Kiss Me – Lucy Hale
You walk in and act so surprised
Even though every Friday night I'm here, you know I'm here
You talk to some girl, I dance with some guy
We catch each other's eye and pretend like we don't care
But I know you know I know, we can't really let this go, no
When you leave here and you drive home
You take a turn down my road
I watch you through my window
And hide so you can't see
Don't you know I want you with me
And it ain't just cause I'm tipsy
You can act like it's still over and you don't miss me
Or you could just kiss me
We've talked and talked and talked some more
Over thought this thing right out the door
But I don't wanna talk no more
Who are we kiddin' why are we pretendin'
Wish you'd just go on and lean in now, what are you waitin' for
So either tell me I'm insane, or let's call off this crazy game.
When you leave here and you drive home
You take a turn down my road
I watch you through my window
And hide so you can't see
Don't you know I want you with me
And it ain't just cause I'm tipsy
You can act like it's still over and you don't miss me
Or you could just kiss me
Kiss like the first time
Leave your lips on mine
I can't remember why
We ever said goodbye
When you leave here and you drive home
You take a turn down my road
I watch you through my window
And hide so you can't see
Don't you know I want you with me
And it ain't just 'cause I'm tipsy
You can act like it's still over and you don't miss me
Or you could just kiss me
It had been too good to be true. Finally she had a spark of interest in her direction, a possibility of a future on her terms and just as quickly it was gone. Why her mama had thought she had brought so many dresses which actually suited her, for her own amusement was beyond her. She had never been so shallow and she had never looked good in yellow.
She had seen no reason to tread softly in the Lady Whistledown column. It would look strange if she had been soft on a story written about her, but was then savage on someone else. Even so, Lady Whistledown was still less biting than some of the mamas at the Hawkins ball. So now here she was sitting in the dark staring out the window into the night.
Everyone had gone to bed when Rae, her maid quietly entered the room. "Miss. You have a visitor."
Who on earth would want to visit her at this time of night or at all. Curiosity got the better of her so she followed Rae out to the garden. She hadn't expected to find Colin there. "What are you doing here?"
Colin waited a beat for Rae to leave them and even then the maid looked to Penelope for her approval. "I bribed her to give us a moment alone." She hoped Rae had been well paid. "I had to see how you were."
What was she supposed to say? I am doomed to stay in this house with my mama. I'm going to die alone. "You read Whistledown."
"She is beastly to write such things about you." Typical Colin being the loyal friend. Standing up for her against the bullies. Technically she was bulling herself.
"It is her job to report what everyone is talking about. It would have been suspicious if she had not." Especially as Eloise knew she was Lady Whistledown and was still holding a grudge over the article she had written last year on her. "In truth, I brought this on myself. A sad, stupid girl who believed she might possibly have a chance of love." Hopeful and foolish. That was what she had been.
"You must not say such things." Better to say them herself than have the words hurled at her as she hastily ran from a ball, struggling to hold onto a shred of dignity.
"Colin… Could I ask you something?" After all, she had nothing left to lose. Her dignity and pride were barely hanging on by a thread.
"Of course." It would have been wiser if he had waited to find out what she wanted to ask. But Colin would always say yes to helping a friend. No matter what.
"Would … Would you kiss me?" She had no idea why she felt brave enough to ask him, but if she were to be kissed only once in her life, she wanted it to be by him.
"Penelope…" She had actually managed to shock Colin Bridgerton.
"It would not have to mean anything." At least not to him. It would mean the world to her. "And I would never expect anything from you because of it, but I am nearly on the shelf and I have never been kissed and I am not certain I ever will be. I could die tomorrow." She knew she was being dramatic but she was past the point of caring.
"You are not going to die tomorrow." He appeared to have found his voice finally, but hadn't got over the shock of her asking to be kissed by him.
"But I could, and it would kill me." Even to her own ears she could hear she was babbling.
"But you would already be dead." He was trying to make a joke? Now?
"I do not wish to die without ever having been kissed." He had been missing the point. Men were not lining up to kiss Penelope Featherington. If she couldn't ask a friend, who could she ask? "Please." Why wasn't he saying anything? Would it be that horrible to kiss her? "Colin."
Then he moved slowly towards her as if he didn't want to startle her. His hand caressed her face as he tilted her chin and gently brushed her lips with his. He pulled back a moment searching her eyes for the answer to an unspoken question.
He must have found the answer he was looking for as he moved back for a second kiss. This one more urgent and passionate. You did not kiss a friend with this much passion. But then she had nothing for comparison.
Not daring to look into his eyes for fear of what she might see in their dark blue depths, she regained her composure. "Thank you." She turned and raced back into the house before anyone could catch them. If her mama found them Colin would be forced to marry her and she had already pushed the boundaries on their friendship as it was. At least in her room she could over think the kiss in privacy. Only Rae would even know he had been there so his reputation would remain intact. It was already too late for her.