You Can’t Kiss Me (continued)

The rest of the trip actually went pretty well. No one mentioned what had happened and I bonded more with Alison and Quinn. I was able to snorkel with Kelsie and Kailie and I even hung out with Keegan a bit. Seeing Jeff was uncomfortable, but I avoided him when I could. It was easy to do since I stayed away from the boys’ house. He did text me every day, but Casey eventually blocked his number on my phone.

“Yeah that’s not happening Jeff,” she said, grabbing my phone.

“I’m ignoring him, Case. It’s all blowing over and we are going to talk when we get back to Kentwood,” I reassured her.

We had a last dinner on the beach with everyone. I avoided looked at Jeff. He actually looked really handsome in his blue button up and shorts. But I stayed focused.

Since it was the last night in Punta Cana, it felt different.

Maybe it was because tomorrow morning we’d all be packing our suitcases and heading back home.

Maybe it was because the ocean looked almost too perfect tonight, like Punta Cana knew we were leaving and was trying to make us regret it.

Or maybe it was because I could feel Keegan watching me from across the room.

I stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom, smoothing my hands over the sides of my dress.

It wasn’t anything crazy.

Just a fitted, flowy dress that hugged me in all the right places before falling loosely around my legs.

I had my hair down, soft curls falling over my shoulders.

Casey leaned against the bathroom door.

“You look really pretty.”

“Thanks.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Keegan’s going to lose his mind.”

I laughed.

“Casey.”

“I’m serious.”

I grabbed my earrings.

“Well, he’s going to have to behave.”

She laughed.

“Good luck with that.”

We walked downstairs a few minutes later.

Everyone was already gathering outside before heading to the restaurant.

I immediately saw Keegan.

He was standing with Baylen and Cyman, laughing about something.

Then he looked up.

His eyes found me.

And he stopped talking.

Completely.

Cyman noticed.

He followed Keegan’s gaze and smirked.

“Oh, he’s gone.”

Keegan shoved his shoulder.

“Shut up.”

I walked over.

“Ready?”

Keegan looked at me for a second too long.

Then his eyes traveled down and back up again.

“Yeah.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“That’s all you have to say?”

He leaned closer.

“No.”

His voice dropped.

“You look…”

He paused.

I waited.

“Like I’m going to have a really hard time behaving at dinner.”

My cheeks warmed.

“Keegan.”

He smiled.

“What?”

“You can’t say things like that to me.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You literally just did.”

He shrugged innocently.

“I said you look nice.”

I laughed.

“That’s not what you said.”

His smile widened.

“Maybe you’re just hearing what you want to hear.”

Before I could answer, everyone started heading toward the cars.

I followed Casey.

And, intentionally, I stayed as far away from Jeff as possible.

It wasn’t obvious.

At least, I hoped it wasn’t.

When he walked toward one car, I suddenly remembered something I needed from the house.

When he came toward the group, I moved closer to Casey.

When he sat at one end of the table at the restaurant, I made sure I was sitting at the opposite end.

I wasn’t ready.

Maybe I never would be.

Keegan noticed.

He didn’t say anything.

He just reached under the table and found my hand.

His thumb brushed slowly across my knuckles.

I looked at him.

He didn’t look back.

He just kept eating like nothing was happening.

That somehow made me smile.

Having Keegan as a friend again felt surreal.

Dinner started off surprisingly normal.

Everyone talked about the trip.

The snorkeling.

The boat.

The pool.

The night we got caught in the rain.

Someone brought up the ridiculous argument over who had stolen whose sunscreen.

Everyone laughed.

Even Jeff.

I smiled, but I kept my eyes on my plate whenever his voice came into the conversation.

Then someone asked the question nobody wanted to answer.

“So…what was everyone’s favorite part of the trip?”

People started giving their answers.

“The beach.”

“The boat.”

“The food.”

“The nightlife.”

Then someone looked at Keegan.

“What about you?”

Keegan didn’t hesitate.

“Spending time with Brees.”

The table went quiet. My dad gulped some of his beer. Baylen shot him a look of disappointment.

My eyes shot toward him.

He looked completely serious.

I whispered, “Keegan.”

“What?”

“You’re supposed to name a place.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“She was my favorite part.”

Someone groaned.

“Oh my God.”

Everyone started laughing.

I covered my face.

“You are so embarrassing.”

Keegan leaned closer.

“You asked.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Still true.”

Under the table, his knee bumped mine.

Neither of us moved.

Then Jeff spoke from across the table.

“Guess some things never change.”

My smile disappeared.

Keegan’s hand tightened around mine.

I didn’t look at Jeff.

Instead, I turned toward Casey and asked her about the airport plans tomorrow.

She immediately understood what I was doing.

“What time are we leaving?”

“Seven-thirty,” she answered.

I nodded.

“Okay.”

Jeff didn’t say anything else.

But the awkwardness remained.

A few minutes later, one of the servers brought out dessert.

There was a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries.

Keegan picked one up.

He held it toward me.

“Try it.”

I leaned forward and took a bite.

His eyes stayed on my lips.

I swallowed.

“What?”

He shook his head.

“Nothing.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You were staring.”

“I’m intrigued by the way you eat that is all. I can’t look at you?”

“Not like that.”

He smiled.

“Like what?”

“Like…”

I stopped.

Because I couldn’t exactly explain it.

He leaned closer.

“Like I can’t stop thinking about kissing you?”

My face heated.

“Keegan.”

He smiled.

“That’s what I thought.”

I shook my head, trying not to smile.

Then I noticed Jeff looking in our direction.

I immediately looked away.

Keegan noticed that too.

He leaned toward me.

“Hey.”

I looked at him.

“Don’t worry about him.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

I sighed.

“I just don’t want tonight to become uncomfortable.”

Keegan squeezed my hand.

“It doesn’t have to. I told you the other night that I would stay by your side and keep him at bay and I have.”

He looked toward Jeff briefly.

Then back at me.

“Tonight is about you.”

I smiled.

“Us.”

“Us,” he corrected.

“To becoming friends again.”

“Friends.”

The word did not sound great coming out of my mouth or his. I knew we were more than friends. I knew I loved him with my whole heart.

The rest of dinner passed more easily.

There were still moments of awkwardness.

A few uncomfortable silences.

A few times when someone accidentally brought up something that reminded everyone of what had happened.

But nobody fought.

Nobody yelled.

And I didn’t have to speak to Jeff once.

When we finally walked outside, the warm air hit my skin.

The ocean was only a short distance away.

Everyone started taking pictures.

Group pictures.

Couples pictures.

Pictures of the sunset.

Keegan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I leaned back against him.

“You know,” he whispered near my ear, “we could always miss our flight.”

I laughed.

“We’re not missing our flight.”

“Why not?”

“Because my mom would kill me.”

He smiled.

“Fair.”

I turned around in his arms.

He looked down at me.

His expression softened.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You keep saying that.”

He brushed a curl away from my face.

“I was just thinking…”

“About?”

He smiled.

“How I’m going to miss seeing you like this.”

“Like what?”

He looked toward the ocean.

“Happy.”

Then his eyes came back to mine.

“And ridiculously beautiful.”

My heart skipped.

“You’re really laying it on thick tonight.”

“Last night.”

“What?”

He smiled.

“Last night in Punta Cana.”

He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“Figured I should make it count.”

I smiled.

Then I looked toward the group.

Jeff was standing several feet away.

Our eyes almost met.

I immediately looked back at Keegan.

He noticed.

But instead of saying anything, he took my hand.

“Come on.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere you want.”

I smiled.

“The beach.”

He intertwined his fingers with mine.

And together, we walked toward the water.

For once, I didn’t look back.

At the airport, my mom told me that we would discuss what happened at home and that I wasn’t in trouble, but we needed to talk.

I knew that meant she wanted to have the sex talk and I was mortified. As they called our boarding zone, I gathered my things. We boarded the small plane, which some rows only had two seats in each row. I put my items in the overhead bin and sat down. I had traded my seat with Cyman so he could sit with Casey this time. I looked out the window and anticipated my flight buddies. Keegan and I were leaving our flirty friendship on the island. Those were his words.

“Let’s let this be our fond memory and not mess up what we have as friends,” he had said.

I saw him coming down the aisle with Baylen. They stopped near my seat and put their bags in the overhead bins. I watched as Keegan’s shirt lifted to expose his abs. He was so tan from playing volleyball on the beach with no shirt. Casey reached across the aisle and tapped me. I looked at her and she shook her head. I smiled and covered my face with my magazine.

“Brees, I got the window seat,” Baylen said, motioning for me to move over.

I got up and moved to the middle seat. Keegan plopped down right next to me. He handed me one of his AirPods.

“Movie, squirt?” he asked pointing to his phone.

“Sure. Why not? What do we have?” I asked.

“We could watch 10 Things I Hate About You,” he offered, leaning his head back against the seat and giving me bedroom eyes.

This kid knows how sexy he is and he plays it up. That movie is one that we have watched together so many times that it has become OUR movie. Watching it together right now would send the wrong message to him and I wasn’t ready to explore our feelings right now.

“I love that movie, but maybe let’s watch a comedy or horror film,” I suggested, scrolling through his downloads.

I could tell that my words cut him like a dagger. Keegan isn’t used to me denying him access to my heart. I’ve been so hurt over the last year that I had to safe guard myself from him however.

We decided to watch Mighty Ducks instead, which is a movie we love along with Baylen.

“Aww, no shit. You guys are watching a classic,” Baylen noted as he wiggled down into the corner of his seat and pulled down his eye mask.

We didn’t say much to one another for the first hour or so. He had his eyes trained on his phone. The stewardesses came around with drinks and snacks and that jolted Baylen awake. The kid loves food as much as he loves Quinn. Baylen scarfed his snacks and put his trash on my tray and went back to sleep. As I was trying to put my napkin into my cup for the trash, it fell on the floor. I bent down to pick it up at the same time Keegan did. Our faces met nose to nose. Neither of us moved. We just stared at one another. His lips were right there, I could kiss them if I wanted to. He grinned at me and took his thumb and ran it over my lips. He kept looking down at my mouth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Brees,” he started.

“Yes Kee?” I asked.

The moment was interrupted by the stewardess.

“Trash?” she asked, smiling at us.

We gave her what we had and both sat back in our seats. I looked out the window, making my best attempt at avoiding his beautiful mouth. Baylen was asleep on the window so he thankfully didn’t see us, almost kiss. Keegan grabbed my hand and held it the rest of the way home. We didn’t talk or even look at one another. We stayed focused on the movie.

Keegan Patts was going to kiss me, but I could not just let that happen. We were not in a romantic place and I had unresolved issues and feelings with Jeff. It didn’t stop me from thinking about his lips on mine and what it could be to have a relationship with Keegan Patts.