“So maybe now I might be imagining what it would be like to kiss him again, but that didn’t mean anything.”

“Connor,” I murmured, not sure what to say to him. We were crossing into dangerous territory, and we both knew it.“I don’t think you understand how much I count on you, Abby, how much I need you, and how much I care about our friendship. You’re so important to me.”I didn’t have an opportunity to respond. Before I knew what was happening, he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back, and it was everything I’d imagined it would be when I envisioned us kissing a thousand times.”

“I kissed his forehead. “You don’t have to thank me. I told you, I do anything for someone I care about.”He pulled away and looked up at me. “You said you do anything for someone you love.”I didn’t know how to respond to that. We were in such a precarious place. I didn’t want to say anything that might scare him away or let him know how I truly felt, because at the end of the day, I loved him. It was that simple. Instead I gave him a small smile. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

“I didn’t say anything. I just took his hand in mine, and laid it over my heart that was still pounding wildly in my chest. I wasn’t sure why I did it, or where my logic went in that particular moment. Maybe I wanted him to know that he wasn’t alone in the way he felt and that the kiss had reignited something in me, as well. I didn’t know for sure.”

“That is beside the point,” I said, not giving him the satisfaction that he was right about anything, especially that I wanted to kiss him, although now that he brought it up, I was thinking about it. His kissable lips were very close to mine.”

“You’re the kind of girl I could fall in love with,” he whispered, so softly that I almost didn’t hear him. His lips caught mine again before I could respond.”

“I sat up then, looking at him appraisingly, knowing that was the moment I could stop everything if I wanted to. “Maybe you should go,” I whispered, as I ran my hand through his hair slowly.“Maybe I should stay,” he said, bringing his lips to mine again.”