LOGINELLISMy face felt like it was on fire. My legs were sort of working, but they were definitely sending in their complaints. I tried to step out of the closet without making direct eye contact, all while wrestling with the thought that just a few seconds earlier, Julian Cross had kissed me so fiercely that it nearly scrambled my brain for life.My lips were still buzzing.Which was, frankly, incredibly rude.I briefly pressed my hand over my mouth, then quickly pulled it away, realizing that was a terrible idea. Instead, I rubbed my face, silently hoping the floor might open up and swallow me out of pity, but the floor, just like everyone else in that room, wasn’t on my side."Wow," Pamela said, standing next to me, her grin practically radiating joy as someone who’d just witnessed something magnificent. "You’re so red! That must’ve been some seven minutes."I nearly choked and that only made her laugh harder. Great.Seriously, why was everyone so amused? Why was my misery so entertain
ELLISMy fingers curled into his shirt as I pushed again, and Julian responded by kissing me harder, his mouth hot and rough, sending a message I couldn’t quite articulate...something like frustration or urgency, or maybe both, all the words I needed stuck somewhere I couldn’t reach.The sound that escaped my throat in response was mortifying enough that I was grateful for the darkness.My mind raced, panic latching onto multiple threads at once.I don’t like guys.I don’t like guys!But why weren’t my hands pushing him away anymore?Julian tilted my head a bit, adjusting the angle, and the kiss deepened, his tongue exploring the inside of my mouth like he owned it, dismantling whatever resolve I had left. Something inside me, that had been clinging on for dear life, just let go.Heat surged through me so swiftly and thoroughly that it bypassed every argument I was trying to assemble and reached into something much more instinctual.One second, my hands were pushing away, and the next
ELLISThen came the cheering, it was loud, drunken, wildly enthusiastic cheering that hit the door like a tidal wave."SEVEN MINUTES!""KISS HIM!""DON’T COME OUT TOO FAST!"A laugh erupted from somewhere...so aggressive it struck me as worrisome, before the muffled bass of the party swallowed us whole again, leaving me alone in complete darkness with the one person I really didn’t want to be stuck in a tiny space with.Great...just fantastic. What a wonderful twist in an evening that had been going so smoothly.For a terrifying moment, neither of us moved.The closet was tiny. Way too tiny. Less like a room and more like a space someone had jammed cleaning supplies into and called it a day. I could feel my shoulder brush against a coat hanging nearby, and somewhere at my feet, I nearly stepped on what I hoped was a shoe and not someone’s forgotten pet rat.More importantly, Julian was way too close.Not close like two people at a party, but close as in a space clearly designed for co
ELLISEverything fell silent, as my brain needed a moment to process, compute and register what the hell just happened.What...the...actual...fuck...?For half a second, there was complete stillness, as if the party itself needed a moment to take in what had just occurred.Then the chaos erupted all at once. The room filled with screams, and Lucas, somewhere to my left, made a noise I had never heard anyone make before, before collapsing back onto the carpet. It seemed like an extreme response, but honestly, it made sense.I stared at the bottle, pointed directly at Julian, as if accusing it of wrongdoing."There’s no way," I said urgently, pointing at it as if it was evidence of a crime. "I gotta spin again. The floor is uneven, that doesn’t count!"The crowd responded with unified disbelief, their energy rising with one voice."RULES ARE RULES!""DO IT!""KISS HIM!"I looked around the circle, meeting the eyes of all those delighted faces that personally offended me."Fuck no! Absol
ELLISThe party was already pretty wild before the game even started, but it somehow cranked up a notch when this clearly drunk frat guy decided to climb onto the coffee table, clutching a half-empty vodka bottle like he was about to make a big announcement.He had that reckless energy of someone who had made a handful of questionable choices that night and was fully committed to making a lot more.The music was blasting so loudly that it felt like the floor was vibrating, with people packed into the living room, drinks in hand, laughing a bit too loudly and nearly tripping over each other every few moments.The whole place reeked of booze, perfume, sweat, and expensive cologne, all swirling together in the air like some kind of fog that had given up trying to be anything else. Honestly, if someone lit a match in there, the entire building would probably go up in flames before anyone even had a chance to react.I was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, carefully balancing my drink, wh
ELLISIncredible. A true masterpiece of a verbal response, after years of schooling, that’s what I came up with.Honestly it would truly be a divine miracle if I actually ended up with a girlfriend at this point.She laughed at my expression, and I felt heat creeping up my neck like something that had been hanging around, just waiting for an excuse.Fantastic, now I was blushing.Like someone who’d never been complimented before... which wasn’t true, but my face apparently didn’t get the memo."Wow," Pamela said, clearly delighted. "You actually get flustered.""I’m choosing not to dignify that with a response.""That means yes.""It means I’m exercising my right to silence.""It definitely means yes."Before I could muster a comeback, something shifted. Not dramatically, just a subtle awareness crawling up the back of my neck... the feeling of being observed.I frowned slightly, glancing across the room instinctively and locked eyes with... drumroll please...!Julian.Of course, I fo







