Seven Seconds of Heat

HAZEL

I stand frozen in the center of the circle, the heat of the bonfire baking my skin. Cole stares at me from the other side of the flames. His lips are parted, his eyes wide and panicked, as if he wants to shout something but the words are trapped in his throat.

Chloe tilts her head, her sweet, unbothered smile unwavering in the flickering light. "Rules are rules, Hazel. Seven seconds. Make it count."

Seven seconds. My first kiss.

The chanting begins to ripple through the crowd, a rhythmic thumping that matches my racing pulse.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

I stare up at Cade. His pale blue eyes remain locked on mine, dark and unreadable. He leans down, his tall frame casting a shadow over me, his hot breath brushing directly against my ear.

"Scared, sparrow?"

The taunting nickname sends a sharp shiver down my spine. I glare up at his smug face.

"Shut up." I force the words past the tight lump in my throat.

He shrugs, his broad shoulders shifting under his black shirt. "Your call. But they won't let you leave until you do it."

The crowd roars louder, stomping their feet in the dirt. I feel a dozen pairs of eyes burning into my skin. Cole is watching. He is standing there, watching me, right after wrapping his arms around Chloe. The lingering, painful image of him kissing her flashes behind my eyes. He held her waist. He kissed her like she was the only girl in the world.

A sharp, reckless anger ignites deep inside my chest.

Fine.

If Cole can kiss her in front of me and act like my feelings mean nothing, I can survive a mere seven seconds with his twin brother.

I push up on my tiptoes. Cade is so tall that I have to reach up and grab the front of his shirt. My hands shake as I fist the dark fabric. His eyebrows lift in a brief flash of surprise. I expect the kiss to be stiff. I expect it to be a quick, awkward press of mouths just to satisfy the stupid game.

It is not.

The moment our mouths meet, Cade's lips move with a deep, insatiable hunger. It is not a peck. It is a forceful invasion. His large hand slides down to my waist, his long fingers gripping my skin tight. He pulls my body flush against his hard frame, eliminating every inch of space between us.

My breath catches in my throat. His mouth slants over mine, his tongue parting my lips and sweeping inside with a raw, demanding heat. The loud cheering of the crowd fades into a muffled buzz. The crackling of the bonfire disappears. There is nothing left but the intense, overwhelming heat burning between us. I can feel the solid wall of his chest pressing into mine, the hard lines of his hips grounding me in place.

It feels so wrong.

I know I should pull away. I know I should push him back. But my body betrays my mind. My grip on his shirt tightens, and I lean into his hold, melting against him as he groans low in his throat. His thumb strokes the bare skin of my lower back, sending a jolt of electricity straight to my core.

The agonizing seven seconds finally come to an end.

I rip myself away from him, stumbling back a step. I gasp for air as if I have been drowning in the deep end of a pool. My chest heaves. My lips are swollen, hot, and tingling with the friction of his mouth.

The crowd erupts around us, shouting, laughing, and whistling into the night air.

Cade stands there, his chest rising and falling. His pale blue eyes are dark, heavy with a hunger he does not bother to hide. He licks his bottom lip slowly, a wicked smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Happy Valentine's, sparrow."

I just shake my head, my legs trembling beneath me.

I finally muster the courage to glance across the circle at Cole. He is standing rigid. His fists are clenched so tight at his sides that his knuckles are stark white. His jaw is locked, his eyes burning with a chaotic mix of hurt, anger, and deep jealousy.

The harsh reality crashes down on me. The boy I have loved for three long years just stood there and watched me passionately kiss his twin brother. The nausea returns, twisting my stomach into a tight knot.

Chloe claps her hands together, laughing over the noise. "Wow, Hazel. Didn't know you had that in you. Ready for round two?"

"No. I'm done." I flatly refuse, my voice cracking under the weight of the night.

I turn my back on the fire, my legs unsteady as I prepare to run. Before I can take two steps, a warm, strong hand catches my wrist. Cade holds me in place.

"Need a ride home?" he asks, his voice smooth and loud enough to cut through the chatter.

Cole suddenly steps forward, breaking through the circle. "Hazel, wait—"

I cannot handle this. I cannot handle the twin brothers standing on either side of my shattered heart. I forcefully yank my arm free from Cade's unyielding grip. I do not look back at either of them. I walk straight into the darkness of the woods, hot tears spilling down my cheeks and stinging my cold skin.

Back in the safety of my dorm room, the silence is deafening. I pace the narrow floorboards, my arms wrapped around myself. I cannot sleep. I cannot even sit down. My body remains acutely, maddeningly aware of where Cade touched me. The phantom pressure of his hand burns on my waist. The taste of him lingers on my tongue.

My phone suddenly explodes with noise, buzzing relentlessly against the wooden nightstand. I walk over and stare at the glowing screen.

Fourteen missed calls. Twenty-four unread text messages. All from Cole.

Another message pops up on the screen.

[Cole: Come downstairs. Please. It's cold out here.]

I stare at the words. The smart thing to do is turn off the phone and go to sleep. But the foolish part of me—the part that has loved him since high school, the part that memorized his coffee order and saved his movie tickets—wins out against my better judgment.

I pull a heavy hoodie over my pajamas, shove my feet into my sneakers, and trudge downstairs.

I push open the heavy side door of the dorm building. The freezing night air hits me like a physical blow. Cole is standing under the yellow glow of the street lamp, his shoulders hunched against the biting chill. He looks up the second the door clicks shut behind me. Relief washes over his face, followed quickly by a flash of guilt.

He takes a step toward me. "Hazel. Hey."

I stay rooted to my spot, keeping a safe distance between us. "What do you want, Cole?"

He runs a hand through his dark hair, looking exhausted. "Look, about tonight... the spin the bottle thing. It was just a stupid game. It didn't mean anything."

My chest tightens, a fresh wave of pain hitting me. I spent three years waiting for him to look at me the way he looked at Chloe tonight.

"It didn't mean anything?" I ask, my voice trembling with insult. "We were supposed to hang out tonight. Just us. And instead, you kissed her."

"It wasn't like that." He cuts me off quickly, his tone gentle but incredibly dismissive. "Chloe and I are just messing around. You know me. Tonight was dumb, but it's not a big deal."

Not a big deal.

He casually downplays the exact moment that shattered my heart. He brushes off my pain like it is a minor inconvenience to his night. Stung and exhausted, I turn my back to him, ready to walk away and never look back.

Warm arms suddenly wrap tightly around me from behind.

Cole pulls my back flush against his solid chest, holding me in a desperate grip. He rests his chin on the top of my head. I can smell his familiar cologne, the same scent I have associated with safety and comfort for years.

"I don't want to lose you," he murmurs softly into my hair.

He presses a soft, lingering kiss to the top of my head.

My fragile heart pounds against my ribs. A renewed sense of hope flares in my chest. Maybe he does care. Maybe he finally realizes what I mean to him. I stand still, letting the warmth of his embrace seep through my hoodie.

His arms tighten possessively around my waist. "Promise me one thing, okay?"

"Yeah?" I whisper, barely breathing.

"Promise me you'll stay away from Cade."

The comforting warmth drains out of my body in a single, icy rush.

The realization hits me like a speeding truck. He does not want me. He is not confessing his feelings or realizing his mistakes. He just wants to keep me safely locked in the pathetic 'best friend box' while aggressively warning me off his brother. He wants to keep me on the hook, waiting for him, while ensuring I do not explore the one connection that actually made me feel a spark of electric life tonight.

Disgusted by his selfishness, I step out of his embrace. The cold air rushes into the space between us.

"Goodnight, Cole." I say the words with a cold, final edge.

I turn and walk back toward the entrance. He calls my name, his voice echoing in the empty courtyard, but I ignore him. I pull the heavy metal door open and let it slam shut behind me.

I retreat to my room with a heavy, aching heart. I lock the heavy wooden door behind me, the deadbolt clicking into place. I lean my back against the wood, my knees weak. My fingers slowly rise, gently touching my still-tingling lips. Cole's hug was safe, but Cade's kiss was a dangerous fire.

My phone vibrates loudly in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I pull the device out and look at the screen. A new text message glows in the dim light of the room. This time, it is not from Cole.

[Want to do something fun, sparrow?]