THE FIRST KISS

(East)

By Monday morning, the entire university knew my business.

"Campus Whispers" posted three photos at 6 a.m. Me opening Ivy's chair. Ivy laughing with her head thrown back. Me looking at her like an idiot.

The caption said: Is Ivy Sinclair using Hockey Captain Easton Whitaker to make Dom Prescott jealous??? We have questions.

Theo shoved his phone in my face at breakfast.

"Look at your own expression," he said. "You look like a puppy who found a sandwich."

"That's just my face."

"That's love."

"That's indigestion."

"Sure." He chewed his toast. "Keep telling yourself that."

I took the phone and zoomed in on the third photo. It was the one where Ivy was laughing. Her eyes were closed, her hand was on my arm, and she was glowing. She looked so happy it hurt.

I hated that I knew exactly why I'd been looking at it for five straight minutes.

My phone buzzed. A message from Ivy.

Ivy: Did you see it?

East: Define "it."

Ivy: THE PHOTOS.

East: I look great.

Ivy: You look like you're in love.

I stared at the screen. My thumbs hovered.

East: I'm a great actor.

Ivy: I'm serious. People are talking. Dom texted me.

My stomach tightened.

East: What did he say?

She sent a screenshot.

Dom: He's just using you to get at me. You know that, right? He doesn't actually care about you.

I read it twice. My jaw locked. The worst part wasn't that it was a lie.

The worst part was how close it was to the truth.

Not the way Dom meant it. But I had secrets. Heavy ones. And Ivy had no idea.

East: Ignore him.

Ivy: Easy for you to say.

East: Come to the party tonight. Frat house on Mercer. We'll show them what "using someone" really looks like.

Ivy: That sounds like the worst idea.

East: It's a fantastic idea. I'll bring snacks.

Ivy: ...fine.

I put the phone down and smiled like a lunatic.

Theo watched me over his coffee.

"You are in so much trouble," he said.

---

The party was loud, hot, and full of people with red cups and bad ideas.

Ivy showed up in jeans and a black top with her hair down, and I almost walked into a wall.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm checking you for weapons."

She laughed. It lit up her whole face. "You're such a liar."

"It's my best quality."

I put my hand on her back and guided her through the crowd, making sure nobody bumped into her. She stepped closer to me without thinking, and I felt it all the way down my spine. I told myself to breathe. Act normal. Be a professional fake boyfriend.

It was very hard to be professional when she smelled like vanilla.

We grabbed drinks. We talked to people. She was good at it, sharp and funny, making a few guys from my team laugh so hard one of them spat beer. I stood back and watched her work the room. She had no idea how magnetic she was.

Then I saw Dom.

He was across the room by the staircase, leaning on the railing with a cup in his hand. When our eyes met, he pushed off the wall and started walking.

Straight toward Ivy.

"Incoming," I murmured.

She followed my gaze. Her shoulders went rigid.

"Ivy," Dom said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "We need to talk."

"We don't."

"It's about us."

"There is no us."

He ignored that and stepped closer, too close, and his voice dropped to a mean whisper. "Have you slept with him?"

The room around us got very quiet.

Ivy's whole face went blank. "That is none of your business."

"It's a simple question."

"And it's still none of your business."

"I deserve to know."

"You deserve a restraining order."

Somebody in the crowd gasped. Someone else whispered "oh my God." I felt every nerve in my body turn to fire.

Dom grabbed her wrist.

He didn't squeeze hard. He didn't have to. The second his fingers closed around her skin, I saw the fear flash across her face, and I was moving before I could think.

"Let her go," I said.

My voice came out low and flat. Even I didn't recognize it.

Dom looked at me. "Stay out of this, Whitaker."

"Let. Her. Go."

"She's my girlfriend."

"Ex," Ivy snapped.

And then she did something I will remember for the rest of my life.

She yanked her wrist free herself.

No help. No rescue. She just pulled, hard and clean, and stepped back. She rubbed her wrist once and looked at Dom with an expression so cold it could have frozen the room.

"Don't touch me again," she said.

Dom blinked. For the first time since I'd known him, he had nothing to say.

I stood beside her, hands clenched, waiting for her to tell me what she needed. If she wanted me to leave, I'd leave. If she wanted me to break his nose, well, I'd have to think about it.

But Ivy didn't look at me for permission.

She turned to face me.

"Easton," she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me."

My brain stopped working.

"What?"

"You heard me." Her eyes were bright. Her cheeks were pink. She was shaking just a little, and I knew it wasn't fear. It was adrenaline. "Make it look real."

"Ivy, rule one says we agree."

"I'm agreeing."

"Are you sure?"

"Easton." She grabbed the front of my shirt. "I will say yes slower if you keep asking."

So I stopped asking.

I slid one hand into her hair and the other to her waist, and I kissed her.

I expected a quick, careful kiss. A show.

It was not that.

The second our lips touched, something exploded in my chest. She made a tiny sound against my mouth, and I lost every thought I'd ever had. She kissed me back like she was starving. Her hands curled into my shirt. Her body melted into mine. Her lips were soft and warm and tasted like cherry soda, and I couldn't stop, didn't want to stop.

I pulled her closer. Her fingers slid up to the back of my neck. She sighed into me, and I swear my knees nearly gave out.

Somewhere in the distance, someone whistled. Someone else cheered. A phone camera clicked.

I didn't care.

All I knew was Ivy Sinclair, in my arms, kissing me like I was real.

Finally, when we had to breathe, we pulled apart just barely. Our foreheads touched. Her breath was uneven. Mine was worse.

She opened her eyes.

They were dark. Dazed. Full of something that looked a lot like confusion.

I realized Dom was gone. I hadn't even seen him leave.

"That wasn't part of the deal," I whispered. My voice was rough.

Ivy swallowed. Her lips were still wet. Her fingers were still gripping my shirt like she'd forgotten to let go.

She looked up at me, and her mouth curved into a small, shaky, dangerous smile.

"Then why did you kiss me back?"