“I didn’t want to kiss you—” he started. “Yeah. I got that. Thank you.” But Charlie gave a sharp headshake, like I hadn’t let him finish. “For research.” I held very still. “I didn’t want to kiss you for research,” Charlie said again, watching me to see if I got it. Did I get it? Neither of us was sure. Charlie gave it another second—waiting for my expression to shift into understanding. But I was afraid to understand. What if I got it wrong?
