”

Charlie lifted a brow. “Oh, no?”

Sky glared at Charlie. “Get the fuck out, Charlie. I don’t need this right now,” she barked.

“Hey, man,” Caleb said. “She told you to leave. Maybe you should listen to her. She is not ready to go home right now.”

Charlie turned his head toward him.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

He curled his hand into a fist. He didn’t want to get into a fight with this dumb jock, but he would if he had to.

Whatever it took to protect Sky.

Sky shot up from the bed, stepping between them faster than either boy expected.

“Caleb, could you give us a minute?” she said sweetly.

Caleb blinked. “You…you want me to leave? You want me to leave you alone with him?”

“Yes,” Sky said. “Just for a minute.”

“But…”

“She said leave,” Charlie said sharply.

For a second, Caleb looked torn. Then he shrugged and left the room.

Sky turned back to him, arms crossed. “You just ruined my chance to have my first kiss. Happy now?”

Charlie’s mouth tightened. He studied her, taking in the flush on her cheeks, the narrow set of her jaw, a storm gathering behind her eyes.

He wanted to say a dozen things. None of them were helpful.

Instead, he lowered his voice. “You’re not going to have your first kiss with a football moron in somebody else’s parents’ bedroom.”

Sky laughed, but there was nothing soft in it. “Why not? Because you say so?”

He didn’t answer. The truth sat heavy at the back of his teeth, jagged and raw.

Charlie’s jaw flexed. “Sky, you don’t even like him.”

“You don’t get to decide who I like,” she snapped.

“No,” he agreed. “But I’ve watched you for months. I know when you’re being yourself… and when you’re trying to prove a point.”

Sky froze.

Just for a second.

Barely noticeable.

But he saw it.

He stepped closer. Not close enough to crowd her, but close enough that she felt every word.

“You came up here because you knew I’d follow.”

She blinked.

“You wanted to get a rise out of me,” he added, voice low, “and congratulations. It worked.”

Sky sucked in a breath like he’d shoved her.

“You think my world revolves around you,” she whispered.

Charlie shook his head. “No, but I know you.”

Sky snorted. “Oh, please.”

“Look, I don’t want to stand here and argue all night. Let’s just go home,” he said and proceeded to grab her arm, but she jerked away.

“Fuck off! I am not ready to leave yet,” she cried and stormed out of the room.

Charlie sighed and followed her out of the room instantly.

Sky stormed down the hallway, shoulders tight, fury in every stomp of her boots.

Charlie stayed a few steps behind her. Close enough to reach her if he needed to. Far enough that she wouldn’t whirl around and rip his face off.

She practically flew down the stairs.

He saw her heading toward the drink table and sighed. Here we go again…