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It felt as if a jolt of electricity coursed through my body. It took me a moment to really process what was happening. Ashton... kissed me.

A part of me didn’t want him to stop, but my hand had other plans. Either he was expecting the slap or he didn’t bother to stop it.

He opened his midnight blue eyes and let out a hot breath. His eyes held a bit of irritation, but also a burning curiosity.

As if I had not just slapped him, he ran his fingers across my cheek. It was such a simple action, but my skin sang choruses of happiness wherever his fingers brushed. My mind idly wondered if he could feel it too.

“Ashton, get off me,” I said, pushing against his well defined chest.

He complied and leaned off me, instead settling for sitting beside me. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were getting darker.

“How can you make me feel this way?” he whispered to himself after a minute. He looked at me. “How can you ignore this feeling?”

“I-I- You have a girlfriend!” I blurted out, my face as red as a tomato.

He let out a frustrated sigh before leaning back onto the sofa and closing his eyes.

I was suddenly upset as I remembered something and chucked one of the couch pillows at him as hard as I could.

“You idiot!”

He cracked an eye open.

I touched my lips. “That was my… you stole my…” My face heated up even more if that was possible.

“What? That was your first kiss?” he asked incredulously. He opened both eyes and looked over at me as I glowered at him.

“You can’t be serious,” he chuckled.

I hit him with the pillow again and jumped up from the couch. He just sat there laughing.

“Kevin!” I yelled.

Kevin appeared in a few seconds with a mouth full of cake. “You called?”

I glared at him. “We’re leaving.”

He came into the room confused. Ashton was still dying of laughter on the couch and I was fuming.

“What happened?” he asked, looking between us. His eyes narrowed. “Ashton, what did you do?”

Ashton put on an innocent expression and shrugged.

Kevin looked at my red face and sighed. “Sh*t, I messed up again, didn’t I? I shouldn’t have trusted Ashton to be alone with you.”

He whirled around to face Ashton, “Dude, what did you do?”

“Relax, man. I just kissed her.”

“Oh.” Kevin glanced at me and then seemed to realize just who Ashton had kissed. “Hey, you can’t do that to Liz.”

Ashton shrugged. “She is my soulmate.”

“And she's my best friend. Don't do things that will upset her."

Ashton started walking over to me, but I stormed away from him. Of all the persons to have my first kiss with, it would have had to be that self-centered, egotistical jerk. And to top it all off, he had a girlfriend who clearly already hated me.

I angrily scrubbed my lips. This day started off so good, but Ashton had to be Ashton. One minute he didn’t want me to be his soulmate, and the next he was owning it up because it was convenient for him.

A few seconds later, Kevin exited the house and got into the car. He reached over and stroked my hair and that helped me to calm down a bit.

“At least your first kiss was with your soulmate,” he said, trying to make me feel better.

Wrong choice of words. He spent the rest of the drive apologizing.

After Kevin dropped me off, I took a bath in daze, ate in a daze, spent the rest of the evening doing my homework in a daze, then I went to bed.

My mind kept wandering back to the feeling of Ashton’s soft lips on mine. I shook my head, trying to clear those thoughts and then fell asleep.

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At school the next day, I went straight to the library. I didn’t know how I could tell Melissa and Callie about what had happened yesterday. Somehow this was easier to talk about than any of the other things that had happened this past week, but at the same time it was so difficult.

Was I going to be haunted by Ashton forever? I buried my head in my arms and groaned.

It didn’t make matters any better that I had English and Literature for second period. And of course, the person who usually sat beside me was a no show.

Before the teacher could put someone there, Ashton moved of his own free will. She seemed pleased with that.

“Hey, sweet lips,” he greeted me.

A blush rose to my cheeks, but I ignored him. He seemed more smug than usual today and it was really annoying me.

“I love it when you blush fifty shades of red,” he whispered.

“Can you please go away?” I growled.

He fake pouted at me and then laughed. He was the only one of us in a good mood today. Callie who had been staring at her phone all morning giggled beside me. Scratch that. I was surrounded by happiness.

“How was yesterday?” she asked.

I was about to respond when I remembered that Ashton and his super hearing could be eavesdropping on our conversation. I glared at him. He was writing and didn’t look up, but he grinned.

“I’ll tell you during free period,” I promised.

Me, Melissa and Callie all had the same free period today, so that was convenient. I thought that Ashton had gotten over himself by the end of the class, but no.

“Remember you’re coming over to my place today,” he reminded me as he left the classroom.

Callie looked from Ashton to me to Ashton then back to me.

“What the hell is going on?” she asked confused.

I internally faced palmed myself and internally hit Ashton.

By free period, Callie’s curiosity was like a river that could not be contained.

“Tell. Me. Everything!” she yelled as soon as I was in sight.

She and Melissa stared at me until I finally broke.

“Don’t freak out. I know this is crazy, but Ashton and I… kissed.”

They seemed to be frozen in time. Callie’s curious smile still played on her lips and Melissa’s chin still rested in her palm. Okay, at least they were taking it wel-

“What the hell?!” Callie shrieked.

Melissa grabbed my shoulders. “What? How in the world did that happen?”

Never mind. They were just as surprised as I thought they’d be.

“What happened with Kevin?” Callie asked. “Didn’t you go out with him yesterday?”

“Not exactly,” I said. “We ended up going to Ashton’s house to visit his little sister. She’s an absolute angel, I already love her so much,” I gushed.

“Uh huh,” Melissa said, still trying to wrap her mind around that one. “And you ended up kissing how?”

“That one’s on Ashton, he suddenly got all weird and then he kissed me,” I stated simply.

I surprised myself as I seemed to be taking it well now. I guess after it tormented me the whole night I could think about it more calmly now.

“I knew it!” Callie erupted, bringing her fist down into her palm. “I told you that he was into you.”

“But he’s not so single,” Melissa deliberated. “I swear if he thinks he can use you like one of his other playthings, then he has another thing coming."

“He just has to break up with Nicole… simple,” Callie mused. “But where was Kevin in all of this?”

“He went to get food,” I shrugged.

“I don’t know what kind of friendship he has with Ashton, but he trusts him a little too much,” Melissa said. “Ashton’s getting a little too comfortable now.”

“I think he learned his lesson after yesterday,” I said quickly before they got mad at Kevin again. “He scolded Ashton a lot about it.”

Melissa enveloped me in a hug “You’re too sweet, Liz,” she sighed.

“So, no Klizzy?” Callie asked disappointed. “Then, what does Ashton and Elizabeth make?” she pondered.

“Please do not ship me with him. He has a girlfriend and his personality is mostly trash.”

Melissa and Callie laughed at this, and then Callie’s eyes lit up.

"But you have some more tea to spill. Why are you going back to his house today?”

Melissa’s eyes widened. “Sis, whaaaaat?”

“Don’t jump to any conclusions,” I said nervously before they misinterpreted Ashton’s message. “I promised his little sister that I would play with her today. I can’t break my promise to her.”

Melissa nodded understandably. “So you’re gonna play with her and then dip, or are you going to let him kiss you again?”

I blushed and hit Melissa lightly. “Don’t say it like that. I’m not just standing around to get kissed, you know.”

“You’ve got to be careful around him, Liz. He knows how to get his way with girls, and his relationship isn’t even holding him back.”

Callie nodded, “You need pepper spray or something because Kevin’s useless.”

Melissa nodded at that. “I’m going to have to hit him later,” she decided.

“Please don’t,” I laughed. “And I doubt I’ll need any of those around Ashton. His personality is garbage, but deep down he’s somewhat of a decent guy.” I smiled as I remembered how he played with Brooke.

Melissa sighed. “We trust you, Liz. You’re almost eighteen too; some experience would be good for you. I just wish it was someone else.”

Callie nodded. “Then we can finally go on that triple date that Mel wants.”

We laughed at that. That would make the king and queen happy, but would it make me happy?

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