We reach the front door and I place my hand on the doorknob, pausing.

“I’m sorry for freaking out on you,” I say sincerely, face contorting in an apologetic frown.

“It’s nothing,” he remarks, though I know he’s just trying to be nice. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay,” I concede. “Well, I was having fun before all that happened.”

“Me too. I’m glad you said yes.”

Silence falls over us, and he watches me intently. I know this is probably the point where he would kiss me good night, but he most likely doesn’t think he’s allowed to. It’s a strange territory to be in, not knowing what the boundaries should be. I can’t think of a single thing to say.

Acting on impulse, I stand on my tiptoes, reach over, and press my lips against his cheek briefly. When I pull away, I see the look of shock on his face before it turns into a smile, spreading from ear to ear.

“Good night, Damien,” I say faintly.

“Night,” he says.

He turns away, heading for his car, and I open the door to the house, entering and closing it behind me. Leaning against the door with a heavy sigh, I’m left to wonder why his reaction to the kiss makes me feel like I just made a colossal mistake.

05 | Bend

The sound of quick footsteps coming from behind reaches my ears, followed by a pair of arms encircling my shoulders gently, causing me to stumble. Damien plants a delicate kiss in my hair as he rights us, and I find my footing again. Laughing uncomfortably, I subtly disentangle myself from him, reaching up to pat down my hair.

“Hey.” He greets me.

My heart sighs wearily when it registers the hopeful look on his face. “Hi,” I say as we walk to the cafeteria. The hallway is bustling with activity as usual, though I still draw attention as I pass by. “I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but I thought we were going to take things slow?” Taking things slow does not equate to overbearing public displays of affection in my mind, but maybe it does in his.

He laughs shortly. “Well, we said that before you kissed me.”

“Damien,” I say, disappointment coloring my tone. “It was a kiss on the cheek. To say thank you. It didn’t really mean anything else. I’m sorry.”

He only lets his devastation show for a split second before recovering. “Regardless, it was a great night, and we should do it again sometime.”