Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 136296 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 681(@200wpm)___ 545(@250wpm)___ 454(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136296 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 681(@200wpm)___ 545(@250wpm)___ 454(@300wpm)
Maverick shifts into gear and heads for the parking lot exit, driving cautiously. I slouch in my seat, feeling conspicuous despite the fact that the snow is falling so fast and heavy that he can’t see more than a few feet in front of him, so there’s no way anyone can see inside.
“You doing okay? Kind of feels like you’ve been in avoidance mode since I ran into you in the athletic facility the other day.” There’s no accusation in his tone, just concern. He takes his foot off the gas and touches the brake. The back end starts to fishtail, so he eases off until it evens out. Then he rolls to a stop in front of a sign that’s nearly completely covered with snow, except for a hint of red on the top left corner.
“I’m okay.” I don’t know how true that statement really is.
“Hold on.” He puts the truck in park and opens the door. He rushes around the hood, uses his forearm to clear off the stop sign, then returns to the driver’s seat and buckles himself back in. “Talk to me, Clover. What’s going on? It doesn’t do either of us any good if you’re holding stuff in.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “This is harder than I thought it was going to be.”
He glances over before he focuses on the road again. “Which part?”
“I barely ran into you on campus last semester, but I see you all the time there now. It’s just . . . conflicting.”
“Because I’m your dirty little secret?” he asks.
“You’re not a dirty secret, Maverick.”
He brakes when the light ahead turns yellow. When the truck is stopped, he extends his arm along the back of the seat, fingertips skimming the side of my neck. Despite the cold outside, his hand is warm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out the way it did, and that was a shitty thing to say. I used to see you all the time on campus outside of class last semester, but back then, you were trying not to see me. I know this is hard for you—harder than it is for me because of the position you’re in. I also know why it has to be this way, and I accept that. But if it’s too much for you, tell me, and I’ll back off.”
He turns down Hackett Street. It hasn’t been plowed yet, at least not recently, so the snow is several inches deep, and since it’s windy, there are drifts along our side that are deeper closer to the sidewalk. He stops in front of my house and puts the truck in park.
“That’s not what I want at all,” I tell him. “It’s more that every time I see you, I’m reminded of how easy it was when we were at the cabin and we didn’t have to worry about anything but us.”
“I’ll understand if the risk is too great for you.”
“That’s not what I mean. It feels unfair to you. When it’s you and me, I can forget about the rest of the world. But outside of our bubble . . .” I take in his beautiful face and consider what the next few months will be like if we keep seeing each other. How much harder it will be to let him go when the end of the semester comes. It’ll be messy and painful, but I’m not ready to walk away now. “What’s going to happen when you’re in another state and I move to Pearl Bay?”
“We’ll figure it out then, I guess? I want to be with you, even if we’re confined to me sneaking over after dark and leaving before dawn. I’d rather have something than nothing. Even if it’s limited to the next few months, I’ll take it.” His eyes meet mine, imploring. “I’ll be more careful when I run into you on campus. No one will know but us.”
Right now, my heart is clearly in the driver’s seat. “Do you want to come inside?”
A relieved smile breaks across his face. “Of course I do. Let me drop my truck off at home. I’ll walk back over and deal with your driveway before I deal with you.”
My stomach flutters at the unspoken promise of what’s to come. “I’ll leave the sliding door unlocked.”
I reach for the door handle, but his warm hand curves around my neck. “Hold on a second.”
I turn back to him, and his mouth covers mine. I sink into the kiss, letting myself get lost in him for a minute before I pull away. “To be continued.”
He nods. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Twenty-Nine
The Sweetest Secret
Maverick
I rarely sleep in my own bed in the weeks that follow. Most nights I wait until darkness falls and make the short trek to Clover’s house. It’s not hard to evade my siblings, or Kody and BJ, since we’re all focused on studies and extracurriculars.