It’s long past dark as Liam and Paige help me fold up the screen. Cam has cornered Dr. L, like usual, so I just give her a wave, and she gives me a nod back. Paige takes the screen, while I gather up the pillows left behind by forgetful actors.
“Thanks,” I say as I close the prop room.
Paige shrugs. “Don’t mention it. See you?”
“Yeah. See you.” I grab my coat and follow Liam out to the parking lot.
It’s raining, one of those late-winter drizzles that somehow smells cold. Liam’s only got a light jacket, but he shrugs at me and we run out to his car. Its remote unlock died before he even got it, but he unlocks my door with the key before running around to let himself in.
“Thanks.” I rub my hands as he starts the car and waits for it to warm up a bit. We’re beneath one of the streetlamps, but the rain streaking down the windshield turns the light into amber stars, shining across Liam’s face.
“I had fun today,” I say.
“Me too. It felt like . . . like we were on a real date.”
My chest burns. “Weren’t we?”
“I guess.”
“We swam together. Kissed in the pool. Cuddled through two movies.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” Liam sighs. “I just wish we didn’t have to be so careful.”
“Me too. But if the cast finds out, Jasmine will find out.”
“Would it really be the end of the world?”
“It would.” I chew my lip. “I tried talking to her the other day.”
“Oh yeah?”
“But it didn’t go so well. She’s still just . . . I don’t know. Hurt.”
Liam purses his lips and blows out a slow raspberry. “Yeah. I really messed up, huh?”
“No. No. You didn’t know I liked you. I didn’t know you liked me. It was no one’s fault.”
“You don’t have to say that,” he says. “It was my fault. I could’ve turned her down. I could’ve told you how I felt. I should’ve been honest.”
“But—”
“If I’ve learned anything from my parents, it’s that honesty is the most important thing. So let me own my mistake, okay?”
“Okay.” I swallow.
Honesty is the most important thing.
He still doesn’t know about that list.
He thinks I’m honest.
“You sure it wouldn’t help if I talked to her?” he asks. “Apologized to her face?”
“Definitely not.” At least not without the fire marshal present.
“If you say so.” He leans across the PRNDL to kiss me gently. “Thanks.”
He backs out, his arm slung over my seat as he looks out the rear windshield, but as he puts the car back in drive it gives a sharp lurch and stalls, the engine’s hum stilling beneath my seat.
Liam frowns. Turns the key to try and start it again, but nothing happens. And then the lights on his dashboard go out, and the wipers stop their rhythmic dance.
“Did it die?” I ask.
“No idea.” He sighs. “I hate this car.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I crack my door open and look around, but we’re the last ones out. The parking lot is deserted, and the rain’s coming down harder, pelting my face with cold droplets. I slam the door shut again, trapping what heat there is inside with us. “What do we do?”
“Want to try your parents?”
“Dad’s on call today, but lemme see about Amy . . .”
I text her, but she’s in Overland Park. Worse, she’s with Jasmine.
Liam pulls out his own phone. After a moment he says, “My dad can come get us.” He bites his lip, brow furrowed. I lose his face as his screen goes dark.
“Oh. Okay.” Except Liam doesn’t look okay. “You sure?”
I can’t hear his answer, though, between the dark and the rain hammering the roof.
“What?”
He opens up his Notes app.
I'm sure this is his old car anyway
“Ah.”
Liam yanks the key out of the ignition, balls it in his fist. His screen goes dark again.
I reach for the hand clenched around his key; after a moment, he relaxes and lets me take it. I trace the tendons on the back of his hand with my thumb.
Eventually, Liam opens his hand up, flips it over so our fingers intertwine. Squeezes me gently, even though the car key is sandwiched between our palms. With his other hand, he types on his phone again.
It’ll be a while before he gets here
At least half an hour
Maybe more with rain
“Oh.” I’m suddenly very aware that we’re alone in Liam’s car in a dark parking lot. Our warm breaths are already fogging up the windows.
I always thought that was just a thing on TV shows.
“What do you want to do?” I ask him.
Liam’s hand clutches me tighter. The air in the car is still and close. He shifts and leans in. I brush my nose against his; his eyelashes flutter as he brings his lips to meet mine.
It’s not like any of our other kisses. And we’ve had a lot of them at this point. But they’ve never been hungry like this. He pulls his hand out of mine; the car key falls somewhere to the floor as his hands go to my hair again, pulling me closer, and I wrap my hands around his back, because he is warm, and firm, and mine.
And then his lips pull away from mine, and I feel a weird whine lodge in my throat. The throat that he starts kissing. We haven’t really done much non-face kissing, but it turns out hot lips on the hollow of my collarbone is maybe one of the greatest things in the universe.
“Don’t,” I practically squeak when he sucks on my neck. “You better not give me a hickey.”
I feel his laugh against my skin.
But turnabout is fair play, so I push back against him, press my lips to the cord of muscle along his neck. I try to suck on it but accidentally graze it with my teeth. He seems to like it, though, trying to pull me to him, but the PRNDL jabs me in my rib cage.
“Ow!”
We break apart, breathing hard.
Liam scrabbles in the dark for a second; his hand comes back up, clutching his phone, lighting up his face so I can see.
“Back seat?”
My heart is pounding so fast I think I could yank it out and replace the engine and get Liam’s crappy car running again. But I nod.
And then we’re both out of the car, and I squeal as cold rain makes it down the back of my shirt, and then we’re inside again, and it’s even darker in the back seat, and Liam’s hands are on my waist as he wraps himself around me, and his lips are pressed against my collar, and we fold ourselves to fit onto the seat.
And if I thought Liam playing with my hair was the best feeling in the world, it turns out I was wrong.