Hypnotized.

KEVIN

“Whoa!” My instincts quickly take over as I leap forward and catch her, my arms wrapping around her waist before my brain can even process what I am doing.

The force of her momentum pulls her back against my chest as I haul her up on her feet.

Fuck.

She almost hurt herself.

"Gotcha," I breathe into her hair, my chest heaving slightly from the sudden burst of adrenaline rushing through my veins. Her hair is brushing my jaw and she smells like vanilla and apples.

Unable to resist, I find myself silently inhaling the scent.

Fuck.

Her hands are pressed flat on my chest, right over my thumping heart as she clutches at my jacket for support before she slowly tilts her head up to look at me, her wide, green eyes filled with sudden shock.

For a moment, the world just... stops.

I stare down at her, fully expecting her to shove me away and pull out her phone to fuck me off.

But she doesn't move.

She is frozen. In my arms.

And still staring up at me while breathing softly through her parted lips.

Fuck.

Why am I staring at her lips?

I force myself to look back up into her eyes. With the streetlight washing over us and casting soft shadows across her face and eyes, I find myself really, REALLY seeing the color of HER EYES for the very first time.

Her eyes are greener than I have ever noticed and they are not just green, they also have little flecks of gold dancing inside them beneath the streetlights.

‎

‎Damn. Her eyes… they are so beautiful.

They are also framed by thick dark lashes, her irises reflecting the soft glow of the lamps above us. ‎She is looking at me and I am looking at her and neither of us has moved an inch. My hand is still around her waist.

Her soft, warm waist.

Currently, a stray lock of her hair is clinging to the corner of her cheek and I am already itching to tuck that stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Shit.

What the hell is going on with me?!

Her fingers slightly tighten on my chest and I swear I can feel the warmth of her hands straight through my leather jacket. My throat is completely dry, my racing heart kicking into overdrive.

I can't look away.

I feel so hypnotized and I don't even WANT to look away.

“You... uh,” I helplessly stumble over my words before composing myself. “Are you okay?”

She blinks, as if she is finally waking up from the hazy dream of how close we are holding onto each other.

Quickly, she looks away from me and pushes herself off my chest, her feet finding solid ground. A bright, pinky flush creeps up her neck and stains her cheeks as she takes two quick steps away from me, her hands fisting into her sweater.

I am still staring at her.

‎And I can't seem to stop myself from doing so.

Still refusing to meet my eyes, she tucks the stray lock of her hair behind her ear. Next, she pulls out her phone and starts typing with slightly shaky fingers.

‎

Done typing, she shows me the screen, still avoiding my eyes:

‎

‘‎THANK YOU.’

‎

‎That's all the screen says.

‎

‎Two simple words.

‎

‎Yet somehow, I feel like I just traveled to the moon and came back to this very moment.

“Uhm…” ‎I cough softly, clearing my throat. “You are welcome.”

‎

‎She simply gives me a fast nod and quickly turns around, already rushing down the path towards her dorm without looking back at me even once.

I keep watching her until she disappears completely out of sight, leaving me all alone.

My entire body feels like it's on fire.

I am still standing exactly where she left me, my hand resting on my chest right where she touched me just a few minutes ago. My heart is pounding against my ribs like a sledgehammer, fast and completely out of control.

Ava Hudson, what the hell have you done to me?!

~

Ten hours later, I am back home and staring blankly at the ceiling of my bedroom.

The room is completely dim, only illuminated by the blue light of the digital clock on my nightstand. According to the clock, the time is 2:14 AM.

2:14 AM and I am still wide awake.

Mason is fast asleep in the adjacent room across the hall but here I am, still sleepless. I haven't closed my eyes for a single second because every time I close my eyes, I see hers.

Green.

Bright.

And staring straight into mine.

I keep replaying that moment again.

And again.

And again.

The way her body felt in my arms…

The way she breathed through her parted lips…

The way her hands held onto me for support…

The way her scent drove me out of my mind…

The way she blushed after she pushed me away…

Fuck.

I groan and roll over onto my side, punching my pillow in frustration but the punch is useless. I punch the pillow again before throwing it over my face.

Still, nothing I do is helping me at all.

I am supposed to make Ava Hudson fall for me. That is the plan. I am supposed to sweep her off her feet to remind her that she is not immune to my charms.

But now, for the first time since I made that stupid bet with Mason, I am no longer thinking about making Ava fall for me.

I am thinking about why I can't stop thinking about her.

Fuck.

Groaning once more, I toss the pillow aside, my fists digging into the sheets.

I am in so much trouble.