the collar of the coat he’d lent me. His warm finger brushed my cold cheek, and I shivered again.
He shifted closer. “Why did you leave Eastside?”
I felt a momentary rush of relief; he hadn’t seen the videos. But even so, what should I tell him? That I’d gone crazy at a party? That I couldn’t take the stares and the whispers anymore? I decided no—I would keep that to myself.
“I missed too many days traveling with my dad. Online school was easier.”
“Oh,” he said, but the word was weighted.
“Oh? What does oh mean?”
“I just . . . thought you left for other reasons.”
My chest tightened. “Like what?”
“I’m sorry. Can we just forget it?”
“No, we can’t.” I folded my arms—why was I antagonizing him?—but I couldn’t stop myself. “What did you mean?”
He looked away. “You were always, like . . . I don’t know. One day you’d be chatty and smiley with your friends, and then it seemed like you wouldn’t talk to anyone for a week. I’d see you sitting on the stairs, and I wanted to come say something to you, but you projected this, like, fuck off vibe, and I didn’t want to bother you.”
I gaped at him. Even after the play, he had paid attention to me. Enough to keep track of my moods.
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” he said.
“No, it’s fine. I’m just surprised you noticed.”
He looked at me with a bemused expression. “How could I not notice you?”
We were still for a moment. I could have sworn I felt our faces drifting closer, like two satellites drawing together, each caught in the other’s microgravity. The tension was too much.
I said, “What’s your confession?”
He pressed his lips together and looked straight into my eyes. “I had a crush on you during the play.”
My lungs felt suddenly empty. “Liar,” I whispered.
He smiled. “Your turn.”
My mouth was dry. I licked my lips. “I’ve never been on a date before.”
Liam didn’t even flinch. He just leaned in and kissed me.
CHAPTER 7
HIS LIPS WERE FIRM BUT gentle, his hand warm on the back of my neck. My whole body began to heat up, and little red bursts of light bloomed on the backs of my eyelids. He drew me in tighter.
Suddenly, it was too much. I put a hand on his chest and pushed.
Liam pulled away immediately and took his hand off my neck, leaving a cold void where it had been.
“Was I too fast?” he asked.
I tried to say no but couldn’t get the word out.
“Is it . . . Do you have a boyfriend?”
I shook my head. “It’s my first date, remember?”
“Oh.” His shoulders relaxed slightly. “What happened? You sort of . . . detached.”
I hugged myself in his jacket and looked away. I couldn’t tell him the truth—that I was afraid of going manic and freaking out. That even just kissing was too intense. Who would want a girl like that?
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I knew I was going to ruin this.”
Liam looked at me as if I’d just spoken a foreign language.
“If you think this is ruined, I have bad news for you about dating.”
I frowned.
“Tonight was awesome,” he said.
My throat cinched up. “It was?”
“One of my best dates ever,” he said. “Top fifty, easy.”
I smiled and punched his arm. He smiled back. His attention was like a spotlight. I wanted to bask in it.
I wanted to flee.
He had made a move, and I had pushed him away. But he was still here, still engaged, being a total gentleman. I looked at his face, searching for a defect, something I could cling to when he finally saw the real me and ran away screaming.
I said, “Tell me something about you that I won’t like.”
He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
“I showed you my baggage.” I hadn’t. “It’s your turn.”
He laughed. “I told you mine. Privilege with a side of daddy issues.”
“That’s not . . . I meant something actually bad.”
He seemed to hold his breath for a moment. “Why would you want me to tell you something bad about me?”
I turned my head to stare into the trees. “Because I’m leaving soon, and I need this not to be perfect.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was the best I could do.
The lights in the parking lot flickered and went out. It was like a signal that our time together was almost up.
I could feel Liam’s eyes on me.
“I want to kiss you again,” he said.
Heat blossomed in my chest like a road flare.
“Okay.”
Half