I'm done with my classes earlier than usual. The teacher is sick, and they canceled our last period. Annie suggests we go shopping, but I tell her I have plans with Brian.

I don't have plans per se, but I'm going to see him at the garage. I didn't get a chance to thank him for the little stars, and he didn't answer my texts, which is quite unlike him.

The unease that grips my insides as I walk home morphs into worry when I'm next to the repair shop. Brian's dad is inside, but not his son.

"Good afternoon," I say, stepping over the threshold.

Brian's dad smiles. "Leah, what a surprise. Are you looking for Brian?"

I nod, hoping I don't look like a desperate, clingy girlfriend.

Mr. O'Brien rests the tool he'd been using on the floor and says, "Well, Brian wasn't feeling well, so I made him lie in his room. You've been there, right? Take the key; he'll be happy to see you."

I accept the small metal object from Brian's dad's hand. "Thank you."

"Not at all. Go cheer him up."

I leave the garage and stroll to Brian's house. Silence greets me, and I wonder if Brian's sleeping.

Once I'm upstairs, I open his bedroom door and peek inside. Brian is sprawled on the bed, shirtless. A pair of shorts ride low on his hips, and the sight makes my cheeks flush — I haven't stopped thinking about Brian and the way he touched me. I'm dying to feel it again, but I don't know if I can ask him. Would he find it weird if I did? Should I wait until we're alone again and he makes a move?

"Kitten."

Brian's eyes are open; they probably have been for a while. He's looking at me with a devilish smile on his lips. "I know I look good, babe, but you can say hello."

"Hi," I squeak.

"Hey, princess. Lock the door and come here."

I obey and approach the bed. Brian pulls me to him, and I make myself comfortable by his side. "Are you sick?" I ask. "Your dad said you weren't feeling well."

Brian groans. "Mac and Pops are acting like two nannies, I swear. It's nothing, babe, just a nasty headache. I took a pill, and it should pass soon."

"Does this happen often?"

Brian chuckles and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Look at how she worries about me. Not too often, but I guess not sleeping and smoking half a pack last night didn't help my case."

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

Brian grins at me. "Cause I was dreaming about ripping the panties off your cute little ass and kissing you there until you scream my name. Kissing your girl, I mean. Your cute little ass, too, if you'd let me."

"Why did I have to ask?" I mumble, covering my burning face with my palms.

Brian laughs and hugs me. "Come here, Kitten. Let me be a good boyfriend and kiss you hello."

"But your dad—"

"So, are you thinking about letting me kiss your girl? Dad's working, and he won't be home till at least eight tonight. Come here, don't make me beg cause I'm your poor baby whose fucking head is gonna split in two. My head and the boy's, but nobody gives a damn about him."

I laugh, pressing my lips to Brian's. "I do."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. If you kiss me hello, I might say hi to the boy."

"Hey, Kitten," Brian whispers, capturing my lips with his.

I caress his bare torso while he kisses me achingly slowly, teasing me and making me try to kiss him harder.

"I missed you," Brian whispers. "I'm so happy you're here."

"I missed you too. And thank you for the stars. They're beautiful."

Brian presses me to him and slides one of his hands under my blouse. "I wanted you to remember that night at the cabin."

"How could I forget?"

"So, my kisses aren't average?"

I want to answer, but Brian's hand moves up, and he touches my breast through the bra.

"I love them," I say, closing my eyes.

"Can I, babe?" Brian whispers, placing his fingers on the row of buttons on the front of my shirt.

I run my tongue over my bottom lip and nod. The room is semi-dark because of the drawn curtains, but we can see each other well. Brian's face is full of awe. He undoes the buttons one by one, and I wish I had pretty underwear he'd like.

Brian devours my lips and then moves his mouth to my neck. His tongue licks a path down. He pushes the blouse off my shoulders and then takes it off.

"Stop me if it's too much, okay, princess?"

I nod, knowing I won't. I couldn't stop thinking about him since last night. If what Brian wants to do is as good as what he did yesterday, I'm all in.

"Beautiful," Brian whispers and tugs my bra down, baring my chest to him.

A groan rumbles in his throat, and he kisses my neck again. One of his hands cups my breast, massaging it while his mouth moves down.

I arch my back as Brian's lips wrap around my nipple. The sensation is incredible. He sucks on it gently and then bites just barely, humming when I moan and grip his hair.

The combination of his hands, lips, and teeth on the tender flesh is driving me wild. I'm curious but not self-conscious. It's hard to be when Brian makes me forget everything but what he's doing to my body.

His kisses grow more heated, and he sucks harder now, paying equal attention to both breasts. I feel his erection against me and touch him through his shorts.

"Kitten?" he pants.

"I want to touch you," I say. "Like you did yesterday."

"You don't have to..." Brian utters, but I'm positive he wants my touch like I want his.

"I want to. Do you?"

Brian lifts his head off my chest and nods. "I'd love to feel your hands on me, but I don't want us to rush. Are we going too fast, Kitten?"

I caress him through the thin fabric and shake my head.

Brian moans, and I love the sound way too much.

"Wait, babe...I want to touch you too. I want us to feel it together. Will you let me?"

"Okay," I whisper.

Brian kisses my mouth and slides my jeans down my legs, leaving me in my underwear. His hot skin grazes mine when he lies on top of me and kisses my lips first and my neck later. His fingers draw patterns on my stomach, but then his hand moves south of my belly and slips into my panties. It's the first time he's touched me with no barriers between us, only his slightly calloused fingertips on my most sensitive spot.

"Tell me nothing between us is average, princess," Brian rasps out when I close my fingers around his hardness and move my hand up and down slowly, matching the rhythm he set.

"It's not," I say, squeezing my eyes shut. I'm soaked, and Brian won't need much longer to bring me to the edge.

"Tell me you like me," he whispers, slowing down his caresses.

"You know I do."

"That's not a yes."

"Yes," I cry out because Brian's mouth is on my breast again, and his tongue is teasing my aching nipple.

"Touch me faster. Please, baby."

I comply with his request. Brian doesn't stop kissing me, and my muscles contract when he moans and thrusts his hips upward. I lick and bite his neck while he caresses my chest, and then I shake, giving in to the pleasure. So does Brian, saying my name. I don't release him until several moments later. Neither of us can speak.

"Hello, boy," I whisper, touching the tip of Brian's erection with my fingertips.

"The boy is too damn spent to answer, babe. I think he loves you and your girl he's never met," Brian mumbles against my collarbone and places a sloppy kiss on it. "I'm in fucking heaven. Now I can die in peace. Let me clean myself up in the bathroom, and I'll cuddle you, okay?"

Brian does it while I wash my hands and smooth my unruly hair. My lips are redder than usual, and heat engulfs my face when I realize we're both almost naked in Brian's bathroom, except for our underwear.

Brian slides his arms around my middle and kisses my shoulder. "I know you're freaking out, Kitten. What happened between us was wonderful, and I don't want you to overthink anything. I loved it. I've never enjoyed being with a girl as much as I do when I'm with you. Even my headache is better. You've got some skills, babe, and I hope you only use them with me for like...forever?"

"I loved it too," I say. "But I'd better get dressed. I don't trust the boy."

Brian gives my bum a light slap. "Come on. I'd say you can trust him, but I won't cause you're a smart girl, and he's kinda waking up again."

We both laugh, getting dressed in the bedroom, and straighten out the comforter we messed up. I try not to think about the crazy Leah from fifteen minutes ago and watch Brian instead. He opens the drawer, and the same bottle of pills catches my eye. They aren't for his headache — the pain meds are on the nightstand.

"What are these for? You've had them for a while now."

"Nothing." Brian slams the drawer shut.

"Why do you have them if they're nothing?"

"Just because."

"And the crosswords?"

He sighs. "You snooped. What else did you see?"

"Only what's in the drawer. I didn't think you had anything to hide."

"Drop it, okay? I like crosswords like you like girls' shit. It's no big deal."

"And the pills?"

"For fuck's sake, chill, Kitten. Everything was amazing. Why the fuck do you have to push? You're not my—"

Pathetic tears spring to my eyes. "Not your what, Brian? Not your girlfriend?"

"Fuck, Leah—"

"Yeah, you almost did," I say and push past Brian to get out of his bedroom and house.

I'm midway down the stairs when he grips my arm. "Baby, wait. You're my girlfriend, of course, you are. I wanted to say you're not my mom. I'm sorry, princess. Don't go."

I turn around. Brian's expression is laced with guilt, and everything becomes clear — his talks about living life to the fullest, not having enough time, and the promise he made Mac. Then, the pills, Brian not caring about how much he smokes, and him sleeping with random girls. My theory doesn't explain the chess or the crosswords, but it explains the rest.

I sob. "Oh my God, Brian, you're dying. You're dying, and you didn't tell me because you didn't know how to do it."

Brian stills with his hand on my forearm. A burst of laughter leaves his lips, and he squeezes me tightly, kissing my hair. "Silly chick. I should've asked Mac to draw me a road map before I quit whoring. Let's make tea and talk, Kitten, cause you won't stop snooping, and I don't have the patience."

"I don't want tea; I want answers."

"And I want to kiss your girl instead of having deep convos right now, but guess what, tough luck."

Brian drags me to the kitchen and makes tea and sandwiches. My stomach is in knots, but he's calm, so he can't be dying.

After he loads everything onto a tray, we go upstairs. I open the door for him, and he deposits the food on the comforter before sitting by my side.

"I'm not dying, baby, okay? And the pills, well, it's a long story."

"I have time."

"Of fucking course you'd say that." Brian leans his forehead on my shoulder and blows out a rush of air. "Why can't I be kissing your girl instead?"

My glare makes him laugh. He pecks my cheek and says, "Just promise not to judge me too hard, okay, babe? That's the only thing I ask."

"You know I wouldn't."

"Okay. So, it started when I was a kid. My teacher told my mom I was struggling cause I sat in class and did nothing. They talked about tutoring me and giving me more time to complete the assignments, but I didn't need it because I was simply bored.

"I learned to read when I was three and could do all that math shit when other kids were learning to count to ten. But if I said that, my friends would think I was a weirdo. Everyone around me was normal - Mac, Lenny, Annie, even my big brother, so I pretended to be dumb, both at school and at home.

"Since my mom's a teacher, she'd leave crosswords, sudokus, and logic puzzles around the house." Brian laughs, rubbing his eyes. "Mom's smart—curiosity got the better of me, and I started doing them cause I found something that was a challenge.

"She took me to the city, where they did all kinds of tests and concluded that I was gifted. Mom said she was proud of me, and it was incredible, but to me, it only meant that my life wouldn't be the same.

"I was a shitty son, baby. I sabotaged Mom's efforts and passed all my subjects just barely when I could've been the best straight-A student. I didn't have to spend ages with a textbook to grasp a concept like most of the class. Mom did the puzzle shit, and Pops took me to see the bikes. I loved it because mechanics can be tricky for those who have no idea about how things work and their logic.

"When I turned sixteen, Mom began to bug me about college. She said I shouldn't waste my potential, and after months of arguments, I agreed to go to the city with her and study in a specialized school for kids like me. She said she needed a break from Pops, but I'm pretty sure she did it for me, sacrificing her marriage so I could become someone.

"The shit wasn't as basic as in my old school, but still too easy. Just like I expected, I didn't fit in. I was in a class full of Ferdinands. Some of my classmates weren't even gifted, just stupid rich kids whose parents paid tons of cash for them to get a different education.

"I didn't have friends at school, and I missed my dad, my brother, the guys, and this town. But I didn't want to disappoint Mom, so I did what they wanted me to do — I passed my exams and graduated as a straight-A student, but before that..."

"What?" I mutter, overwhelmed by the revelations.

"When I turned eighteen, I was visiting here. My friends led normal lives with their families and did stuff I missed doing, and I... Well, I took some pills and mixed them with alcohol. I would've died, but Mac found me just in time. He made me throw up and took me to the hospital. They diagnosed depression and anxiety. That's what the pills are for, and I promised Mac I'd take them. I told Mom I wasn't going to college, and we came back here because there wasn't much else she could do. Nobody in my family knows about that stupid shit I did."

Brian studies his hands as if he's afraid to look at me. I caress his cheek and remove my hand hastily when a voice booms, interrupting us.

"Let me remind you that you have a brother who loves you. You were never going to tell me, right, little fucker?"

Brian groans. "Oh, shit."

His big brother is standing in the doorway. It looks like he's been there for a while.

?