Chapter 416

416
416
Owen froze , pupils narrowing as he stared at Aria’s face .
He knew she was probably joking , but he couldn’t help searching for some hidden meaning in her expression .
The parking lot was dimly lit , so close he couldn’t really see her face , only catch a whiff of the alcohol on her breath
Inside the car , everything felt hushed and intimate .
Owen still gripped her seatbelt with his left hand , while his right braced against the back of her seat .
Because he was leaning in , the inside of his arm just barely brushed against the softness of her cheek .
He thought , Is she the type to spill secrets when she’s drunk ? Will she even remember this tomorrow ? ‘
The thought made Owen tense up , his heartbeat pounding in his chest .
Slowly , he lowered himself so he was at eye level with her and quietly asked , “ If I kissed you right now , would you be mad ? ”
Now it was Aria’s turn to freeze . Her eyes widened as she stared back , pulse quickening . ‘ Is he serious right now ? *
A cool breeze drifted in through the open window , and moonlight flickered across Owen’s face .
But when Aria looked , the first thing she saw wasn’t his eyes – it was his lips .
They were smooth , the corners quirking up just slightly , thin but not too thin , with just the right amount of allure .
Without even thinking , Aria leaned in and pressed her lips to his .
Owen’s eyes went wide , the scent of her – clean but laced with alcohol – invading his senses and leaving him breathless , his mind going completely blank except for the softness of her lips .
For several heartbeats , neither of them moved .
Then Aria pulled back , slumping into her seat , and finally met Owen’s stunned gaze as reality hit her .
She’d just kissed Owen .
For a long moment , the car was silent except for their breathing .
Owen’s face flushed bright red , his eyes shining as he stared at her , and then , almost shyly , he reached out and ruffled her hair .
It was like he’d decided she was just a tipsy kid acting out ,
He let out a quiet laugh , “ Guess I’m not the only one with feelings here , huh ? Well , you may not have promised me anything , but I’m keeping track – just hope you remember this in the morning . ”
feeling to se
The truth was , before she kissed him , he’d wanted to test the waters , to see how she really felt about him , and maybe , deep down , he hoped she’d be too drunk to remember , so things wouldn’t be awkward if she didn’t feel the same .
But now ? He really hoped she wouldn’t forget .
Otherwise , who’d hold her accountable ?
Owen pulled her seatbelt across , buckled it for her , then sat back in the driver’s seat and did up his own . He started the car .
Aria just sat there in a daze , still in the same position after he’d ruffled her hair , staring out the windshield as a slow , fiery embarrassment crept up her
1/2
14.07
416
cheeks .
She realized she actually liked being around Owen – a lot .
She didn’t mind hanging out with Vanessa or Cloe , but being with them never made her heart race like this , never made her face hot , and she’d certainly never had the urge to randomly kiss either of them .
What was she thinking ? She had to be out of her mind .
She closed her eyes , trying to will the memory away .
Meanwhile , Owen turned up the heat in the car by two degrees , a stupid grin on his face the whole time ,
They didn’t get far before hitting a patch of traffic . Owen had barely started wondering what was going on up ahead when his car got flagged down .
The intersection was brightly lit , and a traffic cop took one look at Owen’s flushed face and frowned . “ Have you been drinking , sir ? ”
Owen shook his head . “ No , I haven’t . ”
The cop didn’t look convinced . “ You’re telling me you haven’t been drinking , with your face that red? Blow into this . ”
He handed Owen a breathalyzer .