The Heartbreak Club

10. a heart at peace

thank you so much to captivatingeyes for the amazing cover above! 💕

She didn't expect it. It wasn't something Willa premeditated or even intended. It was grappled words and an unspoken attraction, linking her hands around his neck and pulling his lips to meet hers.

And God, did it feel right. Nothing could have compared to the connection she felt as his arms wound around her waist, not the chirping of the birds or the afternoon sun warming her back or anything she'd ever experienced. In that moment she didn't think of Declan, or the game, or anything but his body against hers, her indulgence in what should have been so wrong.

One of his hands found her hair as he deepened the kiss, his lips full and warm and parting hers so gently. It was sweet and careful, and it made her stomach somersault.

Something about the kiss which had been generated on an instinctual impulse felt dangerously refreshing. The way they moved as if being together was something which was always meant to happen filled her with an uncontrollable joy.

It was maybe when the shock wore off that he gently pulled away, holding Willa's face in his hands and rubbing a thumb across her cheek. He didn't say anything, he just looked at her, as if he too couldn't quite process what had just happened.

"Sorry," she said, breaking the silence. And then the full repercussions of what she'd done hit her full pelt. She had kissed him. They were supposed to be breaking up in just over twenty-four hours, and really they weren't even really together.

"Don't be sorry for that," he murmured, still searching her expression as if memorizing every feature. Maybe he was.

"I know we're doomed - us. And, Ashton..."

"Don't say it," he said before she could manage to pick up where her words had trailed off.

"Okay," she murmured. She could feel his heart thudding against her skin, and the softness of his hair beneath the prints of her fingers. She focussed on that, and not the fact that she'd crossed a line.

"Maybe this is our way of rebelling," he mused, slowly dropping his hand. A beat later, he averted his gaze too.

Willa immediately started fidgetting, her cheeks warm and the filtered sun making her feel flushed. This wasn't supposed to be about falling for someone, it was supposed to be about making a point to Declan and finishing the stupid game.

But even so, all she could think about was how long it would be until they would kiss again.