Chapter 3 couldn't help

school. Guys like them were all the same, every single one of them. Acting as if they were the bosses and owned every place they entered. The worst part was that the girls fed off his bullshit, arrogant smiles, and smug attitudes. Over the years, I'd heard enough to know that I needed to stay away from Christian, and the fact that he was looking at me the way guys did in romance movies was disturbing. As much as I didn't want him to have an effect on me, when one of the most popular boys in our school was ogling you, you couldn't help but feel affected. With a super-confident arched eyebrow, Christian narrowed his gaze at me and I swallowed hard. I watched as he continued coming toward me, one sure step after another. Slowly, I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly going dry. Out of nowhere, it felt like I was under some spell that I couldn't control or begin to understand. His gaze immediately followed the movement of my tongue, and I found myself taking a step back as he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to hold me steady. — Ummm... thank you. — I expressed, wanting to break the awkward silence. — You kind of saved me now. - I do what I can. Kinley, right? - You know who I am? — Of course I know the name of one of the most beautiful girls in our school. My heart beat faster and I couldn't help but notice how much he towered over me. He was tall, much taller than my five foot one. He was probably just over six feet tall, with dark hair and intense green eyes that had a hint of blue. His chiseled chin and stubble only added to his sexy allure. Not to mention he didn't look his age. He looked older. It was probably easy for him to buy drinks or sneak into clubs, which I knew he did with Julian. At least that's what everyone at our school gossiped about. Christian was unfazed, standing there in all his glory as I tried hard to ignore his manly appearance as he watched me. — Are you flirting with me? — I blurted out, mentally punishing myself. The one time I needed to appear calm and cool, and I couldn't. Not with the way he was looking at me. - Would you like that? — No. — That's not what your body is telling me. — Well, you can't read my mind. He gave me a sexy smile, making me roll my eyes. - Right. Try it. “I don't want to embarrass you any more than I already am. — I'm not ashamed. — I shouted, clearing my throat, my voice giving me away. — Remember you asked for this. — He took a step towards me, leaving no space between us. “You're shocked that I know who you are, which is funny because I actually asked about you, but from what I hear, you're fucking your best friend. I sighed. - I am not. — You didn't let me finish. I don't think you're fucking Jax because you don't strike me as the kind of girl who would spread her legs for a guy who isn't exclusively fucking you, and Jax is all over them. Was he right. I couldn't argue with him there. — You don't date. You've never had a boyfriend. So that tells me you're either waiting for Prince Charming or have no interest in getting hurt. Which, let's face it, we're in high school, and the chances of a guy breaking your heart are pretty high. Especially since you have no experience... — I have experience. He smiled. — I bet you've never been kissed. My jaw dropped. - Yes I went. — Hmmm... — He thought about it for a second. — I say it's a lie. — I really was. - All good. So prove it. I shrugged. — It was with a guy from another school. — You mean the guy you just invented? — I'm not making it up. His name was Joseph, and he was a great kisser. In fact, we really enjoyed it. We couldn't get enough of each other. — Right... — Stop with the sarcastic comments. I'm not lying. — Like I said, prove it. —I just said. I said his name was... — I said to prove it, not make up lies. — How am I going to prove this then? I never expected what came out of his mouth next. Never in a million years did I imagine that one of the most popular guys in our school would defy—” “You can prove it by letting me kiss you.” CHAPTER 02 Christian — Are you for real? — She asked, completely taken by surprise by my challenge. I knew she was lying. I'd been asking around about Kinley McKenzie since middle school, when she walked into my science class with a turquoise backpack. It was the first thing that caught my attention about her. What girl in sixth grade didn't have a pink or purple backpack? So naturally, I was immediately drawn to it, with turquoise being my favorite color. I was going to ask her to be my class partner, but that son of a bitch Jax beat me to it, and they've been inseparable ever since. He followed her around so much that I was surprised he still managed to win over as many girls as he did on a monthly basis. Supposedly, they were not interested in each other. Although I couldn't blame him if he had a crush on her. She had never been touched by anyone, and all the guys at our school wanted to try and get with her just to say they were the first. On the other hand, I was attracted to her ability to still smile despite all the shit she was going through with her mother. I had heard enough to know that her past was nothing I had experienced with my two loving parents, but I was still affected by my best friend Julian going through so much shit in his life. Making us both grow up too fast. The number of times Julian had shown up at my house after being beaten by a foster father was surreal. Seeing the pain in his eyes, knowing that he was trying to be strong for my parents, who had to watch him go through so much suffering because he was part of the system. They loved him like a second son, and my father, being a lawyer, had to get involved with the courts to constantly change his place of residence. Not that it mattered. He would go from one shitty situation to the next. My parents wanted to adopt him, but Julian refused, saying they were already doing enough for him. My mother did the only thing she could. She turned one of our guest rooms into his bedroom, just so he felt like he had a home to go to when he needed it. I hated seeing all the shit he went through. He didn't deserve it. He was a good person, a great friend, someone I could count on no matter what. We were seven years old when Julian first showed up at our house with a bloody nose from his adoptive father. At first, I didn't understand wha