* * *
After the dance we drove home, talking animatedly and laughing at each other’s stories and impersonations of people at the dance. As Uncle Tody’s house came into view, tension crept into the car.
“Tonight was fun,” Liam said, clutching the steering wheel.
“It was,” I replied, spooked by the shift in mood. “We should do it again, sometime.”
“As friends,” he finished.
“Sure,” I agreed, a lump of disappointment rising in my throat. “As friends.”
“I’m not going to walk you to the door,” Liam said, his eyes focused on the steering wheel. “I’d hate for your father to have to use his gun collection.”
I forced a smile. “No problem,” I said, opening my own door for the first time during the evening. I walked around the car, the violet dress back in its bag. Liam continued to stare at the steering wheel. Pausing for a moment, I took a deep breath to calm my wildly beating heart and walked up to his open window.
“I was just thinking,” I said, my voice wobbly. Liam turned to look at me, his eyes stormy. I climbed onto the driver’s step to be at face level with him. “Tonight was really fun, and I’d like to do it again. And I’m wondering if I’d be stretching the limits of our friendship if we did this sometimes.” I leaned in through the window and claimed his lips with mine.
The warmth of his lips set off a volcano in my stomach. My arms shook when I pulled away, and his confused expression was priceless. “Just think about it,” I suggested, stepping down carefully. “See ya.”
I strutted away from the car, maintaining the persona I’d created. Even if he never wanted to see me again, I’d been true to myself in the moment.
Deep down I wanted him to chase after me, or say something. He continued to sit in the SUV, staring after me. Maybe that was the best I could hope for.
I mounted the house steps slowly. The car engine started. I fumbled for the keys, dropping them on the deck. I didn’t want to bend down to get the keys in case Liam was watching; I wanted his last image of me to be confident, not the clumsy girl picking up her keys. He’d drive away in a minute and then I could retrieve them.
The sound of tires crunching the gravel filled the quiet night. I crouched down to pick up my keys. The sound of the car grew closer. Liam was driving the car on the lawn toward me. He stopped at the foot of the steps and jumped out of the car, mounting the steps two by two.
A witty phrase caught on my tongue, but was stilled by his lips crushing against mine. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close. The smell of his after-shave and the gentle way his hands sat on my waist overwhelmed my senses. When he pulled away the air between us was charged with electricity.
“I want to be so much more than friends,” he breathed, “because you are worth having a broken heart.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to avoid breaking your heart,” I replied, lacing my fingers through his.
He smiled at me sadly, knowing summer was all we had. “Let’s just agree to be friends, even after summer,” he suggested.
“I’m a great friend,” I assured, kissing him and fearing the end of summer.
Celestial Page 23
