A fractured fairytale

34

༻ Rose's POV ༺

He kissed me. Matt had actually kissed me.

It hadn't been anything extravagant. Nothing like in books or movies when the guy grabs the girl and bends her backwards until it looks like her spine might snap. Nor did he press me up against the side of his car and smother me with his body, making it so that I couldn't ever escape.

He simply leant down and kissed me.

Somehow, that was better. It hadn't been passionate or heated. Hadn't been desperate. We didn't claw at each other, wanting to be closer. We didn't lick at each other like animals in heat. He didn't slobber all over me. There was no sharing of saliva. He just pressed his lips to mine and snaked his arms around my waist, holding me close to him like he never wanted to let go.

It was a sweet kiss. A soft, warm kiss.

It was perfect.

I couldn't wipe my smile from my face during the days that followed. Every morning, when I left my apartment and found him waiting downstairs, I felt my stomach dip. Blush painted my cheeks when he grinned at me like he was reliving the moment in his head. Being in his orbit now had me on edge, wondering if he was going to do it again. I hoped he would.

"Declaration of independence?" I asked him.

His expression came up blank and he stared right through me, obviously trying to conjure up and answer. "Come on, Matt, you should know this!"

"We don't all have impeccable memory, you know," he grumbled.

"If you can remember all those stupid rules in football, you can remember some of the most important dates in American history," I told him with an eye roll.

He frowned. "First of all, there is nothing stupid about football," he said, shooting me a look. "And secondly, it's history for a reason. It's done. Gone. Past. I don't know why I need to know this stuff."

"Because your exam is next week," I reminded him. "Come on, I know you can do this, you just need to do some more revision."

Suddenly, he was smirking. "Guess we'll have to squeeze some more sessions in together then, won't we. Might have to do some hours after school."

I rolled my eyes at the grin on his face, even while my stomach flipped at the thought. I wouldn't say no to more time with him. "Declaration of independence was 1776," I told him, rather than deign to answer. His ego was big enough.

I stared pointedly at the flashcards I'd given him until he noted that down. "Assassination of John F. Kennedy?"

"1963."

"Why do you remember the assassinations but nothing else?"

He shrugged. "It's more interesting."

"Gaining our independence was interesting," I mumbled defensively. I loved history. After English Lit, it was my favourite class, alongside languages maybe. All the ones Matt thought were boring.

He reached over and ran his thumb across my lips, wiping away my frown instantly. "If you say so," he teased.

I huffed under my breath. "First World War?"

Again, he stared at me like I'd grown another head. "Not a fucking clue." I cringed at his language which only seemed to amuse him. "Like, fifty years ago or something?"

I stared at him for a moment. "1914."

"Oh, shit."

"Study!" I said with a huff, dropping my notes onto the table in defeat. "Your exam is only a week away. You should be spending every waking moment thinking about these events and dates," I told him, hoping he'd realise how important this was. Knowing the dates of these events would get him more than halfway through this exam without knowing anything else.