CHAPTER 4: KISS AND FEELINGS

After they ate, they sang karaoke inside the cottage. It felt like Joe had his own concert as he performed in the center almost non-stop. Everyone laughed and enjoyed. After a while, they started setting up their tents. Eunice and Katrina shared one tent, while Joe and Nick shared another. Brent and her also excused themselves to set up their tent near a tree, away from their friends.

She noticed Brent's unusual silence, which made her curious.

Brent carried their tent while she handled their other belongings as they walked to the tree.

"Are you drunk, Brent?" she asked.

Brent chuckled softly. "If I were drunk, I'd have passed out already," he replied, laughing at the question.

"You're unusually quiet," she added.

Brent looked at her while they continued walking. "Isn't that a good thing? You'll sleep better tonight since I'm not being too chatty," he joked.

She shrugged. They reached the big tree, and Brent immediately set down what he was carrying and started assembling their tent. It was just the right size for the two of them.

Once the tent was up, she quickly went inside with their stuff. They had a flashlight, which she used to organize the interior. Brent followed her in. She placed her bag near her head to serve as her pillow. She laid down, watching as Brent zipped the tent shut. She placed his bag near his head to serve as his pillow too.

Brent lay down beside her. Her bag wasn't very full, so it wasn't comfortable as a pillow. As she tried to adjust it to make it thicker, Brent noticed.

"Come here," Brent said, lifting her head slightly and letting her rest on his arm.

She glanced at him. "Won't your arm go numb?" she asked, but didn't move her head.

"With muscles like these, you think I'd get numb?" Brent flexed his arm theatrically, showing off his muscles. She laughed, knowing Brent was just teasing.

"You're so full of yourself," she replied with a playful eye roll.

Brent laughed, and silence fell between them for a moment. Then Brent spoke again. "Is there someone else you'd rather be with inside this tent?"

She was caught off guard by the question and turned to face him. "Yes," she replied directly.

Brent also turned to face her. "Who?" Brent's expression seemed tinged with hurt.

She stared at his handsome face before answering, "Jacob Elordi, the lead guy from The Kissing Booth."

Brent smiled faintly, remembering they'd watched that movie together before. Brent had witnessed her excited squeals over the lead actor.

She studied Brent again under the flashlight's glow. "In fairness, you do look a bit like him," she remarked suddenly.

Brent smiled slightly. "Really?" he said, his tone more like confirmation than a question.

She nodded. They were still lying on their sides, facing each other.

"Didn't you have a huge crush on him?" Brent added.

"Of course! He's so handsome!" She replied, grinning like a starstruck fan.

Brent's expression turned serious. "If I look like him, why don't you have a crush on me?" he asked, locking eyes with her.

Her smile faded as she sensed something deeper in Brent's gaze. Before she could respond, Brent gently cupped her face, stroking her cheek. Brent's eyes shifted to her lips as he slowly leaned in closer.

"B-Brent..." she stammered softly, intending to stop him, but her tone seemed to encourage Brent instead.

Before she could pull away, Brent's lips pressed against her. Her eyes instinctively closed at the contact. Brent's hand moved to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Brent's lips parted slightly, capturing her lower lip. A tingling sensation coursed through her as Brent kissed her deeply.

Almost instinctively, her hand found its way to Brent's neck. When Brent's tongue brushed against her closed lips, seeking entry, she hesitantly parted them. Brent's tongue explored gently, coaxing her to respond.

"Open your mouth, Zy," he said firmly.

"Huh?" was her response, absent-mindedly.

He brought his mouth closer to hers and took advantage of the moment when her mouth was open as she spoke. She was caught off guard when his tongue suddenly teased her still tongue.

Shit! What are they doing? Her mind questioned desperately.

She moaned when he sucked on her tongue. She let him. Her eyes were closing tightly, not even realizing she was already grabbing onto the man's hair.

"Hmmmm... B-brent..." she moaned as his kiss deepened.

She mimicked Brent's movements, hesitantly kissing back. When she playfully sucked on Brent's tongue, Brent let out a deep, guttural groan. Startled, she pulled back. "D-did I hurt you?" she asked, concerned.

Brent chuckled softly. "Silly," he said, leaning in again for another kiss.

Their kisses grew more intense, their tongues tangling as their breathing quickened. She felt her lips swell slightly from Brent's persistent attention. Occasionally, she gasped for air but didn't want to stop. When Brent finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavily.

She couldn't meet Brent's gaze and buried her face in Brent's chest, squeezing her eyes shut. She could hear Brent's racing heartbeat matching her own.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. She felt Brent kiss the top of her head before wrapping her in a tight embrace. 

She could feel the swelling of her lips, moist with saliva, as she remained pressed against Brent's chest. She didn't want to face him. She felt awkward after what just happened.

After a while, he called her name.

"Zy..." he called softly.

She didn't answer and tightly shut her eyes. He didn't speak again. She only felt him kiss her hair and then hug her tightly.

She felt like her body was starting to ache from the position, scared to move. Slowly, the rhythm of his heartbeat returned to normal, and his breathing became gentle.

She slowly lifted her gaze and saw that Brent's eyes were closed, and he seemed to have already fallen asleep. She adjusted her position and tried to loosen his embrace, but he only pulled her closer.

She decided to let it be, and soon enough, she began to feel sleepy, still wrapped in his arms.