Page 40 of Resisting the Fall

I grimaced. “It was me. The rock slid out of the frame the first time I tried to prop the door.”

“Well, I probably shouldn’t be sneaking into the auditorium anyway. It’s just…” She paused and gave an uneasy smile. “Never mind.”

“What?”

“You’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Oh, please. You can’t be crazier than I already think you are.”

“Hey,” she said, her lips parting in an adorable way. “Now I’m definitely not telling you.”

“Come on. You know you want to.”

She dropped her chin and crossed her arms.

“Please?”

Her eyes flicked upward, but then she sighed like she always did when she was about to give me my way. “It’s just when I’m in there, with the stage lights on and the room so completely quiet…” She closed her eyes, and I found it difficult to keep my own eyes on the road. Her lips stretched into a smile. “I pretend I’m in the New York Philharmonic playing at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. I can imagine every detail—the audience, the stage, the way the music of the orchestra echoes around me.” Her eyes fluttered open, and even in the darkness, I could see a blush fill her cheeks. “See? Crazy.”

“Not even a little.”

She smiled and glanced at her house as I pulled up in front of it. “Thanks for saying that. And thanks for the ride.”

Maven’s hand rested on the door handle. Now was my chance to tell her how I felt. So why was I being such a coward? “Anytime.”

“Night, Ben.” She opened the door.

“Hey, Maven?”

She glanced back at me. “Yeah?”

I gave a hard swallow, feeling like my chest might explode from the nervous energy pulsing through me. “Sleep well.”

Sleep well?!

Who even says that? Idiot!

“Thanks.” Her smile was full of amusement at first, but then her eyes narrowed slightly and her gaze roved across my mortified features, as though she was trying to make sense of my odd behavior. She allowed the door to close again and turned toward me in her seat. “I never said thank you for tonight. I’m pretty sure the whole school will hate me when they find out you’re benched, but it was sweet of you to take the fall for me like that. So…” She leaned toward me, her hand sliding up the far side of my neck, making me go entirely still beneath her touch, then she pulled me toward her until her lips touched my cheek. She lingered there for just a moment. “Thank you.”

And that was all it took.

She turned to go, and I grabbed hold of her hand.

Maven glanced down at my hand atop hers, then her eyes lifted to mine. Without another moment’s hesitation, I pulled her to me. Our lips found each other as though it were the most instinctive thing in the world—the two of us together. It was slow and sweet and exactly what I’d been imagining kissing Maven would be like.

When the brief kiss ended, we both pulled back, then sat there, clearly not sure what to do next.

“Here,” I said. “Let me get the door for you.”

She waited until I came around to her side, then I opened the door and held out a hand to help her down. The giddy smile on her face made it impossible for me not to mirror her. She clutched her hands behind her back, bouncing slightly on her toes. “So, that just happened.”

I tucked my hands in my pockets, not sure what else to do with them. “Yep.”

Maven grinned. “It took you long enough.”

My brow creased. “To kiss you?”

“That too, but I was talking about you finally figuring out you liked me. I’ve known for months now.”