CHAPTER 208: CHAPTER 208

Kira’s POV

Kennedy’s lips were softer than I’d imagined but his kiss was anything but gentle. It was hungry, possessive, and explosive.

One of his hands slid into my hair, gripping just hard enough to make me gasp, and he used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that made more heat pool in between my legs.

This. This is what I’ve been waiting for.

My hands moved from his face to his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt, then up to his shoulders, pulling him closer because he wasn’t close enough, could never be close enough.

Kennedy made another sound - a deep growl - and suddenly his arm was around my waist, pulling me into his lap without breaking the kiss.

I went willingly, straddling him in the booth, my dress riding up high, not caring who might see or what they might think.

All that mattered was this. His mouth on mine. His hands on my body. The way he was kissing me like I was oxygen and he’d been drowning.

"Kira," he breathed against my lips, pulling back just enough to look at me. His eyes were dark, pupils blown wide, his breathing as ragged as mine. "Are you sure about this? Because if we continue, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop."

"Then don’t stop," I whispered, and crashed my mouth back onto his.

This kiss was even more intense than the first - all tongues and teeth and desperate hands that couldn’t seem to find enough skin to touch.

Kennedy’s hands were everywhere. In my hair, on my face, sliding down my back to grip my hips, pulling me harder against him until I could feel exactly how much he wanted this.

Oh God. Oh my God.

I rocked against him without thinking, and the groan he let out made me do it again, loving the way his fingers dug into my hips, loving the way his kiss turned almost brutal with need.

"Fuck, Kira," he muttered against my mouth. "You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this."

"Tell me," I demanded, pulling back just enough to look at him. "Tell me how long."

His eyes were blazing. "Since college. Since the first time you walked into our apartment with that ridiculous confidence and that sharp mouth and those eyes that couldn’t seem to look away from me."

Since college?

"You..." I couldn’t process this. "But you turned me down. At graduation. You said..."

"I was engaged to Phoebe," he said roughly. "I was in love with her. Or I thought I was. But you..." His hands tightened on my hips. "You’ve been in the back of my mind for years. Every time Phoebe and I fought, I’d think about you. About what might have happened if I’d been single when you confessed."

Tears stung my eyes. "Kennedy..."

"I’m single now," he said, his voice dropping lower, rougher. "And I’m done pretending I don’t want you."

Then he kissed me again.

********

Olivia’s POV

After Gabriel and I drove away from my parents’ house, silence filled the car like a heavy fog.

I stared out the window, watching the familiar streets of my neighborhood blur past, but I wasn’t really seeing any of it. My mind was too crowded with conflicting emotions.

Anger at Maxwell for refusing to open up, for walking away instead of fighting for whatever this thing was between us. Anger at myself for wanting more from a man who was impossibly complicated, who seemed determined to keep me at arm’s length even while pulling me close. Confusion about what I actually wanted - did I really want to date Gabriel just to spite Maxwell? Was I that petty?

Maybe. Probably. Yes.

And then there was Gabriel himself. He was kind, handsome, successful. But he was also clearly still hooked on Vanessa - his brother’s fiancée, his ex.

Maybe we could make this work for both of us.

The sinful thought formed in my mind. We could date each other to get back at the people who’d hurt us. A mutually beneficial arrangement. No real feelings, no messy complications. Just two wounded people helping each other move on.

It’s perfect. Sort of. Maybe.

Gabriel cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Are you alright?"

I nodded automatically. "Just shaken up by the whole Maxwell-knowing-who-I-was revelation."

"That was pretty crazy," Gabriel agreed, his voice sympathetic. "I had no idea."

I turned to look at him fully, studying his profile suspiciously. "You really didn’t know?"

"There are a lot of things I know about Maxwell," Gabriel said carefully. "But that? No. I didn’t know that."

"Even when we went on that first date?" I pressed. "When Maxwell tried to sabotage our date? Tried to turn you against me? You didn’t know he was doing it because he knew who I was?"

Gabriel shook his head. "Maxwell has his reasons for everything he does. But he doesn’t always share those reasons. Sometimes I think he expects everyone to be telepathic."

"So why was he trying to sabotage us from the start?" I asked desperately. "If he had feelings for me, why paint me bad from the very beginning? Why play games instead of just - just being honest?"

Gabriel’s lips curved into a slight smile. "Maxwell has a way of doing things... differently. He thinks five steps ahead of everyone else, makes plans within plans. If you don’t have a mindset like Maxwell’s, it’s nearly impossible to understand him."

I sighed, sinking deeper into the passenger seat. "That’s my problem. I don’t understand him at all."

"I noticed the tension between you two," Gabriel said gently. "At lunch. It was pretty obvious something was going on."

"I’m sorry," I said quickly, guilt washing over me. "That wasn’t fair to you. My mom invited you to get to know me better, and instead I spent the whole time caught up in my confusion about Maxwell."

"Confusion?" Gabriel glanced at me briefly. "Or feelings?"

The question hung in the air between us.

I opened my mouth to deny it, to claim it was just confusion, just anger, just anything except feelings.

But the lie wouldn’t come.

"It’s okay," Gabriel said when the silence stretched too long. "You can confide in me, you know. We’re friends, right?"

Friends. Right. That’s what we were supposed to be.

"I have feelings for him," I admitted, the words feeling a bit strange. "I don’t know what to do with them. And I’m so angry with him for so many things... for lying, for playing games, for walking away when I gave him the chance to be honest."

Gabriel nodded slowly, like he’d expected this. "Maxwell has that effect on people. Any girl who falls for him might end up going completely insane if it’s not handled properly."

I turned to stare at him, my mouth falling open. Did he just...

Gabriel’s serious expression cracked, and suddenly we were both laughing out loud and hard. The laughter releasing the valve on all the tension of the day.

"Oh my God," I gasped between giggles. "I thought you were being serious!"

"I was being a little bit serious," Gabriel admitted, his own laughter subsiding. "But mostly I just wanted to see that horrified look on your face."

We kept laughing until my sides hurt and tears streamed down my face, and by the time we finally calmed down, I felt lighter than I had in hours.

"We both needed that," Gabriel said, focusing on the road.

"Desperately."

We drove in calm silence for a moment before I worked up the courage to ask the question that had been nagging at me.

"What about Vanessa? Do you still have feelings for her?"

Gabriel’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. "How do you know about Vanessa?"

"I..." I fumbled for an excuse, after realizing my blunder. Only Oliver knew about that. "I heard about what happened at Alex’s party. People talk."

"People need to mind their own damn business," Gabriel muttered, but there was no real heat in it.

"Do you?" I tried again. "Still have feelings for her?"

He was quiet for a long moment, his jaw working. "I’ll always love her, in a way. First loves don’t just disappear. But she belongs with my brother now."

"Do you want her back?"

Gabriel looked at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "No. I couldn’t do that to Alex. We’ve had our problems, but he’s still my twin. I won’t let a woman - even one I loved - create a permanent rift between us."

The conviction in his voice made my chest ache. He really meant it. He was willing to let go of the woman he loved for his brother’s sake.

That’s actually kind of beautiful. And incredibly sad.

"I’m sorry," I said softly. "That must be hard."

Gabriel shrugged. "It is what it is. I’m moving on. Or trying to, anyway."

This was the perfect moment to bring up my reckless idea.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Would you help me out with something?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what it is."

I took a breath, gathering my courage. "I want us to date. Not for real - well, maybe for real eventually, who knows - but definitely in a way that Maxwell will notice."

Gabriel laughed, his expression filled with surprise. "You want to make him jealous."

"I want to make him realize what he’s giving up by being stubborn and complicated and refusing to just communicate like a normal person." I crossed my arms. "If he wants to play games, fine. I can play games too."

"And what if you end up falling for me in the process?" Gabriel asked, and I couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious.

I shrugged, trying to match his casual tone. "Then I’ll gladly be with you. At least the chances of me going totally insane will be much slimmer than with Maxwell."

Gabriel burst out laughing again, the sound filling the car. "You know what? Deal. It’s time someone forced that guy to actually sit up and fight for what he wants instead of brooding dramatically and expecting everyone to read his mind."

He extended his hand across the center console, and I shook it firmly.

"Deal," I said firmly. "And thank you. For understanding. For being willing to do this with me."

"Hey, it benefits both of us, right?" He smiled. "You help me move on from Vanessa, I help you make Maxwell realize he’s an idiot. Win-win."

"Win-win," I agreed.