The Morning After

Selena’s POV

I woke up with my lips still… warm.

Like… no. No no no no no.

I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow but it didn’t help. The memory was still there, sharp and soft at the same time. His hands on my waist. His lips crushing mine like he owned them. The dark alley. The smell of him. My knees nearly giving out.

I groaned into the pillow. My phone buzzed.

I didn’t even hesitate. I grabbed it and called Sarah.

She answered on the second ring, her voice groggy. “Lena? Girl, it’s like six-thirty, what—”

“I kissed him.”

There was a pause. Then a gasp so loud I had to yank the phone away from my ear. “YOU WHAT.”

I sat up, my hair a mess, my hand trembling just holding the phone. “I kissed him… no. He kissed me. I think. Oh my god. I don’t know.”

“WHO. TELL ME WHO BEFORE I DIE.”

I bit my lip hard. “Dominic.”

Dead silence. Then she screamed. Like, actually screamed. “DOMINIC LAKES?! LIKE… DOMINIC DOMINIC?! THE HOCKEY PLAYER?! THE BAD BOY WHO LOOKS LIKE SIN??”

“Yes!” I hissed into the phone. “Shut up before my whole street hears you.”

“Tell me everything. Right now. Or I’ll come over there and drag it out of you.”

I hung up.

Not even two minutes later, she was banging on my door. I swear this girl doesn’t even own pajamas because she was already dressed.

“Selena Rivers,” she said, storming into my room and throwing herself onto my bed, “you’re lucky I love you enough to forgive waking me up this early. But now you’re telling me everything. From the beginning. Every. Detail.”

I flopped back on the bed and covered my face. “I don’t even know where to start. It was… we were arguing. Like always. And then he just—he just… kissed me. In the alley.”

Sarah squealed so loud I winced. “Was it good?!”

I peeked at her through my fingers. “I… I don’t know.”

“Oh my god, you liar. Look at your face. You’re glowing. Don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t good.”

I sat up, my hand still trembling when I touched my lips. “Sarah. It was… it was good. Okay? Really good. Like… scary good. My knees almost gave out. And then he just… kept going. Like he didn’t even care people could’ve walked by. And I didn’t even stop him.”

Sarah threw her head back and kicked her feet like she was in some cheesy romcom. “You lucky, lucky—ugh. That boy is fine. And he’s obsessed with you. He’s been obsessed.”

I shook my head. “I don’t even know what this means.”

Sarah rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d stick. “It means you need to let him do it again, duh. And then marry him so I can be your maid of honor.”

I smacked her with my pillow and she laughed so hard she fell onto the floor.

That’s when I heard a soft cough from the doorway.

We both froze and turned.

Gwendolyn.

She was standing there with her arms crossed, still in her nightgown, her long dark hair hanging loose. She didn’t look amused. At all.

“You kissed Dominic Lakes?” she said, her voice cold.

Sarah scrambled to her feet, mumbling something about being late and practically ran out of the room.

I sat there, my heart pounding. “…Yeah?”

Gwendolyn narrowed her eyes at me. “You’d better stay away from him, Lena. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

I blinked at her. “What is that supposed to mean? Do you even know him?”

Her jaw tightened. “Just… stay away. That’s all I’m going to say.”

Then she walked away, leaving me sitting there feeling like I’d just swallowed a bucket of ice.

By the time I got to school the next morning, I was a mess.

I barely slept. My lips still tingled. My stomach was a tight knot of nerves. And Gwendolyn’s weird warning kept replaying in my head.

I tried to keep my head down as I walked down the hall. Maybe I could avoid him. Maybe he wouldn’t even bother me today.

Nope.

He was already there.

Leaning against my locker like he owned it, like he owned the whole damn hallway. His hockey jacket half-zipped, hair perfect, smirk on his lips like he knew exactly what kind of hell I’d been in all night.

I stopped in my tracks. My hand actually trembled on my bag strap.

“Well,” he drawled, straightening up, “if it isn’t Lena from the alley.”

I glared at him even though my stupid heart was hammering. “Move.”

He didn’t move. He tilted his head, grey eyes glinting. “Say please.”

I rolled my eyes and tried to sidestep him but he slid in front of me again. His hand shot out and caught my wrist, just like he did that night. My breath hitched.

“You won,” he murmured.

I blinked up at him. “What?”

“The election,” he said, his smirk deepening. “They’re gonna announce it at lunch. But you won. Like I told you you would.”

I swallowed hard. My lips actually parted to say thanks but nothing came out.

“And you still owe me,” he added, his voice dropping lower, sending a shiver straight down my spine.

I tried to yank my wrist back but he didn’t let go. He leaned closer, his breath warm against my cheek. “You think about it all night? Like I did?”

My heart just about exploded.

“I—”

He chuckled, low and wicked. “You’re a terrible liar, Lena. You keep touching your lips.”

I yanked my hand free and shoved him weakly in the chest. “Shut up.”

But he just stepped even closer, backing me up against the lockers. I winced as the cold metal hit my back. My lips snapped shut. My breathing was shaky.

He lowered his head until his lips brushed the shell of my ear.

“You wanna know why I wanted to kiss you?” he whispered.

My hand trembled where it pressed against his chest. “…Why?”

His lips skimmed down to my jaw, just barely.

“Because you look at me like you hate me… but your lips taste like you’ve been waiting for me to do that all along.”

My knees actually wobbled.

I didn’t even realize my eyes were fluttering shut until I felt his fingers under my chin, tilting my face up.

Then his lips crashed into mine.

It was worse this time. So much worse.

Or better.

I don’t even know.

His hands were on my waist, dragging me closer like he couldn’t stand even an inch between us. My fingers snapped into his jacket without thinking. His mouth was hot, demanding, leaving me breathless, dizzy.

He kissed me like he was trying to make me forget my own name.

And it was working.

When he finally pulled back, just barely, his forehead resting against mine, his smirk was still there.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured.

I shoved at his chest again weakly but didn’t even bother saying anything.

Because my lips were still burning and my heart was still pounding and I was still dumbfounded.

And all he did was laugh softly as he walked away like nothing even happened.