Holding Back [COMPLETED]

Chapter 37 - "Is this where I get a free kiss?"

"How do you know if you're a good kisser?"

Regretting her words, she covered her mouth her hand. A hint of amusement curled Jace's lips but he kept the full force of it at bay.

"It's hard to tell, why?"

Haley suddenly had a fear that the source of the previous kisses failings was on her. What that meant for Isaac and her, she didn't know but had an unsettling worry came over her all the same.

"What if I'm a terrible kisser?" Haley asked.

This made Jace pause, thinking.

"It's hard to be unless you were really tense," he said. "Were you?"

Haley shook her head, remembering the way everything in her softened at the feel of Isaac's lips.

"It's also about the lead up to it," he said.

She frowned at him. "The what?"

Straightening, he moved closer to her. Haley tried to back away but had nowhere else to go.

"It's about the anticipation," Jace said, inching closer. "The moment building. The pause before. The breath you share." Gently, he cupped the back of her neck and slowly leaned in. "The lead up is all these things. They factor into a good kiss."

Haley stared up into Jace's eyes, frozen in place, suddenly afraid that he was actually going to kiss her. When he was a breath away, he grinned and pulled back.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're a good kisser but you're not my person to kiss."

Haley blushed at the thought of Isaac and the closet. She bit her lip.

Jace laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you kissed Isaac just fine."

Haley couldn't help it, she covered her face and laughed. Right then she was struck by the fact that Jace had been so close to kissing her and she hadn't felt anything. Not what she felt when she was simply near Isaac.

When she raised her head, Jace was smiling. From the sparse crowd, Josie reemerged a bag of popcorn in hand and his smile brightened.

"What did I miss?" she asked.

Haley and Jace exchanged a look.

"Nothing at all," she said.

*******

They spent the remainder of the fair talking about nothing in particular and taking photos for the few who wanted them. By the time Rachel came around to tell everyone to start carrying their booths back to the gym, Isaac hadn't stopped by. Haley was disappointed but figured with working one of the game booths he must have always been busy. As she took part in tearing down the fair, she looked for him.

It wasn't until she had helped move one of the lasts booths to the gym and was heading back to the field that she spotted him. Grinning, she hurried to catch up with him. He made no comment when she slowed to walk beside him.

"I never got that 'hi' you said you would deliver," she said.

Isaac's jaw clenched but he had no reply, his eyes never meeting hers. Something in Haley's stomach tightened but she ignored it.

"I wasn't working the kissing booth, but I figured for you I could make an exception."

Shaking his head, Isaac let out a derisive grunt.

"I'm sure you would," he said.

Stunned, Haley stopped walking, staring at Isaac's back.

"What does that mean?" she asked.