A Demon's Kiss (Young Adult Romance) Read Online Free
Author: Melanie Marks
times. I heaved and heaved until nothing came out, but I still couldn’t ditch the memory, Michaela, you’re mine.
No, don’t think about that! I pleaded with my sick mind. Don’t think about demons or black roses, think about Gage. About his sweet, soft kiss.
Shaking, I tried to remember how it felt to be in his arms. But now it seemed unreal, all of it. Gage and I had been friends since the second grade. He had never once tried to kiss me. Not once. Well, okay once. But it was only on a dare, and it was back in the third grade, and it was on the ear. So it didn’t really count. Only sometimes I counted it anyway. When I was feeling desperate.
But tonight was different, totally different. There was no dare. And the kiss hadn’t been a wet, slobbery mess on my ear. It had been the most exquisite event in my entire life. Only...Gage had a girlfriend that he panted over big-time—the big, stupid, dummy. What was he doing kissing me?
***
What happened? I was still wondering that a week after Gage’s kiss. I hadn’t gotten any more demon gifts, so I was hoping I was wrong about that. That it wasn’t from a jealous demon after all, but a normal, everyday lunatic. It was possible, right? I had my fingers crossed. After all, the world was full of maniacs sending people black roses. I read about them in books all of the time.
So, I was letting my demon worries slide...or trying to. Instead, I was trying to concentrate on Gage. What had gotten into him? Why’d he kiss me? It was baffling. I mean, I understood how things like that could happen. Late at night, boy and girl alone—it was the makings for a romance novel. But it was different with Gage and me. We had been friends forever. What suddenly made him think, “Boy, I should kiss this little cutie?”
Only, I do have to admit, we had been getting closer since I broke up with Seth. I needed a shoulder to cry on, and Gage was always there. But that’s the way it is with friends, right? They’re there for you when you need them. Addison didn’t get that. She thought since Seth was out of the picture I was going after Gage. But that wasn’t it. I was hurt and Gage made me feel better. Gage always makes me feel better.
So, yeah, Gage and I were getting closer—but not romantically. And then Addison got all spazzed-out and in my face one day at school in the girls’ bathroom, telling me how I “cling” to Gage and that he “feels sorry” for me.
“Give him some space,” she said. “Let the poor guy breathe.”
So I did that. Or tried to do that. But Gage was an important part of my life—a necessity, like my arm. How’s a person supposed to get along without their arm?
But anyway, the night it happened, the night Gage kissed me, I hadn’t been expecting it, at all. I have to admit though, it was something I had always dreamed of, Gage taking me in his arms and kissing me—just as he had done. Exactly as he had done. But I had never expected it. Never. It was just a fantasy. One you think about before you drift off to sleep, but don’t actually give much thought to during the day because it’s too impossibly wonderful to ever happen for real.
So when it suddenly did happen, it didn’t seem real. And it kind of seemed like maybe it wasn’t. I mean, the following days—after the kiss—nothing changed. I mean, besides Gage and me being awkward around each other. It did change our friendship. It took it down a couple-thousand notches. But it didn’t change anything about Gage and Addison. They were still together.
So, I started to think maybe I somehow misunderstood. I mean, to me, Gage’s kiss was the most wonderful, spectacular, romantic thing that could possibly ever happen to a girl. But I started to think maybe he didn’t mean it like that—to be romantic. Maybe he was just “feeling sorry for me” like Addison was always saying. Maybe he thought I needed a kiss.
But, it didn’t feel like a pity kiss. It
No, don’t think about that! I pleaded with my sick mind. Don’t think about demons or black roses, think about Gage. About his sweet, soft kiss.
Shaking, I tried to remember how it felt to be in his arms. But now it seemed unreal, all of it. Gage and I had been friends since the second grade. He had never once tried to kiss me. Not once. Well, okay once. But it was only on a dare, and it was back in the third grade, and it was on the ear. So it didn’t really count. Only sometimes I counted it anyway. When I was feeling desperate.
But tonight was different, totally different. There was no dare. And the kiss hadn’t been a wet, slobbery mess on my ear. It had been the most exquisite event in my entire life. Only...Gage had a girlfriend that he panted over big-time—the big, stupid, dummy. What was he doing kissing me?
***
What happened? I was still wondering that a week after Gage’s kiss. I hadn’t gotten any more demon gifts, so I was hoping I was wrong about that. That it wasn’t from a jealous demon after all, but a normal, everyday lunatic. It was possible, right? I had my fingers crossed. After all, the world was full of maniacs sending people black roses. I read about them in books all of the time.
So, I was letting my demon worries slide...or trying to. Instead, I was trying to concentrate on Gage. What had gotten into him? Why’d he kiss me? It was baffling. I mean, I understood how things like that could happen. Late at night, boy and girl alone—it was the makings for a romance novel. But it was different with Gage and me. We had been friends forever. What suddenly made him think, “Boy, I should kiss this little cutie?”
Only, I do have to admit, we had been getting closer since I broke up with Seth. I needed a shoulder to cry on, and Gage was always there. But that’s the way it is with friends, right? They’re there for you when you need them. Addison didn’t get that. She thought since Seth was out of the picture I was going after Gage. But that wasn’t it. I was hurt and Gage made me feel better. Gage always makes me feel better.
So, yeah, Gage and I were getting closer—but not romantically. And then Addison got all spazzed-out and in my face one day at school in the girls’ bathroom, telling me how I “cling” to Gage and that he “feels sorry” for me.
“Give him some space,” she said. “Let the poor guy breathe.”
So I did that. Or tried to do that. But Gage was an important part of my life—a necessity, like my arm. How’s a person supposed to get along without their arm?
But anyway, the night it happened, the night Gage kissed me, I hadn’t been expecting it, at all. I have to admit though, it was something I had always dreamed of, Gage taking me in his arms and kissing me—just as he had done. Exactly as he had done. But I had never expected it. Never. It was just a fantasy. One you think about before you drift off to sleep, but don’t actually give much thought to during the day because it’s too impossibly wonderful to ever happen for real.
So when it suddenly did happen, it didn’t seem real. And it kind of seemed like maybe it wasn’t. I mean, the following days—after the kiss—nothing changed. I mean, besides Gage and me being awkward around each other. It did change our friendship. It took it down a couple-thousand notches. But it didn’t change anything about Gage and Addison. They were still together.
So, I started to think maybe I somehow misunderstood. I mean, to me, Gage’s kiss was the most wonderful, spectacular, romantic thing that could possibly ever happen to a girl. But I started to think maybe he didn’t mean it like that—to be romantic. Maybe he was just “feeling sorry for me” like Addison was always saying. Maybe he thought I needed a kiss.
But, it didn’t feel like a pity kiss. It
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