hunter x keori // PHEONIX DROP DAYS (COMPLETED)

taste

Keori was on Hunter's bed, watching him pace around his room and come up with ways his date with Annabell could go wrong.

"What if she doesn't like me?" a look of realization dawned upon him, "Irene, what if she wants to kiss?" he asked as if it were the most horrible thing in the world.

Keori sat up, "Then kiss her." she said, and he looked at her like she'd told him to jump out the window. "You do like Annabell, right?"

"Yes! Of course I do." he assured her, "It's just... I've never... kissed anyone."

She shrugged, "I'll teach you."

He did a double-take, "You?"

"What do you mean 'you'?" she scoffed, "I've had a boyfriend before."

... In middle school, for like a day. she thought.

He blinked, "You have?"

"You know what?" she threw her hands up, "Fine, I won't help you."

"Keori, please." he begged, "This has to go perfectly."

"Fine." she sighed, "Just... follow my lead. Close your eyes."

She closed her eyes and kissed him, and they should've stopped there.

But they didn't.

She put his hands on her waist, and he pulled her closer. Her phone was ringing, but she was too focused on the feeling of Hunter's lips to notice. Her heart pounding in her chest, they finally pulled apart.

"You should get ready for your date," she reminded him, and he looked a little surprised, as if he'd almost forgotten.

She glanced at her phone, there was a missed call and multiple unread texts from her mother. Why are you taking so long? You said you were at Annabell's house. The family tracker app says that your location is unavailable because you have battery saver on.

She cursed under her breath, "I have to run home, Hunter. I'll see you at school," she smiled, "You're gonna tell me all about your date later, okay?"

She picked up her bag from the floor and headed back, her heart still racing in her chest.

It was a friendly kiss. On the lips.

Who was she kidding?

She closed her bedroom door and turned the lock. It wasn't dark yet, but she still climbed under the covers and hugged her pillow, thinking about what had happened less than an hour ago. She wasn't tired, but she didn't want to be awake right now.

She felt like an idiot.

She was just going to help him practice for his big date. This was a favor for a friend.

Are they friends?

No. No, they have a deal. She's just fulfilling her end. He doesn't care about her.

Then why did she like it?

Why did she like the taste of his lips? The way he held her like she was his everything. The way he grins and teases her when they're spending time together.

She buried her face into her pillow and hugged it tighter. She was going to have to face him tonight for their run.

"Hey, Alexa." she muttered to her 'personal assistant', her eyes heavy, "Wake me up at ten."

"Alarm set for: Ten in the afternoon, October 10th." the device on her nightstand droned.

Just as she was drifting off to the dream realm, her phone lit up, making her groan and look at it from under all of her pillows.

Annabell was trying to facetime her.

She flicked the lamp on and picked up, "Hey, 'Bell," she greeted.

Annabell was in her bathrobe, wearing an expensive-looking clay mask and a bathrobe, her hair up in a towel.

"Keori~!" she chirped, "Help me pick an outfit, white dress, or⁠- Keori... You're crying."

She hadn't realized when it started, but tears were running down her face.

"Honey..." she dropped what she was doing, and if she was right there next to Keori, she would be wiping away her tears. "What's wrong?"

"No, don't worry about it! I'm just a little sick, so my eyes are a little watery." she assured her, "Now, what were you saying about that white dress?"

Annabell seemed to believe her, what would Keori even say if she hadn't? Oh, I'm crying because the guy I like is going on a date with you.

"Oh, do you like the white dress, or..." she pulled out a yellow dress, a little longer than the previous one. "This one?"

"The white one, it compliments your eyes," she said, not sure what she was talking about.

"Really?" she blushed a little, "Thank you! I gotta start doing my hair now. Bye~!"

The call ended, and Keori stared back at herself in the reflection of her phone.

If he liked Annabell so much, why did he kiss Keori like that?